The Poker Masters 2026 results delivered one of the most dramatic championship finishes of the year, with Spanish superstar Adrian Mateos winning the prestigious Purple Jacket despite suffering five money-bubble eliminations during the ten-event series.
Mateos finished the festival with 451 PokerGO Tour points, three in-the-money finishes, one tournament victory, and $467,700 in prize money.
He also received the coveted Purple Jacket and a $25,000 PGT Passport bonus.
However, his title was far from secure entering the final day.
Jeremy Ausmus still had a mathematical chance to overtake him. With just four players remaining in the final $51,000 No-Limit Hold’em championship, Ausmus needed to finish second or better to steal the series title.
His challenge ended in spectacular fashion when his pocket fives lost to Sean Winter’s ace-king after an ace appeared on both the turn and river.
That fourth-place elimination officially secured the Purple Jacket for Mateos.
Meanwhile, Winter continued his impressive run, eventually defeating Sam Laskowitz heads-up to win the final tournament for $620,000.
The victory also extended Winter’s lead in the season-long PokerGO Tour standings, making him the leading contender for a separate year-end Player of the Year award.
So, who actually won Poker Masters 2026? How did Mateos survive five bubbles and still finish first? Why did Ausmus need second place? And how much did every finalist earn?
Here are the complete results, final standings, major hands, and the numbers behind an extraordinary championship.
Who Won Poker Masters 2026?
Adrian Mateos won the overall 2026 Poker Masters championship and the Purple Jacket.
The Spanish professional accumulated 451 points across the ten-event festival, finishing ahead of Nick Palma, Nick Seward, Jeremy Ausmus, and Sean Winter.
Según el official PokerGO Tour championship announcement, Mateos earned $467,700 from three cashes.
However, winning the overall series is different from winning the final individual tournament.
Sean Winter won Event #10 for $620,000, while Mateos secured the separate award for accumulating the most points across the entire festival.
Poker Masters 2026: Key Results
| Categoría | Resultado |
|---|---|
| Overall series champion | Adrian Mateos |
| Winning points total | 451 |
| Mateos’ tournament earnings | $467,700 |
| Additional series champion prize | $25,000 PGT Passport |
| Individual events | 10 |
| Final event winner | Sean Winter |
| Final event first prize | $620,000 |
| Final event buy-in | $51,000 |
| Final event entries | 31 |
| Final event prize pool | $1,550,000 |
| Ubicación | PokerGO Studio, Las Vegas |
| Final event completed | October 23, 2026 |
| Official series champion report | October 24, 2026 |
It is important to distinguish the date of the final tournament from the date of the official championship report.
The decisive action took place October 23, and PokerGO Tour published its formal championship coverage October 24.
Poker Masters 2026 Final Leaderboard: Top 10 Players
The championship standings were determined by PGT points rather than total prize money alone.
For example, a player could earn more money from one extremely expensive tournament without necessarily winning the Purple Jacket.
Mateos finished first with 451 points, holding a 44-point advantage over runner-up Nick Palma.
Final Poker Masters 2026 Standings
| Rango | Jugador | Puntos | Cashes | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrian Mateos | 451 | 3 | $467,700 |
| 2 | Nick Palma | 407 | 4 | $424,400 |
| 3 | Nick Seward | 397 | 4 | $578,500 |
| 4 | Jeremy Ausmus | 389 | 5 | $553,500 |
| 5 | Sean Winter | 373 | 2 | $744,800 |
| 6 | Vitalijs Zavorotnijs | 365 | 2 | $400,400 |
| 7 (tie) | Daniyal Gheba | 348 | 5 | $424,850 |
| 7 (tie) | Sam Laskowitz | 348 | 5 | $580,100 |
| 9 | Joey Weissman | 338 | 5 | $348,850 |
| 10 | Justin Vaysman | 325 | 3 | $348,600 |
Fuente: PokerGO Tour’s final Event #10 report, including the completed series standings.
Interestingly, Sean Winter earned substantially more tournament prize money than Mateos but finished fifth on the series leaderboard.
That’s because the scoring system rewarded results across events according to the applicable PGT points structure.
The championship was not simply awarded to whoever collected the most dollars.
How Did Adrian Mateos Win the Purple Jacket Despite Five Bubbles?
One of the most surprising facts from the festival is that Mateos finished on the money bubble five times across ten tournaments.
