Galaxy Gaming’s director of operations in Florida, John Germano from the Eastern Poker Tour, navigated his way through a competitive field of 396 players to win the 2024 Bar Poker Open Florida Championship. “I’ve never won one of these big live tournaments before,” Germano said after claiming the coveted title. That impressive run earned him a first-place payout of $30,001 and a coveted ClubWPTGold $5M GTD Passport, worth $2,500.
The total prize pool for the tournament was $114,550, with the top five finishers each receiving more than $6,000. The catalyst behind Germano’s eventual success at the final table was his tactical awareness, he realized that the final table itself was playing passive so he adapted, immediately noticing that everyone else was playing weak. “Once I started building a big stack I was able to put pressure on the other players,” he said. Though he considered luck a factor, his timing with pocket kings, in two significant hands at the final table, became the game changers.
Congrats to our BPO Florida World Championship Event winner, John Germano of Eastern Poker Tour! John takes home $30,000 and the @ClubWPTGold $5M GTD Golden Passport!
— Bar Poker Open (@BarPokerOpen) December 10, 2024
Check out his winner interview with @NormanChad! pic.twitter.com/UZaYPHsLkl
Final Table Results — 2024 Bar Poker Open Florida Championship
- John Germano – $30,001 + ClubWPTGold $5M GTD Passport ($2,500)
- Pierre Agenor – Runner-up
- Gerald McKinney Jr. – Finalist
- Albert Harris – Finalist
- Patrick Martorella – Finalist
| Place | Player | Country | League | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Germano | United States | Eastern Poker Tour | $30,001 |
| 2 | Pierre Agenor | United States | NLPPT | $15,055 |
| 3 | Albert Harris | United States | Al’s Poker League | $8,864 |
| 4 | Gerald McKinney Jr. | United States | Easter Poker Tour | $7,114 |
| 5 | Patrick Martorella | United States | NYFP | $6,332 |
| 6 | Brandon Strickland | United States | Deepstacks Poker League | $3,565 |
| 7 | John Sarappa | United States | NLPPT | $2,864 |
| 8 | Christian Larsen | United States | Pykes Peak Poker | $2,841 |
| 9 | Pablo Sierra | United States | NLPPT | $2,475 |
Day 2 Recap
The second day of action was fast-paced, with just 40 players returning to compete for the title. Most players had less than 20 big blinds, leading to a flurry of eliminations in the opening hours. Within two hours, only 27 players remained, and under an hour later, the field was reduced to 18 for a two-table redraw.
One notable early elimination was David Rose, whose small pocket pair fell to Germano’s full house, propelling Germano’s stack to nearly 1,000,000. Rapid eliminations followed, and by the time Tracy Maynard-Harris was eliminated by Pierre Agenor’s quad fours with an ace kicker, the final table was set. Agenor entered the final table as chip leader, holding a third of the total chips in play.
Final Table Drama
Final table action was satisfying. Pablo Sierra’s top pair was eliminated quickly by Agenor’s runner-runner straight, giving him a chip lead. When the table was down to six players, Agenor controlled nearly half of the chips.
Germano’s fortitude showed. In a pivotal moment, his tournament life was at risk when he flopped top pair against a straight and flush draw. His hand held firm, and he killed John Sarappa, becoming a major threat.
Germano’s momentum continued as he delivered back-to-back knockouts of Brandon Strickland and Patrick Martorella, seizing the chip lead with only four players remaining. It wasn’t long before Gerald McKinney Jr. and Albert Harris, both with fewer than 10 big blinds, were eliminated, setting up a heads-up showdown between Germano and Pierre Agenor.
Heads-Up Showdown
Germano quickly asserted dominance with over 80% of the chips in play. Agenor gambled with bottom pair against Germano’s top pair in a desperate situation. Agenor saved himself by turning two pairs to lead. Fate had other ideas. Germano won the championship with a straight after the river brought the 6♥.
The 2024 Bar Poker Open Florida Championship and $32,501 cash and prize package went to John Germano for his well-timed aggression, sharp reads, and lucky breaks.
