Katz had six PokerGO Tour wins but never a Masters title
Cary Katz, the founder of PokerGO, claimed his first Poker Masters title after a comeback victory in Event #7 of the 2025 series. The $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em tournament drew 77 entries, generating a $770,000 prize pool. Katz battled through a tough final table before defeating Jared Hyman heads-up to earn $223,300, his seventh career PokerGO Tour win.
Hyman started the day with a dominant chip lead of more than 4.4 million, well ahead of Katz’s 1.7 million and the shorter stacks of the other finalists. He immediately put that stack to use, eliminating players like Matthew McEwan in sixth place and Dan Sepiol in fifth after a queens-over-jacks showdown. Hyman appeared in full control as the field narrowed.
Masato Yokosawa knocked out John Riordan in fourth place but was soon eliminated himself when his pocket nines fell to Hyman’s flush. That set up a heads-up clash between Katz and Hyman, with Hyman holding a 2-to-1 advantage. Katz stayed patient, slowly reducing the gap and avoiding high-risk spots until a critical coin flip shifted momentum.
The decisive hand came when Hyman’s pocket queens clashed with Katz’s ace-king. A clean flop kept Hyman ahead, but an ace on the turn gave Katz the lead, and the river confirmed his double-up. From there, Katz seized control, leaving Hyman in chase mode.
Though Hyman managed a small double-up late, his final push with king-four ran into Katz’s queen-jack. The board brought two aces and a queen, sealing Katz’s victory and handing him a long-awaited Poker Masters title.
With this win, Katz added 223 PokerGO Tour points, climbing into the top ten of the series standings. He also earned 420 Card Player Player of the Year points, boosting a resume that already includes a World Series of Poker bracelet and more than $41 million in career earnings.