In poker, the stone bubble is the final elimination before the remaining players begin receiving prize money.
For example, if an event pays eight positions, the player eliminated ninth is the stone bubble.
That player may have survived nearly the entire field but receives no standard tournament payout for the finish.
Mateos experienced that disappointment five times during the festival.
Nevertheless, his three cashes were strong enough to carry him to the overall title.
All Three of Adrian Mateos’ Cashes
| Evento | Terminar | Premio | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2: $10,500 NLH | 2º | $151,200 | 151 |
| #5: $10,500 NLH | 1º | $229,500 | 230 |
| #7: $15,700 NLH | 4º | $87,000 | 70 |
| Total | 3 cashes | $467,700 | 451 |
The arithmetic tells an interesting story.
Mateos earned 230 points from his victory, 151 from his runner-up finish, and another 70 from fourth place.
That total was enough to win the overall series despite the repeated near misses.
However, the five bubble finishes also show why tournament poker results can be unusually volatile.
A player can repeatedly come within one elimination of receiving prize money and still finish a festival with an exceptional overall result.
Nuestro guía de varianza de póker explores why strong performances do not always produce immediate financial rewards.
How Jeremy Ausmus Nearly Stole the Purple Jacket
The final Poker Masters tournament produced a separate championship contest within the competition itself.
Adrian Mateos had already been eliminated from Event #10 and could not improve his 451-point total.
Nick Palma, his closest challenger, was also eliminated before the final table.
That left Jeremy Ausmus as the last player with a mathematical chance of overtaking Mateos.
Ausmus entered the final day needing to finish at least second in the $51,000 championship.
Why Second Place Was the Magic Number
Before the final event, Ausmus had 321 series points.
Under the event’s published points distribution:
| Possible Ausmus Finish | Event Points | Projected Total | Purple Jacket Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2º | 155 | 476 | Overtakes Mateos |
| 3º | 99 | 420 | Mateos remains ahead |
| 4º | 68 | 389 | Mateos remains ahead |
So when Ausmus reached four-handed play, the championship race was still alive.
However, any finish worse than second would leave Mateos as the overall champion.
That created an unusual situation: Mateos was no longer playing, but one elimination could determine whether he won the series.
The Hand That Decided the Poker Masters Purple Jacket
The defining confrontation occurred during four-handed play between Jeremy Ausmus and Sean Winter.
Ausmus held pocket fives, while Winter held ace-king suited in diamonds.
In a blind-versus-blind confrontation, the players committed their chips before the flop.
The board ran out:
| Calle | Cartas | Situación |
|---|---|---|
| Ausmus’ hand | 5-5 | Made pair before the flop |
| Winter’s hand | A♦ K♦ | Two overcards |
| Flop | J-9-3 | Ausmus remains ahead |
| Turn | U | Winter takes the lead |
| River | U | Winter improves to three aces |
When the ace appeared on the turn, Winter moved ahead with a pair of aces.
The second ace on the river gave him three of a kind and ended Ausmus’ tournament.
Ausmus finished fourth for $170,500.
With that elimination, nobody remaining could overtake Mateos in the series standings.
Adrian Mateos had officially won the Purple Jacket without playing another hand.
The decisive confrontation is documented in the official PokerGO Tour championship report.
Sean Winter Wins the $51,000 Poker Masters Finale for $620,000
Although the overall series championship went to Mateos, the final tournament belonged to Sean Winter.
Winter defeated a field of 31 entries in Event #10: $51,000 No-Limit Hold’em.
The tournament generated a $1,550,000 prize pool, with only five positions receiving prize money.
Winter entered the final day third in chips among seven remaining players.
However, he recovered to win the event and claim his second PokerGO Tour title of 2026.
Poker Masters Event #10 Final Payouts
| Posición | Jugador | Premio | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Winter | $620,000 | 248 |
| 2 | Sam Laskowitz | $387,500 | 155 |
| 3 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | $248,000 | 99 |
| 4 | Jeremy Ausmus | $170,500 | 68 |
| 5 | Marius Gierse | $124,000 | 50 |
The five payouts total exactly $1,550,000.
That matches the reported prize pool for the event.
However, these are gross tournament prizes, not necessarily each player’s net profit after entry fees or any private staking arrangements.
Chris Brewer Suffers a Brutal Money-Bubble Exit
Before the five paid positions were reached, Chris Brewer suffered an especially painful elimination.
