Vegas Matt faced off against chess grandmaster Qiyu’ Nemo’ Zhou to win the event
On Saturday night, the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas became an interesting scene as 80 celebrities gathered for the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) Invitational IV, competing for a $50,000 prize pool. The event drew some big names, but it was Stephen Matt Morrow, popularly known as Vegas Matt, who stole the show. After six intense hours of play, Vegas Matt emerged victorious, taking home the top prize of $20,000.
In the final showdown, Vegas Matt faced off against chess grandmaster Qiyu’ Nemo’ Zhou in a tense heads-up battle. Zhou, who had previously won a CPT title, was looking to secure her second championship. However, Vegas Matt’s strategic play and calm demeanor saw him outlast the skilled grandmaster, denying her another victory.
The tournament featured a star-studded lineup, with players like 8-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, Blac Chyna, and social media personalities Steiny and Ethan Klein among the competitors. Despite their fame and fan followings, none of these celebrities managed to reach the money rounds. The action was fast-paced, with 15-minute levels and each player starting with 100,000 chips. Players had the option of a re-entry during the first six levels, which added an extra layer of strategy to the game.
The event, sponsored by Monster Energy, was live-streamed across multiple platforms, drawing a large online audience. The CPT Invitational IV followed the recent CPT Game Night III, which was won by Bryce Hall earlier in the month, keeping the momentum high for the series.
Among the participants was Haliey Welch, also known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl” thanks to a viral video earlier this year. Before the tournament, Welch humorously admitted in an interview that she wasn’t confident about her poker skills, stating, “I’m not very good at poker and I’ve never played poker, so we’re going to see how this goes.” Unfortunately, her lack of experience showed during the event.
Welch’s most notable moment came when she folded a hand with two pair, a strong combination that could have given her a better run into the tournament. She was unable to recover from the setback and her misjudgment led to an early exit. Despite her enthusiasm, Welch crashed out of the tournament without making a significant impact on the leaderboard.
