Myles Mullaly has his first PokerGO Tour title. The New York-based pro won Event #1 of the 2026 Poker Masters, a $10,500 no-limit hold'em tournament, for $218,400 after outlasting a tough six-handed final day. The victory comes after several near misses earlier in the year at the US Poker Open, and it kicks off a series that has already produced plenty of storylines.
Here is the full breakdown: how the event played out, who finished where, the key hands, and what the result means for the PokerGO Tour race.
The event at a glance
The opener drew 78 runners and built a $780,000 prize pool. Veterans such as Steve Zolotow and Erik Seidel were among the entrants, giving the field a recognisable mix of regulars and rising stars. Day 1 produced one of those moments that stay with a tournament: Adrian Mateos, the 2026 GPI money leader, lost with pocket aces on the money bubble. With a field of this size and only a limited number of paid places, a bubble exit with the best starting hand is a brutal way to go.
Six players returned for Day 2. All six finalists were American, which is notable in a series that normally attracts a strong international contingent.
Final table payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Myles Mullaly | $218,400 |
| 2 | Justin Zaki | $140,400 |
| 3 | Sam Laskowitz | $101,400 |
| 4 | Michael Rossitto | $74,100 |
| 5 | Daniyal Gheba | $54,600 |
| 6 | Justin Vaysman | $39,000 |
The top prize represents 28% of the prize pool, with the winner earning about $78,000 more than the runner-up. That spread is a useful reminder of how top-heavy high-roller structures are, and why heads-up decisions matter so much.
How the final day played out
Justin Vaysman was the first player out on Day 2, collecting $39,000 in sixth. Daniyal Gheba followed in fifth. He called off with ten-four and failed to improve against Sam Laskowitz's ace-nine, a classic short-stack confrontation in which the caller needed a lucky board.
The most dramatic elimination came in fourth place. Michael Rossitto began the day as chip leader, but lost a pot in which his two pair ran into Laskowitz's flush. Soon afterwards he got his jack-ten all-in against Laskowitz's ace-queen and was eliminated. Losing a big lead in a single hand like that is common in no-limit hold'em, and it is a good illustration of how quickly stacks can swing at final tables with small player counts.
Laskowitz himself went out in third, but not before he had doubled Justin Zaki up to second in chips. That helped Zaki reach heads-up, where Mullaly held the lead for much of a match that lasted more than an hour. Zaki briefly took the lead, and both players were chasing flushes on a key board. Zaki held a pair, but Mullaly rivered a better pair to seal the win.
Afterwards, Mullaly told PokerNews, "A lot of things just went my way today, and it feels good." It is a modest quote from a player who has been knocking on the door for most of the year.
Why this win matters for Mullaly
Mullaly's 2026 had been defined by close calls. His earlier near misses at the US Poker Open meant he arrived at the Poker Masters with a reputation for deep runs but no title on the PokerGO Tour. For a high-stakes player, the first win matters for more than the cheque. It earns leaderboard points, increases confidence, and helps with staking and scheduling decisions. The $218,400 payout is also a meaningful boost to his live earnings for the year.
His profile also fits a broader trend. High roller tournaments increasingly feature younger, solver-trained players who come in with well-developed preflop and postflop frameworks. Tools such as GTO solvers have compressed the gap between the very best and the next tier, and that is part of why upsets and first-time winners appear more often than they did a decade ago.
The PokerGO Tour context
The Poker Masters is a multi-event series, and Event #2, another $10,500 no-limit hold'em, started Day 1 on October 13. The Poker Masters has historically offered a distinct trophy and strong leaderboard rewards, so a win in the opener puts Mullaly in an excellent position early. Meanwhile, the PGT standings heading into the final stretch of the season were tight, with Sean Winter and Eelis Parssinen near the top and about $99.9 million in total prizes awarded on the tour so far, according to Card Player.
For viewers, the PokerGO streaming schedule remains the best way to watch these tournaments. If you prefer to follow live results and see what else is on, our poker on TV guide explains where major events are broadcast, and our tournaments page tracks the biggest series.
What this means for players
You may never play a $10,500 buy-in, but there are lessons in this result that apply at every level.
Bubble pain is real, and it is mathematical. Mateos lost with aces on the bubble. At the money bubble, ICM pressure means that otherwise standard preflop decisions often change. If you want to understand why, our ICM explainer walks through the maths in plain language.
Chip leads are fragile. Rossitto's slide from chip leader to fourth place happened in a handful of hands. Do not assume that a big stack protects you; keep playing strategically, avoid marginal coolers, and use your stack to apply pressure rather than gamble. Our poker strategy hub has more on stack-size adjustments.
Heads-up skill is a separate discipline. The final heads-up match lasted more than an hour and swung on a river pair. Practising heads-up play, either in cash games or tournaments, is worthwhile if you aim to close out final tables. The cash games vs tournaments comparison helps you decide where to build that skill.
Study equity, not just results. Gheba's ten-four against ace-nine was a standard shove-or-call decision for a short stack. Use the poker odds calculator to see how often such hands win and to refine your own range construction.
Looking ahead
The Poker Masters continues with more events to come, and the PGT season is nearing its conclusion. With Mullaly now holding a title, expect his name to appear in conversations about leaderboard races and high roller invitations. For poker fans, it also offers a reminder that deep runs do eventually convert into wins for players who keep putting themselves in position.
Keep an eye on this space for updates as the series unfolds, and for ways to follow the action. If you want to try your own luck at smaller stakes with big guarantees, check our guides to the best tournament sites and high stakes action online.