Nick Palma Defeats Adrian Mateos to Win Poker Masters Event #2

Nick Palma claimed his first PokerGO Tour (PGT) title after defeating Adrian Mateos heads-up in Event #2 of the 2026 Poker Masters in Las Vegas. Palma topped an 84-entry field to take home $235,200, while Mateos collected $151,200 for finishing second.

Palma had to get past one of the toughest opponents in tournament poker to secure the title. Adrian Mateos entered the final day as the chip leader, but Nick Palma ultimately came out on top after a heads-up battle that lasted close to two hours, claiming the biggest result of his PGT career. You can watch the full final table, including the heads-up battle between Palma and Adrian Mateos, in the full replay on YouTube.

The Final Day of Poker Masters Event #2

Five players returned to the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas on October 14 to play down to a winner in Event #2 of the 2026 Poker Masters. Adrian Mateos started the day with 3.23 million chips (80 big blinds), ahead of Nick Palma's 2.475 million (61 big blinds), while Michael Berk, David Coleman, and Nicholas Seward were also in contention.

The action took a while to get going, but Coleman provided an early highlight with a four-bet bluff on the flop. Holding 7♣5♣ on a 6♦6♣2♠ board, he put enough pressure on Berk to make him fold A♥K♥.

Nicholas Seward later took the chip lead after getting his pocket aces, A♥A♦, to hold against Palma's A♠K♣ on a 10♣7♣6♥8♦7♦ runout. Mateos also had a key pot against Seward, with A♥A♦ holding against A♠Q♣ on a Q♦7♣3♠8♥4♥ board.

Seward's run eventually came to an end in fifth place for $58,600. After losing a sizeable pot to Berk, he was left with just a single chip following a hand against Adrian Mateos. Coleman picked up that last chip on the following hand, ending Seward's tournament.

Coleman was next to go. He moved all-in preflop with queen-ten against Berk's ace-ten, but failed to improve and collected $79,800 for fourth place.

Three-handed play gave Nick Palma room to make his move. Michael Berk eventually shoved for 17 big blinds with Q♦J♠, and Mateos called with A♥K♣. Berk hit top pair and an open-ended straight draw on the Q♣10♠9♣ flop, but the A♣ turn put Mateos ahead. The 2♥ river changed nothing, sending Berk out in third place for $109,200.

Nick Palma and Adrian Mateos Battle for the Title

Nick Palma held the chip lead when heads-up play began, but Mateos fought his way back. One important double-up came when Mateos moved all-in with A♠A♥ against Palma's 6♠6♣. The board ran out K♠8♣2♣K♥4♥, allowing Mateos to stay in the tournament.

Palma soon regained control, though. After limping from the small blind with A♥J♠, he called when Mateos shoved with A♣7♥. The board ran out K♥4♦3♣J♥5♠, giving Palma a pair of jacks and a commanding chip lead.

Adrian Mateos refused to go quietly and managed two more doubles when his stack was short. In one of them, he shoved with Q♥7♠ against Palma's A♥2♥. A J♠10♠7♥ flop gave Mateos a pair of sevens, and the 2♦ turn briefly improved Palma to a pair of deuces. The 4♦ river, however, kept Mateos ahead and gave him another chance to fight back.

The final hand saw Adrian Mateos move all-in for 2.5 million chips with A♦9♣. Palma called with A♥6♥, and both players paired their ace on the A♣7♥5♦ flop. Mateos was ahead with his nine kicker, but the 4♣ turn opened up more straight possibilities for Palma. The 3♥ river completed a seven-high straight, ending the match and giving Palma his first PokerGO Tour title.

2026 Poker Masters Event #2 Results

Nick Palma took the top prize of $235,200, with Adrian Mateos finishing second for $151,200. The $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em event attracted 84 entries, creating an $840,000 prize pool, with the top 12 players making the money.

The Poker Masters Continues

Palma's victory puts him second on the Poker Masters series leaderboard, behind Event #1 winner Myles Mullaly. With several events still to come, there is plenty of time for the standings to change.

The 2026 Poker Masters runs through October 23 at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, with 10 events scheduled across a range of buy-ins. The player who finishes atop the series leaderboard will earn the Poker Masters Purple Jacket and a $25,000 PGT Passport.

Nick Palma also plays online poker on CoinPoker, giving fans another way to follow his game beyond the live tournament circuit. You can also use our CoinPoker bonus code SMPBONUS when signing up to access our exclusive offer.