Nicholas Palma has won Event No. 2 of the 2026 Poker Masters, beating Adrian Mateos heads-up for his first PokerGO Tour (PGT) title and $235,200. The 37-year-old from New Rochelle, New York, also earned 480 Player of the Year points and 235 PGT points, which moved him up to second in the Poker Masters purple jacket race behind Myles Mullaly, who won Event No. 1. The tournament drew 84 entries and a prize pool of $840,000, with the top 12 paid.
Below, we recap the final table, discuss the key hands and look at what the result means for the purple jacket race and the Player of the Year standings.
The Result
Palma defeated a stacked final table that included six-time bracelet winner Mateos. The payouts for the top five:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Palma | $235,200 |
| 2 | Adrian Mateos | $151,200 |
| 3 | Michael Berk | $109,200 |
| 4 | David Coleman | $79,800 |
| 5 | Nick Seward | $58,600 |
Before the final table, the field lost some significant names: Sam Soverel went out in 12th, Myles Mullaly in 10th, Matthew Wantman in ninth, Jesse Lonis in eighth and Sam Laskowitz in seventh.
For Palma, the win is the third-largest live payday of his career and pushes his career earnings above $5.1 million. He now sits in the top 50 of the 2026 Player of the Year standings with 3,676 points.
The Key Hands
An early final-table pot between Palma and Seward ended with Seward all in, and Seward was eliminated later that day after a three-way all-in. Coleman was knocked out in fourth when his queen-ten of spades lost to Berk's ace-ten of clubs. Berk then bluffed off a stack and later shoved queen-jack, only to lose to Mateos' ace-king.
Heads-up, Mateos held the early chip lead and briefly took it back, but Palma regained control. In the final hand, Palma called Mateos' all-in with ace-six of hearts against ace-nine. Palma was behind going in, but the board ran out A-7-5-4-3, giving him a seven-high straight with a runner-runner four and three to win the title. Palma said beforehand, "I actually feel like I'm gonna win this."
Palma's Career Context
Palma has quietly built a strong résumé. He won his first WSOP bracelet about a year earlier in an online $2,000 progressive knockout event and has more than 400 career scores. His three largest scores of 2026 now include:
- This Poker Masters win, $235,200.
- A fourth-place finish in the $3,500 BetMGM Championship for $431,180.
- A third-place finish in a $5,000 live bracelet event for $326,136.
His rise through the 2026 Player of the Year standings shows how consistency pays off. Players who make frequent final tables, even without winning every time, can climb quickly because the POY formula rewards results across many events.
Mateos and the Rest of the Table
Adrian Mateos' runner-up finish was his 18th final table of 2026, a striking number that underscores his consistency. With more than $72.7 million in lifetime earnings, he ranks fifth on poker's all-time money list. He earned $151,200 here.
Michael Berk, a two-time PGT winner, has more than $3.5 million in career earnings. David Coleman has more than $20.8 million in career cashes and 13 final tables this year. Nick Seward has nearly $4.8 million in career earnings and reached his 11th final table of 2026. The depth of the field is a good illustration of how competitive PGT events are even at modest field sizes.
The Purple Jacket Race
The Poker Masters awards a purple jacket to the series leader, determined by PGT points. After two events, Myles Mullaly leads, having won Event No. 1 for $218,400, and Palma is second thanks to his 235 points. With more events to come, the race is wide open. Mullaly's opener win is covered in our earlier series coverage.
For readers following the Player of the Year races, the 480 points Palma earned are a significant bump, and they show how high-value events with small fields can carry a lot of weight. If you want to follow the wider races, see our WSOP 2026 results and WSOP schedule pages.
Strategy Lessons from a Small-Field High Roller
Small fields mean big pay jumps
With 84 entries, the prize pool of $840,000 was spread over 12 places. First place received $235,200, while 12th received much less. When pay jumps are steep, ICM considerations become crucial. Players must balance risk and reward carefully.
Know your equity in races
Palma's final call was ace-six against ace-nine, a hand that is a significant underdog in a head-to-head matchup. Whether to call or fold in such spots depends on stack sizes, the pot and the opponent's range. Practising with our poker odds calculator can help sharpen intuition. See also what is equity and pot odds.
Heads-up is a different game
Heads-up play requires aggression, adaptability and an understanding of ranges. Mateos is renowned for his heads-up skills, yet variance still decided the match. If you want to improve, our poker strategy hub covers core concepts, and our guide on how to bluff provides tips on applying pressure.
Staying mentally strong
Palma's belief that he would win is a nice example of positive mindset. Mental resilience is a key skill in tournaments, and our explanation of tilt offers practical advice.
Where to Watch and Play
PGT events are streamed on PokerGO, which also hosts replays and original content. For information on televised poker, check our poker on TV page. If you want to play online while following the action, there are many options. US-friendly sites such as Americas Cardroom and BetOnline offer tournaments with large guarantees, and our tournaments page lists upcoming events.
Key Takeaways
- Nicholas Palma won Poker Masters Event No. 2 for $235,200, his first PGT title.
- Adrian Mateos finished second for $151,200.
- Palma earned 480 Player of the Year points and 235 PGT points, moving to second in the purple jacket race behind Myles Mullaly.
- The event drew 84 entries and paid 12 places.
- Palma has over $5.1 million in career earnings and more than 400 career scores.