Adrian Mateos Secures 9th Career PGT Title At Poker Masters

Adrian Mateos received occasion no. 5 of the 2026 Poker Masters, claiming a first-place prize of $229,500 and his fourth PGT victory of the yr. Along together with his ninth PGT title general, the 32-year-old poker professional exorcised some minor demons and took excessive spot within the Poker Masters race for the purple jacket following a tricky run of luck earlier within the sequence.

Mateos had improbably bubbled three occasions within the early 2026 Poker Masters motion, with a runner-up end in occasion no. 2 blended in between the irritating shut calls. Now, with a win and that second-place outcome to his credit score, Mateos’ 381 PGT factors for the sequence, which is nice sufficient for a stable lead over occasion no. 2 winner Nick Palma and the remainder of the sector with 5 tournaments to go.

The six-time bracelet winner from Spain now sits a hair shy of $73 million in complete profession earnings. That pushes him previous Mikita Badziakouski for fourth place on poker’s all-time cash record. He stays the runaway chief on the Spanish cash record, with greater than double the earnings of second-ranked Sergio Aido ($31.2 million).

Mateos defeated Nick Schulman heads-up to complete this event out, however Schulman didn’t go away the PokerGO studio empty-handed. Along with $148,750 in prize cash, Schulman additionally earned 400 Card Player Player of the Year factors. That was sufficient to take him to the no. 1 spot within the yearlong race introduced by CoinPoker, with 14 ultimate tables and three titles to date in 2026.

The Poker Hall of Famer surpassed Punnat Punsri in what’s shaping as much as be one of the vital aggressive POY races in latest reminiscence. Mateos’ win put him twelfth on that leaderboard. He’s made 19 ultimate tables on the circuit this yr, cashing for practically $8.4 million throughout these scores alone. He has 4 PGT-certified wins this season, together with a pair of PGT Summer Series titles and a win within the WSOP $250,000 excessive curler. He additionally took down an occasion on the Wynn Summer Classic to convey his trophy rely for 2026 to 5.

No More Bubbles For Mateos

Event no. 5 of the 2026 Poker Masters noticed the most important turnout of the sequence to this point, with the $10,500 no-limit maintain’em event drawing 85 entrants. The prime 13 gamers shared within the $850,000 prize pool, and this time round, Joe McKeehen felt the sting of a brutal bubble. The 2015 World Series of Poker predominant occasion champion bumped into pocket aces twice, the second of which noticed McKeehen take pocket kings towards Jeremy Becker’s pocket aces.

Mateos constructed a chip lead late on day 1, largely on the expense of fellow prime POY contender Brandon Wilson. Mateos doubled by means of Wilson with a rivered ace-high diamond flush, after which took the final of Wilson’s chips, knocking him out in ninth place ($25,500). Going into day 2 and a seven-handed ultimate desk, Mateos held the chip lead, adopted by Schulman in second place. Becker sat in third, with heavy-hitters like Martin Zamani, Keith Lehr, and Matthew Wantman nonetheless in competition.

It’s not wanting good for Keith Lehr.

Watch the @PokerGOTour’s Poker Masters, introduced by @official_glp, on https://t.co/l4l4onsRIp. https://t.co/BotkiJbWlr

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 17, 2026

Early on day 2, Lehr dispatched Wantman in seventh place ($34,000) in a battle of quick stacks. Those chips wouldn’t keep in Lehr’s possession for lengthy, although, as he ran Okay♣Q♣ into Mateos’ A♠Q♥, and fell in sixth place ($42,500).

The large fingers continued to carry up, as Becker beat Zamani with A♦Okay♦ towards Zamani’s A♥Q♠, eliminating Zamani in fifth place ($59,500). That development ended as Schulman pulled again even with Becker within the race for second place, turning Q♣9♣ right into a winner towards a short-stacked Robert French’s A♣Okay♥, courtesy of a rivered 9.

Closing It Out, Quickly

Mateos’ lead gave him 3 times as many chips as Becker or Schulman, and that grew even bigger after a short stretch of three-handed play. On a board of 10♦8♥3♦10♣5♣, Mateos put Becker to the take a look at, betting sufficient to place his opponent in danger. After using a number of time banks, Becker known as and tabled Okay♠8♠. But Mateos had 10♥4♥ for journey tens, and Becker was out in third place ($106,250).

For the second time in 5 occasions on the 2026 Poker Masters, heads-up play was startlingly transient. On the second hand of the ultimate conflict, the chips obtained in on the flip of a Okay♥J♠7♣3♥ board. Facing a deficit of greater than 4:1 to begin heads-up play, Schulman took his stand and known as off with 10♥9♥. Mateos had two black aces.

ACES for Adrian Mateos! But he’s obtained to fade lots of outs for Nick Schulman.

Stream the @PokerGOTour’s Poker Masters, introduced by @official_glp, on https://t.co/l4l4onsjSR. https://t.co/dyfUSLMijo

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 17, 2026

According to the Card Player maintain’em odds calculator, Schulman nonetheless had a 34.09% probability to win the pot and pull his manner again into the match, courtesy of straight and flush attracts. Schulman improved on the 9♦ river, however it was not sufficient to beat Mateos on this ultimate pot.

In addition to the entire different accolades and profession milestones, Mateos rose to fifth place on the season-long PGT leaderboard with this win. Schulman is now in fifteenth place general, and each gamers seem nearly sure to qualify for the season-ending $1 million PGT Championship. Zamani’s fifth-place end places him in thirty fifth place within the PGT standings, simply inside the present prime 40 cutline to qualify for the PGT Championship.

The 2026 Poker Masters runs by means of Oct. 23, culminating in a $51,000 buy-in championship occasion.

Final Table Results

Photo credit score: PGT / Antonio Abrego.