Mullaly, Palma, Weissman, Zavorotnijs, Mateos, Vaysman, Ausmus and Lehr Earn First Eight Titles at the 2026 Poker Masters

Eight events in, the 2026 Poker Masters at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas is producing the kind of results that make it feel like the center of the poker world.

Vitalijs Zavorotnijs has made the deepest run across the series, Jeremy Ausmus claimed his 10th PGT title in Event #7, and Adrian Mateos spent most of the first four events on the wrong end of bubble decisions before finally breaking through in Event #5 and taking the Purple Jacket lead.

Here is a look at every result through the first eight events, with two elevated buy-in events still to come.

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Myles Mullaly Wins Event #1: $10,500 NLH Opener

Myles Mullaly opened the 2026 Poker Masters with a victory in the $10,500 No-Limit Hold’em opener, taking down a 78-entry field for $218,400 and his first career PGT title. The final hand came down to a sweat and could have easily turned the tables the other way.

Mullaly held ten-nine of hearts against Justin Zaki’s jack-three of hearts, and the seven of hearts on the turn put Zaki in a commanding position, roughly a 70-percent favorite to double with a flush draw and an open-ended straight draw. The river ten paired Mullaly and sent Zaki to the rail. PokerGO Tour confirmed it was Mullaly’s first career PGT title.

According to The Hendon Mob, Mullaly’s live tournament earnings now stand at more than $2.8 million across 116 results, with a best career cash of $593,601 for a WSOP bracelet win in the 2026 $3,500 Super Turbo Bounty 8-Handed.

$10,500 buy-in | 78 entries | $780,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Myles Mullaly	United States	$218,400
2	Justin Zaki	United States	$140,400
3	Sam Laskowitz	United States	$101,400
4	Michael Rossitto	United States	$74,100
5	Daniyal Gheba	United States	$54,600
6	Justin Vaysman	United States	$39,000
7	Craig Mason	United States	$31,200
8	Joao Simao	Brazil	$31,200
9	Michael Berk	United States	$23,400
10	Joey Weissman	United States	$23,400
11	Ping Liu	United States	$23,400
12	Jesse Lonis	United States	$19,500

Nick Palma Wins Event #2: $10,500 NLH

Nick Palma took down Event #2, the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em, for $235,200 and his first PGT title, running down an 84-entry field and beating Adrian Mateos heads-up in a dramatic finale. Mateos entered the final day as chip leader and was looking to convert after bubbling the opener, but Palma doubled through him with ace-jack against ace-seven to flip the dynamic.

In the final hand, both players flopped an ace on an ace-seven-five board after Mateos jammed his last 12 big blinds with ace-nine. Palma called with ace-six and completed a seven-high straight on the river to win. PokerGO Tour's live coverage of Event #2 tracked Mateos' second consecutive runner-up result to open the series.

According to The Hendon Mob, Palma's live earnings now top $5.2 million across 428 cashes. His best career cash of $431,180 came over the summer with a fifth-place finish in the $3,500 BetMGM Championship, and now earned his first PokerGo Tour title.

$10,500 buy-in | 84 entries | $840,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Nick Palma	United States	$235,200
2	Adrian Mateos	Spain	$151,200
3	Michael Berk	United States	$109,200
4	David Coleman	United States	$79,800
5	Nick Seward	United States	$58,600
6	Christopher Par	United States	$42,000
7	Sam Laskowitz	United States	$33,600
8	Jesse Lonis	United States	$33,600
9	Matthew Wantman	United States	$25,200
10	Myles Mullaly	United States	$25,200
11	Victoria Livschitz	United States	$25,200
12	Sam Soverel	United States	$21,000

Joey Weissman Wins Event #3: $10,500 NLH

Joey Weissman made it look routine in Event #3, the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em, claiming his fifth career PGT title for $218,400. The 78-entry field paid 12 places, and Weissman navigated the final table without much drama until heads-up, where he jammed queen-eight of clubs on the button and Daniyal Gheba called with queen-three of spades. The players were set to chop with one card left, but an eight on the river gave Weissman the pot and the title.

