2026 Poker Masters: Winter Wins Finale, Mateos Takes Jacket

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Mon Oct 26, 2026, 4:21 am ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

2026 Poker Masters: Winter Wins Finale, Mateos Takes Jacket

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Sean Winter closed the 2026 Poker Masters with a $620,000 victory in the $51,000 No-Limit Hold'em finale. Meanwhile, Adrian Mateos secured the overall championship and its coveted Purple Jacket after leading the series leaderboard.

The final tournament at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas delivered an exciting conclusion to the high-stakes series. Winter defeated Sam Laskowitz heads-up, while Jeremy Ausmus' fourth-place finish confirmed Mateos as the overall champion.

Sean Winter Wins the $51,000 No-Limit Hold'em Finale

Winter topped a 31-entry field in Event #10, which generated a $1.55 million prize pool. Only five players reached the money, with Winter collecting the largest payout of the tournament.

Laskowitz earned $387,500 for finishing second, while Igor Yaroshevskyy took third place for $248,000. Jeremy Ausmus finished fourth for $170,500, and Marius Gierse rounded out the paid finishers with $124,000.

Winter entered the final day third in chips among seven remaining players. However, he navigated the final table and defeated Laskowitz to claim his second PokerGO Tour title of 2026.

Winter credited a break during the series with helping him regain his focus.

"I felt pretty locked in this tournament," Winter said. "A couple other tournaments I wasn't feeling the sharpest. I wasn't executing how I wanted to, and so I took an event off, the 15K, to just reset, and I think it worked out."

The champion then faced Laskowitz in heads-up play, holding an early chip advantage. Although Laskowitz recovered to draw level, Winter gradually rebuilt his lead before the decisive hand.

Winter held 6♣ 5♠ on a board of 5♥ Q♥ 6♠ 3♥ 8♣. Laskowitz held Q♠ 2♠, giving him a pair of queens against Winter's two pair. The turn and river failed to change the outcome, securing Winter the title and $620,000.

Despite their familiarity as tournament regulars, the players had never faced each other heads-up.

"I've never played heads-up against him," Winter said. "I respect his game and I know he has heads-up experience, so I was expecting a battle."

Event #10 Final Table Results

The $51,000 No-Limit Hold'em finale paid five players from its $1.55 million prize pool. Winter claimed the top prize, while Laskowitz and Yaroshevskyy completed the podium.

Place Player Prize
1st Sean Winter $620,000
2nd Sam Laskowitz $387,500
3rd Igor Yaroshevskyy $248,000
4th Jeremy Ausmus $170,500
5th Marius Gierse $124,000

Adrian Mateos Claims the Poker Masters Purple Jacket

Adrian Mateos wins PGT Purple Jacket

While Winter celebrated the finale victory, Mateos secured the overall Poker Masters championship. The Spanish professional finished atop the leaderboard with 451 points across the 10-event series.

Mateos built his winning campaign through three strong finishes. He placed second in Event #2 for $151,200 before winning Event #5 for $229,500. He then finished fourth in Event #7, adding another $87,000 to his series earnings.

Those results brought Mateos' total Poker Masters earnings to $467,700. He also earned a $25,000 PGT Passport bonus alongside the Purple Jacket.

However, the championship race remained open until the finale. Mateos failed to cash in the final three events, giving his closest challengers an opportunity to overtake him.

"I had a big lead all the way, but in the last three events I wasn't able to cash, so the sweat was real," Mateos told reporters.

Ausmus entered the final table as the last player capable of catching Mateos. He needed a first- or second-place finish to overtake the Spaniard in the standings.

Ausmus committed his remaining chips with pocket fives against Winter's A♦ K♦. His pair remained ahead on the flop, but an ace on the turn gave Winter the lead. Another ace arrived on the river, eliminating Ausmus in fourth place and confirming Mateos as the series champion.

Final 2026 Poker Masters Standings

Mateos finished ahead of Nick Palma and Nick Seward, who placed second and third, respectively. Palma recorded 407 points, while Seward finished with 397.

Ausmus ranked fourth with 389 points, followed by Winter with 373. Despite finishing fifth in the standings, Winter earned $744,800 across his two cashes, the highest series total among the top five players.

Rank Player Points Series Earnings Cashes
1st Adrian Mateos 451 $467,700 3
2nd Nick Palma 407 $424,400 4
3rd Nick Seward 397 $578,500 4
4th Jeremy Ausmus 389 $553,500 5
5th Sean Winter 373 $744,800 2

Mateos' three cashes proved more valuable for the overall title than Winter's larger tournament earnings. His victory demonstrated the importance of consistent finishes throughout the series.

The results also give poker fans following the competitive landscape beyond live tournaments another way to track elite players. Readers exploring US online poker sites can compare online tournament offerings with the high-stakes live events that shape the professional poker calendar.

Two Champions Close Out the 2026 Poker Masters

Winter ended the Poker Masters with the biggest prize of the finale, while Mateos claimed the series' most prestigious honor. Their achievements highlighted two different paths to success in high-stakes tournament poker.

Winter's comeback victory and Mateos' consistent performance provided a fitting conclusion to the 2026 series.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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