Earlier in the tournament, Brewer had been involved in multiple major confrontations featuring premium pocket pairs.
He eventually got his remaining chips into the middle with ace-jack against Jeremy Ausmus’ pocket aces.
Brewer could not improve and was eliminated in sixth place.
That meant he left the $51,000 event without a standard cash prize despite finishing just one position away from the money.
For more about how tournament payout pressure changes decisions, see our ICM in Poker guide.
Igor Yaroshevskyy Finishes Third
After Ausmus was eliminated, three players remained.
Igor Yaroshevskyy eventually finished third for $248,000.
He flopped two pair holding queen-jack on an ace-queen-jack board.
However, Winter held king-ten and had already completed Broadway, the ace-high straight.
Yaroshevskyy committed his remaining chips on the turn but could not improve to a winning hand.
That elimination left Winter heads-up against Sam Laskowitz.
How Sean Winter Beat Sam Laskowitz Heads-Up
Winter began heads-up play with a substantial chip lead.
However, Laskowitz quickly fought back, reducing the gap and briefly bringing the stacks close to even.
Despite the comeback, Winter eventually regained a commanding advantage.
The tournament ended with a hand in which both players connected with the flop.
The Final Hand
Laskowitz held queen-two, while Winter held six-five.
The flop came queen-six-five.
That gave Laskowitz top pair and Winter bottom two pair.
Winter check-raised the flop, and Laskowitz called.
A three arrived on the turn.
Winter then moved all in for approximately 1.425 million into a pot of 1.25 million.
Laskowitz called but was behind Winter’s two pair.
The river was an eight, which did not rescue Laskowitz.
Winter won the championship and $620,000.
Laskowitz finished second for $387,500, reported by PokerGO Tour as a career-best live tournament score.
The complete hand and final-table progression were documented in the official Event #10 recap.
All 10 Poker Masters 2026 Winners
The 2026 Poker Masters featured ten tournaments, and each event produced a different champion.
The first six events had advertised $10,500 buy-ins, followed by two $15,700 events and more expensive $26,000 and $51,000 championships.
Complete Poker Masters 2026 Champions List
| Evento | Buy-In | Campeón | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $10,500 | Myles Mullaly | $218,400 |
| #2 | $10,500 | Nick Palma | $235,200 |
| #3 | $10,500 | Joey Weissman | $218,400 |
| #4 | $10,500 | Vitalijs Zavorotnijs | $224,000 |
| #5 | $10,500 | Adrian Mateos | $229,500 |
| #6 | $10,500 | Justin Vaysman | $192,000 |
| #7 | $15,700 | Jeremy Ausmus | $278,400 |
| #8 | $15,700 | Keith Lehr | $277,200 |
| #9 | $26,000 | Nick Seward | $412,500 |
| #10 | $51,000 | Sean Winter | $620,000 |
Sources: Poker.pro’s first nine event results and the official PokerGO Tour Event #10 report.
Interestingly, the player with the largest individual first-place prize did not win the series championship.
Winter earned $620,000 in the finale, while Mateos secured the Purple Jacket through his combined points from three earlier cashes.
What Is the Poker Masters Purple Jacket?
The Purple Jacket is awarded to the overall champion of the Poker Masters high-roller tournament series.
Unlike an individual tournament trophy, the jacket recognizes performance across the festival.
Players accumulate points through eligible in-the-money results, with the final series leaderboard determining the winner.
That makes the Purple Jacket comparable to a series-long championship rather than a single-event title.
For example, Mateos earned his 451 points from three separate results.
He did not need to win the final tournament to become champion.
What Does the $25,000 PGT Passport Include?
Alongside the Purple Jacket, Mateos received a bonus described by PokerGO Tour as a $25,000 PGT Passport.
It is important not to confuse that award with an ordinary $25,000 cash payout.
The Passport is a PokerGO Tour benefit subject to its applicable terms.
Therefore, the accurate reported figures are $467,700 in tournament winnings and a separate $25,000 PGT Passport prize.
Did Adrian Mateos Win More Money Than Sean Winter?
Not during the 2026 Poker Masters series.
Winter finished with $744,800 in series prize money from two cashes, compared with Mateos’ $467,700 from three cashes.