According to The Hendon Mob, Syosset, New York's Weissman now has more than $10.9 million in live earnings across 384 results. His PGT wins include the 2025 PokerGO Cup Event #2: $10K NLH ($295,000), the 2024 PGT High Roller ($116,000), the 2023 US Poker Open Event #1: $10K NLH ($231,000), and the 2021 USPO Event #5: $10K NLH ($204,000).

$10,500 buy-in | 78 entries | $780,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Joey Weissman	United States	$218,400
2	Daniyal Gheba	United States	$140,400
3	Shannon Shorr	United States	$101,400
4	Brock Wilson	United States	$74,100
5	Dylan Linde	United States	$54,600
6	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$39,000
7	Michael Rossitto	United States	$31,200
8	Myles Mullaly	United States	$31,200
9	Filipp Khavin	Russia	$23,400
10	Jesse Lonis	United States	$23,400
11	Nick Seward	United States	$23,400
12	Darren Rabinowitz	United States	$19,500

Vitalijs Zavorotnijs Wins Event #4: $10,500 NLH

Latvia's Vitalijs Zavorotnijs earned his second PGT title in Event #4, the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em, winning $224,000 from an 80-entry, $800,000 prize pool field and setting himself up as a Purple Jacket contender for the rest of the series.

The final hand became the talking point of the week: on a queen-jack-four flop, Clemen Deng held jack-four for bottom two pair against Zavorotnijs' queen-four for top two, and a four on the turn gave both players a full house. Deng jammed the river into the better boat. PokerGO Tour called it the "mother of all coolers."

Nick Palma had been eliminated in third, and Adrian Mateos bubbled again, his third bubble in four events. According to The Hendon Mob, Riga's Zavorotnijs has more than $3.7 million in live earnings across 125 results and ranks second on Latvia's all-time money list. His best career cash is $674,483 for winning 2019 WPT Barcelona, and he also claimed the NAPT Las Vegas High Roller in 2025 for $358,400.

$10,500 buy-in | 80 entries | $800,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	Latvia	$224,000
2	Clemen Deng	United States	$144,000
3	Nick Palma	United States	$104,000
4	Jamie Dwan	United Kingdom	$76,000
5	Andrew Lichtenberger	United States	$56,000
6	Erik Seidel	United States	$40,000
7	Sam Laskowitz	United States	$32,000
8	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$32,000
9	Joey Weissman	United States	$24,000
10	Chris Hunichen	United States	$24,000
11	Neil Warren	United States	$24,000
12	John Krpan	United States	$20,000

Adrian Mateos Wins Event #5: $10,500 NLH

After bubbling three of the first four events, Spain's Adrian Mateos converted in Event #5, the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em, winning $229,500 and his ninth career PGT title. The 85-entry field was the largest of the series to that point, generating an $850,000 prize pool.

Mateos started the final day as chip leader and never relinquished control, eliminating Jeremy Becker in third before closing out Nick Schulman heads-up when Schulman missed a flush draw and double gutshot on the river. "

I focus only on the process and what I can control. I cannot control when I lose or win," Mateos told PokerGO Tour after the win. On the Purple Jacket race: "Right now I think I'm leading, but there are a lot of tournaments. We're only halfway through."

Mateos is one of the most successful tournament players alive, with more than $70.6 million in live earnings across 346 results, according to The Hendon Mob, and a ranking of fourth on the All Time Money List. He holds six WSOP bracelets, ranks first in Spain's all-time earnings, and his best career cash is $6,370,000 for winning the Triton Invitational Montenegro in May 2026 at a $200,000 buy-in.

