Stephen Hubbard didn’t just win the PGT Texas PLO Roundup Main Event — he controlled it from start to finish. The Utah-based Pot Limit Omaha specialist topped a 337-entry field in Houston’s Champions Club Texas, securing the $215,000 first-place prize in the $3,300 buy-in championship event. The result capped off a two-trophy week after Hubbard also won the $5,300 PGT PLO High Roller for $36,000.
The Main Event awarded Hubbard 720 Card Player POY points and 215 PGT points, pushing him to 100th on the season-long PGT leaderboard with only a handful of events left.
Hubbard’s Run Through a Loaded Field
This wasn’t a soft lineup. The $1,000,000-guaranteed Main Event drew a sharp PLO crowd with steady PokerGO coverage and six Day 1 flights. Hubbard kept himself near the top of the counts throughout the event and entered the final table as chip leader.
The field featured deep runs from several elite mixed-game and PLO pros:
- Alex Livingston (8th)
- Jim Collopy (15th)
- Caleb Furth (17th)
- Bryce Yockey (24th)
- Frederic Normand (35th)
Despite that depth, Hubbard kept stacking chips, often stretching the lead whenever the structure allowed players to play real postflop poker.
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Final Table Control from the First Hand
Once the final table began, Hubbard’s stack and his composure dictated the action. He eliminated five of his last six opponents, including the final four knockouts of the tournament. Chris Costa, a two-time PLO high roller winner and well-respected Las Vegas regular, fell in fourth place for $65,000.
By the time the field was three-handed, Hubbard held more than triple the combined stacks of his remaining opponents. In PLO, where equities run close and pots escalate quickly, that kind of stack advantage lets you pressure the table without needing elaborate tricks. Hubbard stayed active, avoided unnecessary gambles, and forced others into uncomfortable spots.
Heads-Up vs. Philip Shing
Philip Shing, a strong tournament player with nearly $3M in career earnings, entered heads-up action facing a massive deficit. He managed one meaningful double-up, but Hubbard never lost real control of the match.
The final hand came on an A♠Q♥8♦10♠5♦ board after Shing fired every street with K♠8♥6♣3♥, eventually shoving the river as a bluff. Hubbard snapped him off with J♠9♥7♥7♦, good for a turned straight that comfortably held. Shing collected $155,000 for second place.
What the Win Means for Hubbard
This victory is Hubbard’s third major PGT PLO title, following a 2023 win inside the PokerGO Studio and his earlier high roller win from this same series. He now sits just under $1.4 million in career tournament earnings.
The 215 PGT points from the Main Event move him into the top 100, keeping him within reach — although still needing help — of the Top 40 cutoff for an automatic seat into the 2025 PGT $1,000,000 Championship freeroll.
Why Hubbard’s Approach Worked
Readers of PLO365 like the “why” behind the result, so here’s the strategic takeaway:
Hubbard won because he consistently applied three principles:
1. Push edges when you’re the clear stack leader.
Big-stack PLO isn’t complicated: force opponents into high-variance spots on your terms, not theirs.
2. Stay patient when the structure rewards real postflop edges.
With 60-minute levels on Day 2 and at the final table, Hubbard didn’t need to gamble. He let natural equity advantages play out.
3. Don’t slow down once people start playing ladder poker.
Several opponents tightened up around pay jumps. Hubbard didn’t. He kept raising, probing, and isolating, and those pots added up.
None of this requires GTO wizardry. It’s simply sharp, disciplined PLO tournament execution.
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A Growing Texas PLO Tradition
Hubbard’s win builds on momentum from last year’s inaugural event, when Lawrence Chang topped a 474-entry field for $300,000. The reduced field size this year didn’t change the competitive landscape — if anything, the structure and PokerGO attention have helped define the Texas PLO Roundup as a true destination series for Omaha players.
Champions Club Texas once again delivered a polished PLO-centric festival with daily streams, milestone satellites, and an event schedule built for serious four-card players rather than as an afterthought to Hold’em.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Hubbard | $215,000 | 720 | 215 |
| 2 | Philip Shing | $155,000 | 600 | 155 |
| 3 | David Shaw | $100,000 | 480 | 100 |
| 4 | Chris Costa | $65,000 | 360 | 65 |
| 5 | Vito Qingyu Lu | $50,000 | 300 | 50 |
| 6 | Joe Firova | $40,000 | 240 | 40 |
| 7 | Sterling Savill | $30,000 | 180 | 30 |
Conclusion
Stephen Hubbard didn’t just win the Main Event — he shaped it. From early chip leads to a final-table takeover, he played steady, pressure-first PLO that never let opponents regain balance. Two titles in one week, a major PGT win, and a growing résumé place him among the most consistent Omaha specialists in the live scene today.
Key Takeaways
- Hubbard won the $3,300 PGT Texas PLO Roundup Main Event for $215,000.
- He also won the series’ $5,300 High Roller earlier in the week.
- The Main Event drew 337 players and met its $1,000,000 guarantee.
- Hubbard knocked out five of the last six players at the final table.
- With 215 new PGT points, he moves into the Top 100 of the standings.
With over 12 years of Omaha Poker experience, Lebi is the Head of Content at PLO365. A dedicated PLO specialist, he bridges the gap between complex GTO theory and practical street poker. He leads our review team, stress-testing PLO solvers, HUDs, and training courses to ensure they meet the demands of the modern grinder. When he isn’t auditing poker room RNGs or writing strategy guides, you can find him grinding mid-stakes PLO cash games and Turbo MTTs.