However, Mateos scored 451 points, while Winter earned 373.
| Statistic | Adrian Mateos | Sean Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Poker Masters winnings | $467,700 | $744,800 |
| Series points | 451 | 373 |
| Series cashes | 3 | 2 |
| Individual victories | 1 | 1 |
| Final series position | 1º | 5º |
| Overall Purple Jacket | Ganador | Did not win |
This comparison illustrates why a points-based championship can produce a different winner from a ranking based purely on total prize money.
For more background on these expensive tournament formats, read our high-stakes poker guide.
Sean Winter Takes the Lead in the 2026 PGT Player of the Year Race
Although Winter did not win the Poker Masters Purple Jacket, his $620,000 victory strengthened his position in another competition: the season-long PokerGO Tour Player of the Year race.
Following the finale, Winter led the overall 2026 PGT standings with 2,223 points.
He had recorded 17 cashes in PGT-qualifying events during the season, earning $4,391,694.
However, the season-long championship had not been decided as of October 24.
PGT Season Standings After Poker Masters
| Rango | Jugador | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Winter | 2,223 |
| 2 | Eelis Parssinen | 1,843 |
| 3 | Jeremy Ausmus | 1,812 |
| 4 | Alex Foxen | 1,777 |
| 5 | Brandon Wilson | 1,761 |
| 6 | Adrian Mateos | 1,760 |
These figures come from the October 24 PokerGO Tour results report.
Winter was the first player to pass 2,000 points during the 2026 PGT season.
However, a substantial lead does not guarantee the year-end award while qualifying events remain on the calendar.
Poker Masters Champion vs PGT Player of the Year
These are two separate awards.
| Award | Competition | Status on October 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Poker Masters Purple Jacket | Points earned during the ten-event Poker Masters series | Won by Adrian Mateos |
| 2026 PGT Player of the Year | Points accumulated across eligible PGT tournaments during the season | Sean Winter leading; not yet decided |
Players should also avoid confusing either award with the World Series of Poker Player of the Year.
The WSOP maintains its own separate competition and eligibility rules.
Nuestro 2026 WSOP Player of the Year standings guide covers that different leaderboard.
What’s Next for the PokerGO Tour After Poker Masters?
The conclusion of Poker Masters does not mark the end of the 2026 PGT season.
The next scheduled competition is PGT Sprint, consisting of seven single-day tournaments.
According to PokerGO Tour, the series runs between October 27 and November 4, with buy-ins ranging from $5,300 to $10,500.
Additional PGT events may affect the season standings.
Meanwhile, the season-ending PGT Championship is scheduled for January 11–12, 2027.
What Is the PGT Championship?
PGT has announced a $500,000 freeroll championship associated with its season-long leaderboard.
Eligible players from the top 40 can qualify, together with selected Dream Seat winners.
However, leaderboard position alone does not automatically establish eligibility.
The published conditions also include a minimum number of qualifying cashes, a requirement involving PGT-owned events, and an opt-in process.
Therefore, players should review the official rules before assuming that every top-40 player is automatically entered.
What Can Poker Players Learn From the 2026 Poker Masters?
The series offers several lessons about tournament results, scoring systems, and variance.
1. Consistency Does Not Mean Cashing Every Tournament
Mateos won the overall championship despite five money-bubble finishes.
His result illustrates that a handful of very strong finishes can outweigh numerous disappointments in a points-based series.
However, this does not mean players should intentionally take unnecessary risks near the bubble.
Optimal decisions depend on stack sizes, payout structures, and tournament-specific factors.
2. Prize Money and Championship Points Are Different
Winter won more money during Poker Masters, but Mateos accumulated more series points.
That distinction matters when evaluating a leaderboard race.
A player attempting to win a series title may face different incentives from someone focused only on maximizing a particular tournament’s payout.
3. A Final-Table Coin Flip Can Decide More Than One Prize
Ausmus’ pocket-fives confrontation with Winter directly affected the individual tournament and the overall Purple Jacket race.
Had Ausmus continued toward a second-place finish, he could have overtaken Mateos in the points standings.
Instead, the losing hand ended his tournament in fourth and settled the championship.
However, this should not be interpreted as proof that Ausmus made a strategic mistake simply because the cards ran against him.
A decision can be reasonable based on the available information and still produce an unfavorable result.
4. Tournament Structure Changes the Value of Decisions
With seven players remaining in the final event but only five receiving money, the payout bubble added significant pressure.