$10,500 buy-in | 85 entries | $850,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Adrian Mateos	Spain	$229,500
2	Nick Schulman	United States	$148,750
3	Jeremy Becker	United States	$106,250
4	Robert French	United States	$76,500
5	Martin Zamani	United States	$59,500
6	Keith Lehr	United States	$42,500
7	Matthew Wantman	United States	$34,000
8	Victoria Livschitz	United States	$34,000
9	Brandon Wilson	United States	$25,500
10	Justin Zaki	United States	$25,500
11	Sam Soverel	United States	$25,500
12	Sean Perry	United States	$21,250
13	Daniyal Gheba	United States	$21,250

Justin Vaysman Wins Event #6: $10,500 NLH

Justin Vaysman turned a 20,000-chip stack at 40,000/80,000 (80,000) blinds into a title in Event #6, the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em, winning $192,000 and his first career PGT win. The PokerGO Tour described it as a "chip-and-a-chair story."

According to The Hendon Mob, Horsham, Pennsylvania's Vaysman has more than $1.6 million in live earnings across 128 results with a career-best cash of $350,000 for a 25th-place finish at the 2024 WSOP Main Event. He also earned one online WSOP bracelet from the 2025 WSOP Online High Roller 6-Max, worth $257,400.

$10,500 buy-in | 64 entries | $640,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Justin Vaysman	United States	$192,000
2	Sean Winter	United States	$124,800
3	Victoria Livschitz	United States	$86,400
4	Brandon Wilson	United States	$64,000
5	Tony Gregg	United States	$48,000
6	Joey Weissman	United States	$35,200
7	Sam Laskowitz	United States	$25,600
8	Cherish Andrews	United States	$25,600
9	Andrew Lichtenberger	United States	$19,200
10	Michael Berk	United States	$19,200

Jeremy Ausmus Wins Event #7: $15,700 NLH

Jeremy Ausmus put on a dominant final table performance in Event #7, the $15,700 No-Limit Hold'em and first of two elevated buy-in events, eliminating four of the final six players on his way to a $278,400 payday and his 10th career PGT title. The 58-entry field generated an $870,000 prize pool and drew a stacked lineup, including 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen and Canada's Daniel Negreanu.

According to PokerGO Tour, Ausmus removed all four himself: pocket nines over Cherish Andrews' ace-queen in fifth, nines again over Adrian Mateos' seven-three in fourth, kings over McKeehen's nines in third, and a rivered straight with queen-seven over Aram Oganyan to close out heads-up.

According to The Hendon Mob, Las Vegas's Ausmus has more than $30.4 million in live earnings across 405 results and ranks 41st on the All Time Money List. He also amassed six WSOP gold bracelets in his more than decade-long poker career.

$15,700 buy-in | 58 entries | $870,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$278,400
2	Aram Oganyan	United States	$174,000
3	Joe McKeehen	United States	$121,800
4	Adrian Mateos	Spain	$87,000
5	Cherish Andrews	United States	$65,250
6	Joey Weissman	United States	$47,850
7	Daniel Negreanu	Canada	$39,150

Keith Lehr Wins Event #8: $15,700 NLH

Keith Lehr claimed his second PGT title in Event #8, the $15,700 No-Limit Hold'em and second elevated buy-in event of the series, surviving a brutal heads-up cooler to win $277,200 from a 56-entry, $840,000 prize pool.

According to the PokerGO Tour, the final hand looked like it was going the other way. Latvia's Vitalijs Zavorotnijs flopped an open-ended straight draw with ace-jack on a queen-ten-five two-spade board, then turned Broadway when the king of spades arrived. He shoved with a straight and a flush redraw. Lehr called with top two pair, queens and kings, and the queen of hearts on the river gave him a full house to win, while Zavorotnijs, who won Event #4: $10,500 NLH, was denied his second title by the river.

According to The Hendon Mob, Bossier, Louisiana's Lehr has more than $6.3 million in live earnings across 114 results, ranking first on Louisiana's all-time money list and 383rd overall. He previously won the Poker Masters PLO in 2018 ($333,000) and holds a WSOP bracelet from the 2015 $10K Heads-Up Championship ($334,430). His deep resume also includes runner-up at the 2025 National Heads-Up Championship ($275,000) and a third-place finish at the Triton Monte Carlo 2023 $50K PLO ($277,000).

