button in SafariGierse Leads Poker Masters Finale; Ausmus Chasing Purple Jacket
Marius Gierse leads the final seven players into Day 2 of Event #10: $51,000 NLH at the 2026 Poker Masters, with the Austrian returning to the PokerGO Studio with 1,185,000 chips (59 big blinds).
There's still plenty of work to do before anyone gets paid, with just five of the seven remaining players set to collect a share of the $1,550,000 prize pool. The eventual champion will walk away with $620,000, but two players will leave empty-handed.
Sam Laskowitz (995,000) and Jeremy Ausmus (945,000) are Gierse's closest challengers, with Sean Winter (900,000) and Dan Smith (895,000) also firmly in the mix.
Beyond the money, there's one final piece of business to settle, which is the 2026 Poker Masters Purple Jacket.
Adrian Mateos currently leads the standings with 451 PGT points, but Ausmus is the only player left who can overtake him. The American needs to finish first or second to claim the Purple Jacket and its accompanying $25,000 PGT Passport bonus. A third-place finish or worse would hand the series title to Mateos.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marius Gierse | Austria | 1,185,000 |
| 2 | Sam Laskowitz | United States | 995,000 |
| 3 | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | 945,000 |
| 4 | Sean Winter | United States | 900,000 |
| 5 | Dan Smith | United States | 895,000 |
| 6 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | Ukraine | 725,000 |
| 7 | Chris Brewer | United States | 535,000 |
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $620,000 | ||
| 2 | $387,500 | ||
| 3 | $248,000 | ||
| 4 | $170,500 | ||
| 5 | $124,000 |
Cards will be in the air at 12:45 p.m. local time, with play resuming with 37 minutes remaining in Level 14. Blinds will be 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante.
PokerNews will be providing live updates throughout the final day, with reporting following the PokerGO stream from 2 p.m. to avoid spoiling the broadcast delay.
Stay tuned as the final Poker Masters title of 2026 is decided, along with the Purple Jacket race between Ausmus and Mateos.