Nicholas Palma Scores First PGT Title At Poker Masters

Nicholas Palma has been a fixture on the poker circuit for the higher a part of twenty years now, with over 400 scores recorded alongside the way in which. The New Rochelle, New York native has seemingly stepped his sport as much as one other degree not too long ago, although. The 37-year-old poker professional identified to many as ‘Nicky P’ broke by means of to safe his first World Series of Poker bracelet simply over a yr in the past, taking down an internet $2,000 progressive knockout occasion.

On the heels of that marquee win, Palma has recorded the three largest scores of his profession in 2026. After ending fourth within the $3,500 BetMGM Championship ($431,180) and third in a $5,000 buy-in reside bracelet occasion ($326,136), Palma took down occasion no. 2 on the Poker Masters, outlasting a stacked last desk for his first PokerGO Tour title and $235,200.

The payday elevated Palma’s earnings to greater than $5.1 million. The win additionally moved him inside the highest 50 within the 2026 Card Player Player of the Year race introduced by CoinPoker. This win, his first of the yr at his eleventh last desk, got here with 480 POY factors. His whole now sits at 3,676.

Palma additionally scored 235 PGT factors, sufficient to maneuver him into second place within the race for the Poker Masters purple jacket. He trails solely Myles Mullaly, the champion of occasion no. 1 who additionally cashed on this match.

Pocket Aces, Again And Again

The prize pool swelled to $840,000 on this occasion due to the turnout of 84 entries, with the highest 12 finishers securing a slice. Several notables made it to the cash, solely to hit the rail late on day 1 motion. Among them had been four-time bracelet winner Sam Soverel (twelfth),  Mullaly (tenth), bracelet winner and World Poker Tour champion Matthew Wantman (ninth), reigning POY winner Jesse Lonis (eighth), and occasion no. 1 third-place finisher Sam Laskowitz (seventh).

The second and last day of motion started with 5 gamers remaining and six-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos positioned atop the leaderboard. About half an hour into the ultimate session, a preflop cooler took a bit of  Palma’s stack. He opened for a 100,000 min-raise with A♠Ok♣ from the cutoff and David Coleman known as from the button with J♠10♠. Nick Seward three-bet to 375,000 out of the small blind with A♥A♦ and Palma four-bet to 650,000. Coleman folded and Seward five-bet shoved. Palma known as and located no assistance on a 10♣7♣6♥8♦7♦ runout. With that, Seward surged into the lead whereas Palma slid to the underside of the chip counts after beginning the day in second place, however quickly bounced again when he picked up pocket aces and held towards the A-8 of Mateos in a battle of the blinds.

Things got here full circle, although, when Mateos acquired all-in with A♥A♦ towards A♠Q♣ for Seward. The flop of Q♦7♣3♠  saved issues fascinating, however the overpair held by means of an 8♥ flip and 4♥  river to see Mateos return to pole place.

Dam Bursts, Bustouts Finally Start Piling Up

Seward was in the end the primary to fall. He was all the way down to only a few large blinds, then misplaced a digital all-in with high pair, ten kicker towards the identical pair and queen kicker of Mateos to be left with only a fraction of a small blind. He was eradicated on the very subsequent hand, which was a three-way all-in. Coleman made aces and eights to double up by means of Michael Berk, incomes some respiratory room for himself whereas sending Seward packing in fifth place ($58,600). The bracelet winner from Washington D.C. grew his lifetime haul to just about $4.8 million with this, his eleventh last desk of 2026.

Nick Seward left drawing useless in a three-way collision.

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Palma then received a flip with A-Ok suited towards Mateos’ pocket fives to as soon as once more shift the dynamic on the last desk. Even together with his latest double, Coleman was nonetheless fairly brief. He was ultimately all-in and in danger from the small blind with Q♠10♦ for round 11 large blinds. He was dominated by the A♣10♣ of Berk from the massive blind. Berk flopped high pair and light Coleman’s gutshot straight draw to slim the sphere to 3. Coleman earned $79,800 because the fourth-place finisher. The bracelet winner, initially from New Jersey, now boasts over $20.8 million in profession cashes

The 240 POY factors that got here with this rating had been sufficient to maneuver Coleman to twenty ninth within the total standings, with 13 final-table showings on the yr.

Berk Bows Out, Heads-Up Begins

Berk was left brief after he turned two pair right into a bluff on a board with 4 to a straight. Unfortunately for him, Palma truly had the Broadway that he was representing and clicked it again. Berk acquired away from his hand, however not earlier than shedding a large chunk of his stack.

He quickly made his last stand, open-shoving Q♦J♠ from the small blind into Mateos, who snap-called with A♥Ok♣. Berk took the lead after the primary three playing cards got here down Q♣10♠9♣, however the A♣ flip put Mateos again on high. The 2♥ on the top maintained the established order, ending Berk’s run in third place ($109,200). The two-time PGT title winner now has over $3.5 million to his identify after this newest sturdy displaying.

Michael Berk rips proper into Adrian Mateos’ silencer.

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That left Palma heads-up with Mateos, with the previous holding greater than a 3:2 chip benefit to begin. Mateos was capable of flip the tide within the early going, however Palma quickly regained the benefit after which started to stretch it.

Mateos hung round, although, after which battled again to just about even earlier than edging in entrance due to kings up besting high pair of kings for Palma. The lead was pretty short-lived, although. Soon, Palma limped the button with A♥J♠. Mateos moved all-in, an efficient jam of twenty-two.5 large blinds, with A♣7♥. Palma rapidly known as to arrange a large pot for nearly the entire chips in play. he made a pair of jacks on the flip to lock up the large double.

Palma Weathers A Couple Of Doubles Before Closing Out The Win

Mateos was all the way down to only a handful of blinds after that. Mere minutes later, he was all-in with A♠8♠ main the J♣5♥ that Palma jammed from the button. Mateos made eights stuffed with aces by the river to double as much as eight large blinds. He quickly acquired all-in once more, this time with Q♥7♠ trailing A♥2♥. A J♠10♠7♠2♦4♦ runout acquired Mateos again to 17 large blinds.

The two squared off once more quickly, and the third time was the allure for Palma. He known as Mateos’ button shove for simply over 12 large blinds holding A♥6♥. Mateos revealed the A♦9♣. The A♣7♥5♦ flop gave each gamers high pair, however Mateos’ 9 kicker made him a wholesome favourite.

“I actually feel like I’m gonna win this,” mentioned Palma.

The 4♣ flip gave Palma an open-ended straight draw.

“You can’t get lucky every time, Adrian. I gotta get lucky one time, too,” he continued.

The 3♥ on the top gave him the seven-high straight and the title. Mateos settled for $151,200 because the runner-up. The Spanish all-time cash chief now has over $72.7 million in lifetime earnings, the fifth-highest whole of any participant in poker historical past.

Mateos additionally added 400 POY factors with this, his 18th last desk of 2026. He now sits in fifteenth place within the total standings, with 4 wins and over $8.1 million in POY earnings, up to now.

Final Table Results

Photo credit score: PGT / Antonio Abrego