$15,700 buy-in | 56 entries | $840,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Keith Lehr	United States	$277,200
2	Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	Latvia	$176,400
3	Justin Vaysman	United States	$117,600
4	Nick Seward	United States	$84,000
5	Sam Soverel	United States	$67,200
6	Nick Palma	United States	$50,400
7	Daniyal Gheba	United States	$33,600
8	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$33,600

Purple Jacket Standings After Eight Events

Spain's Adrian Mateos leads the 2026 Poker Masters Purple Jacket race after eight events, with Nick Palma second and Latvia's Vitalijs Zavorotnijs third. Joey Weissman sits fourth and Justin Vaysman fifth, with Jeremy Ausmus, Myles Mullaly, and Keith Lehr all within reach heading into the two elevated buy-in events. The $26,000 No-Limit Hold'em Event #9 and the $51,000 series finale in Event #10 both carry heavier points weighting and could still reshape the standings. Standings via PokerGO Tour.

2026 Poker Masters Purple Jacket Standings — After Event #8

Rank	Player	Country	Wins	Cashes	Prize Money	Points
1	Adrian Mateos	Spain	1	3	$467,700	451
2	Nick Palma	United States	1	4	$424,400	407
3	Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	Latvia	1	2	$400,400	365
4	Joey Weissman	United States	1	5	$348,500	338
5	Justin Vaysman	United States	1	3	$348,600	325
6	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	1	4	$383,000	321
7	Myles Mullaly	United States	1	4	$300,900	295
8	Keith Lehr	United States	1	2	$319,700	265
9	Daniyal Gheba	United States	0	4	$249,850	243
10	Sam Laskowitz	United States	0	4	$192,600	193

2026 Poker Masters: Event Winners

2026 Poker Masters Events 1-8: Winners at a Glance

Event	Buy-In	Winner	Country	Entries	Prize
Event #1	$10,500	Myles Mullaly	United States	78	$218,400
Event #2	$10,500	Nick Palma	United States	84	$235,200
Event #3	$10,500	Joey Weissman	United States	78	$218,400
Event #4	$10,500	Vitalijs Zavorotnijs	Latvia	80	$224,000
Event #5	$10,500	Adrian Mateos	Spain	85	$229,500
Event #6	$10,500	Justin Vaysman	United States	64	$192,000
Event #7	$15,700	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	58	$278,400
Event #8	$15,700	Keith Lehr	United States	56	$277,200

Event #9: Final Table Set, Negreanu Leads

Event #9, the $26,000 No-Limit Hold'em, drew 50 entries for a $1,250,000 prize pool and heads into its final table today with Canada's Daniel Negreanu holding the chip lead. Adrian Mateos, who still leads the Purple Jacket standings, bubbled in ninth, his fifth bubble of the series. The champion will take $412,500. The final table plays today at noon Las Vegas time, with live coverage on PokerGO.

$26,000 buy-in | 50 entries | $1,250,000 prize pool | Final Table Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chips
1	Daniel Negreanu	Canada	2,205,000
2	Nicholas Seward	United States	1,700,000
3	Daniyal Gheba	United States	1,120,000
4	Brandon Wilson	United States	755,000
5	Sean Perry	United States	570,000
6	Matthew Wantman	United States	530,000
7	Jesse Lonis	United States	525,000

Event #10: The $51,000 Series Finale Begins Today

The 2026 Poker Masters kicks off its final event today, October 22, with the $51,000 series finale kicking off at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA. The Purple Jacket is still up for grabs: Adrian Mateos leads the standings with 451 points after eight events, but his fifth bubble of the series in Event #9 means the final event will carry significant weight for anyone with a shot at catching him. Event #10 runs through October 23, with the champion collecting the series-high payout and the Purple Jacket awarded at the conclusion of play.

2026 Poker Masters: FAQ

• Hand, quotes, and images courtesy of the PokerGO Tour.
• Article originally produced at poker.pro.