Roussos Koliakoudakis Wins PGT PLO Series Event #3

Koliakoudakis takes down the $10,000 PLO event

The stakes kept climbing inside PokerGO Studio as the 2026 PGT PLO Series moved from two $5,000 buy-in events into Event #3 at $10,000. That bigger step-up brought out a 66-entry field and built a $660,000 prize pool, with the top 10 finishers earning a share. After two days of four-card action, Greek pro Roussos Koliakoudakis came out on top for the first PGT title of his career and a $198,000 payday.

For PLO players, this kind of result is a reminder of why the format has such a strong following in high rollers and mixed-skill fields alike. The game rewards hand reading, redraw awareness, and postflop discipline far more than simple starting-hand strength. If you are looking to study the ecosystem around the game, our guides to poker rooms and poker clubs are a useful place to start.

A career-best score and a major breakthrough

The win set a new personal best for Koliakoudakis, topping the $139,773 he earned for winning a $3,000 PLO bounty event at the 2023 Wynn Summer Classic. It also pushed his lifetime tournament earnings to nearly $1.1 million, a meaningful milestone for a player building a stronger resume on the live circuit.

That matters because PGT events are not soft fields. They are packed with regulars who understand how to pressure marginal spots, navigate deep stacks, and exploit the extra volatility that comes with four-card poker. A result like this tells the rest of the circuit that Koliakoudakis can hold up under elite competition, not just survive it.

Final-day pressure and the big hands

Koliakoudakis ended Day 1 with the chip lead among the final four players, and that position gave him control heading into the second and final day. In PLO, a chip lead is valuable, but it is never a guarantee. The format’s higher equity swings mean that one turn card can completely reshape a final table.

Sean Rafael, the PLO specialist, was the first player eliminated on Day 2. Koliakoudakis finished the job against Rafael’s short stack to send him out in fourth place for $66,000.

The next major pot came against Chino Rheem, a three-time World Poker Tour winner and the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event champion. Rheem moved in with A♦6♦4♥3♦ on an A♥8♣6♣ flop for two pair. Koliakoudakis held A♣10♣9♣3♥, giving him top pair plus flush and straight draws. The 8♥ turn and 10♠ river improved him to aces and tens, ending Rheem’s run in third place for $89,100.

Rheem’s latest deep run pushed his lifetime earnings beyond $20.2 million, another reminder of the level of pedigree in these PGT fields.

Heads-up against Brevin Andreadis

When heads-up play began, Koliakoudakis owned nearly a 4:1 chip lead over Brevin Andreadis. That edge allowed him to apply steady pressure and keep the final match on his terms.

The last hand pitted Koliakoudakis’ K♠K♦Q♣8♣ against Andreadis’ J♥10♦6♦5♦. The board ran 10♣7♦2♦9♣, and the 9♠ river kept pocket kings best to close out the event.

Andreadis earned $128,700 for second place. He also cashed earlier in the series, finishing 13th in the opening event for $11,375.

Poker strategy: what this result says about modern PLO

From a strategic point of view, this final table highlighted several core truths about modern pot-limit Omaha. First, preflop advantages matter, but they rarely decide the tournament by themselves. Second, even strong made hands like two pair can be under heavy pressure when the board is dynamic and the draw density is high. Third, chip leadership in PLO is powerful, but it must be converted carefully because variance is always lurking.

• Deep-stack PLO punishes players who overvalue one-pair and weak two-pair holdings.
• Blockers and redraws are often just as important as current hand strength.
• Final-table pressure in a high-buy-in event creates real ICM tension even without the classic hold’em push-fold spots.
• Studying through a poker school can make a real difference when moving into tougher live fields.

For players trying to build volume, the live and online worlds can work together. Many pros use promotions & bonuses to stretch their bankroll and get more shots at high-variance formats like PLO.

What the win means for the series and the standings

Beyond the trophy and the money, Koliakoudakis banked 360 Card Player Player of the Year points. It was his second POY-qualified final-table finish of 2026, after a fifth-place result in a $1,000 PLO event at the World Series of Poker worth $106,430 and 550 points. He now sits on 910 total points and has moved into the top 900 of the overall POY standings presented by CoinPoker.

That kind of climb matters. In a packed poker calendar, players need both big scores and consistency to stay relevant in the year-long races. A title in a strong PLO series can be just as important as a final table in a hold’em major because it proves adaptability across formats.

Final thoughts

PGT PLO Series Event #3 delivered exactly what high-stakes Omaha fans want: a strong field, plenty of equity swings, and a champion who converted a chip lead into a clean finish. Koliakoudakis’ first PGT title is more than one big score — it is a signal that he belongs in these elite lineups and can close against world-class opposition.

For anyone tracking the modern live game, the lesson is clear: the best PLO players are not just gamblers with four cards. They are disciplined, technically prepared, and willing to make the hard decisions street by street. That is why events like this continue to shape the top tier of the game.

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