Keith Lehr soared to victory within the ultimate $15,000 buy-in occasion of the 2026 Poker Masters. The 62-year-old Bossier City, Louisiana native defeated a area of 56 entries within the high-stakes affair to earn $277,200 and his second PokerGO Tour title. His first PGT win got here in a pot-limit Omaha occasion again on the 2018 operating of this similar competition.
This outcome falls simply outdoors of Lehr’s top-five scores. The two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner’s profession earnings now prime $6.3 million. He now has 117 recorded cashes on the match circuit, with outcomes relationship way back to 2002.
In addition to the title and the cash, Lehr additionally secured 360 Card Player Player of the Year factors and 222 PGT factors for this newest robust exhibiting. This was his second money of the collection, having beforehand positioned sixth in occasion no. 5 for $42,500. With 265 whole factors, he’s moved to eighth within the race for the purple jacket.
Soverel, Seward Sent Packing Early
The prime eight finishers made the cash on this occasion, with $840,000 up for grabs. Event no. 7 champion Jeremy Ausmus (eighth), Daniyal Gheba (seventh), and occasion no. 2 winner Nicholas Palma had been all eradicated late on day 1 after the bubble had already burst.
Event no. 4 champion Vitalijs Zavorotnijs held the chip lead heading into day 2, with Lehr sitting in fourth chip place to begin. The motion moved quick early, with two gamers falling inside the primary hour of play. To begin, 17-time PGT champion Sam Soverel made his ultimate stand with Okay♦Q♥. He wound up all-in and in danger dealing with the A♥Okay♠ of Lehr. Neither participant linked with a 10-high runout, and Soverel was eradicated in fifth place ($67,200). The four-time bracelet winner now boasts over $33.9 million in lifetime cashes.
Nicholas Seward quickly adopted. His run concluded in fourth place ($84,000) when he ran Okay♣10♥ into the A♠A♦ of Justin Vaysman in a battle of the blinds. Seward flopped prime pair and a gutshot, however couldn’t enhance on the flip or river. This was his third money of the collection. It grew the World Poker Tour champion and bracelet winner’s profession earnings to greater than $4.9 million.
It’s ACES for Justin Vaysman!
Watch the @PokerGOTour’s Poker Masters, introduced by @official_glp, on https://t.co/l4l4onsjSR. https://t.co/zUF6a0Qc2e
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 21, 2026
Vaysman Bows Out
Fresh off his historic chip-and-a-chair comeback in occasion no. 6, Vaysman backed up his title run with a third-place end on this match. The three-time bracelet winner parlayed his momentum from rallying off 1 / 4 of a giant blind simply two days prior into one other deep run.
Vaysman nonetheless held roughly 30 large blinds when his ultimate hand arrived. He limped for 50,000 from the small blind with A♠6♦ and Zavorotnijs raised to 210,000 from the massive blind with 10♥10♣. Vaysman shoved for 1,475,000 and acquired a fast name. He picked up an open-ended straight draw by the flip with 9♦8♣4♦7♠, however a clean J♦ on the top despatched Vaysman packing with $117,600.
This rating pushed Vaysman’s lifetime haul previous the $2.1 million mark. The outcome marked his third final-table look of the competition, following the aforementioned outcomes and a sixth-place end in occasion no. 1. These deep runs have pushed him to fifth place on the collection leaderboard with 325 factors and $348,600 in earnings.
River Boat
Head-up play started with 5,445,000 for Zavorotnijs and a couple of,995,000 for Lehr. The tables quickly turned, although, with pocket kings holding in opposition to pocket fours to see Lehr double into the lead.
The subsequent key conflict started with Zavorotnijs opening to 170,000 on the button with A♠J♣. Lehr three-bet to 400,000 out of the massive blind with Okay♣Q♠ and Zavorotnijs referred to as. The flop got here down Q♣10♠5♠ and Lehr fired 400,000. Zavorotnijs referred to as and the Okay♠ rolled off on the flip, prompting an 800,000 wager from Lehr. Zavorotnijs moved all-in for two,220,000 with the nut straight and an ace-high flush redraw and Lehr shortly referred to as with prime two pair. The Q♥ on the top improved Lehr to a full home to safe the pot and the title in dramatic vogue. Zavorotnijs settled for $176,400 because the runner-up.
WOW… what a solution to win it! Keith Lehr takes the title in Event #8! https://t.co/TBTzFBwiKQ
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 21, 2026
Zavorotnijs moved to 3rd place within the series-long standings, having accrued 365 factors and $400,400 in whole earnings. He now trails solely Adrian Mateos (451 factors) and Palma (407 factors).
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Keith Lehr | $277,200 | 360 | 222 |
| 2 | Vitalijs Zavorotnijs | $176,400 | 300 | 141 |
| 3 | Justin Vaysman | $117,600 | 240 | 94 |
| 4 | Nicholas Seward | $84,000 | 180 | 67 |
| 5 | Sam Soverel | $67,200 | 150 | 54 |
| 6 | Nicholas Palma | $50,400 | 120 | 40 |
| 7 | Daniyal Gheba | $33,600 | 90 | 27 |
Photo credit score: PGT / Antonio Abrego.