That pressure interacts with chip-stack sizes and the value of tournament survival.
Nuestro simple ICM concepts guide
Frequently Asked Questions About Poker Masters 2026
Who won the 2026 Poker Masters Purple Jacket?
Adrian Mateos won the 2026 Purple Jacket with 451 PGT points, finishing ahead of Nick Palma and Nick Seward.
How much money did Adrian Mateos win at Poker Masters 2026?
Mateos earned $467,700 in tournament prize money across three cashes. He also received a separate $25,000 PGT Passport bonus.
How many tournaments did Adrian Mateos win?
Mateos won one individual Poker Masters event, Event #5: $10,500 No-Limit Hold’em, earning $229,500. He also recorded second- and fourth-place finishes elsewhere in the series.
Did Adrian Mateos really bubble five times?
Yes. PokerGO Tour reported that Mateos finished on the money bubble five times during the ten-event festival.
Who won the final Poker Masters tournament?
Sean Winter won Event #10: $51,000 No-Limit Hold’em, defeating Sam Laskowitz heads-up for $620,000.
How much did Sean Winter win at Poker Masters 2026?
Winter earned $620,000 in the final event and $744,800 across the complete series from two cashes.
Who finished second in the Poker Masters finale?
Sam Laskowitz finished runner-up in the final $51,000 event for $387,500.
Why did Jeremy Ausmus need second place?
Ausmus entered the last day’s action with 321 points. Second place would have added 155, bringing him to 476 and moving him ahead of Mateos’ 451.
What happened to Jeremy Ausmus?
Ausmus was eliminated fourth after his pocket fives lost to Sean Winter’s ace-king. Winter hit an ace on the turn and another on the river.
How much did Jeremy Ausmus earn in the finale?
Ausmus received $170,500 for fourth place and finished the Poker Masters series with $553,500 in prize money and 389 points.
Who finished second on the Poker Masters leaderboard?
Nick Palma finished second with 407 points, 44 behind champion Adrian Mateos.
How many events were played at Poker Masters 2026?
The festival featured ten events, with buy-ins ranging from $10,500 to $51,000.
Did Daniel Negreanu win an event at Poker Masters 2026?
No. Daniel Negreanu reached the final table of Event #9 but lost heads-up to Nick Seward, who won the title for $412,500.
Is the Purple Jacket the same as PGT Player of the Year?
No. The Purple Jacket recognizes the Poker Masters series champion. PGT Player of the Year is a separate award based on eligible results across the broader season.
Who leads the 2026 PGT Player of the Year race?
As of October 24, Sean Winter leads the season standings with 2,223 points. The year-end award has not yet been determined.
Can I watch the Poker Masters final table?
Yes. PokerGO Tour states that its Poker Masters livestreams are available on demand through PokerGO, subject to the platform’s access conditions.
Where can I find the official Poker Masters results?
El official PokerGO Tour results report includes the final event payouts, overall leaderboard and updated season standings.
Final Thoughts: Five Bubbles, One Purple Jacket and a $620,000 Finale
The 2026 Poker Masters produced two compelling championship stories.
Adrian Mateos won the overall series title with 451 points and $467,700 in tournament winnings, despite finishing on the money bubble five times.
His three successful cashes ultimately outweighed those near misses and secured the Purple Jacket.
However, the title remained undecided until the final tournament’s fourth-place elimination.
Jeremy Ausmus needed second place or better to overtake Mateos, but his pocket fives lost to Sean Winter’s ace-king.
That result secured the overall championship for Mateos while helping Winter progress toward his own $620,000 victory.
Winter defeated Sam Laskowitz heads-up in the $51,000 finale and extended his lead in the separate season-long PokerGO Tour standings.
For poker fans, the festival demonstrated how dramatically tournament results and championship points can diverge.
The player who won the most money did not win the Purple Jacket, while the champion survived one of the most unusual sequences of money-bubble finishes in the series.
The final verdict: Adrian Mateos is the 2026 Poker Masters champion, Sean Winter is the $620,000 finale winner, and the PokerGO Tour Player of the Year race remains open heading into the final months of the season.
Editorial note: This article reflects official PokerGO Tour results published October 24, 2026. Tournament prizes are gross winnings, not verified net profits. The $25,000 PGT Passport is a separate award from Mateos’ reported tournament cashes.
