button in SafariYoung Poker Pro Denies Daniel Negreanu His Latest High Roller Title
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Daniel Negreanu was looking to go wire-to-wire as the final table chip leader of Event #9: $26,000 NLH, but poker's biggest star had to settle for a runner-up finish in the penultimate event of the 2026 Poker Masters.
The Poker Hall of Famer fell to a new kid on the block as young American pro Nicholas Seward claimed his first PokerGO Tour (PGT) victory for $412,500.
"It feels great," Seward told PokerNews in a winner's interview. "The $25K is a big one, so it was definitely a very rewarding feeling, and it was my first win in here, so it feels really good."
In his third final table appearance of the series, Seward bested a stacked final seven that included high-stakes pals Jesse Lonis and Matthew Wantman and poker villain Sean Perry.
Event #9: $26,000 NLH Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Seward | United States | $412,500 |
| 2 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | $262,500 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | United States | $175,000 |
| 4 | Matthew Wantman | United States | $125,000 |
| 5 | Sean Perry | United States | $100,000 |
| 6 | Brandon Wilson | United States | $75,000 |
| 7 | Jesse Lonis | United States | $50,000 |
Besting a Childhood Idol
Negreanu let loose on Day 1 by drinking two "mega pints" of red wine, and it paid off as he bagged the chip lead and dominated the final table for much of Day 2 as he looked for his 13th PokerGO title.
"It was definitely special playing heads-up against him."
Seward, who had $4.7 million in Hendon Mob earnings headed into the event, told PokerNews he grew up watching Negreanu play poker. But if the rising grinder was star-struck playing against a childhood idol, it didn't show in his play.
"It was definitely special playing heads-up against him," Seward said.
Seward, a newcomer on the PokerGO circuit who won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet two years ago, also reserved praise for his social circle and poker peers as he reflected on his recent success.
"I'm just lucky to be surrounded by a lot of good people," he said. "They drive me to work really hard and I wouldn't be here without them."
14 Ferraris But No 13th Title
Lonis had a miraculous spin-up on the money bubble yesterday, but the start-of-day short stack couldn't keep it going as his king-queen was out-run by Seward's jack-nine in one of the first hands of the final table.
There have been a few success stories this festival involving players leaving one chip behind, but Brandon Wilson had no such luck after betting most of his stack with ace-deuce and checking down into the jacks of the eventual champion.
A few hands later, Wilson lost his final big blind in a three-way pot against Seward and Negreanu that saw the latter flopping a set of tens to send the American high-stakes pro out in sixth place.
Perry, who got into it with an on-the-sidelines Nicholas Palma, then bowed out in fifth as his combo draw couldn't hit against Negreanu's overpair.
The former third-ranked poker player in the world may not have claimed a ninth PGT title, but, as he told the room, "I still own 14 Ferraris."
Next out was Wantman, who last month won his first Triton title and $836,721 in an emotional victory that ended an extended downswing. He kept his recent upswing going with the fourth-place finish that brought him $175,000.
At his fourth final table of the series, Daniyal Gheba was looking to improve on a runner-up finish in Event #3 but fell in third at the hands of Seward after losing most of his stack to Negreanu the previous hand.
Gheba's bust set up a near-even heads-up battle between Negreanu and Seward that lasted two hours. Things took a turn for Negreanu when he was coolered with a flush against Seward's full house.
A few hands later, Negreanu found himself pipped with king-ten against the king-jack of Seward to be denied his 13th PGT title.
The victory leaves Seward live in the overall series leaderboard race for the Purple Jacket, which will be decided in the currently underway Event #10: $51,000 NLH that will close out the series.
But don't expect to see Negreanu in the series finale. After confirming he wouldn't be able to win the series leaderboard, Kid Poker headed for the golf course.
*Photos courtesy of PokerGO
