button in SafariMateos & Palma Headline Final Five of Event #2: $10,500 NLH
Adrian Mateos started his 2026 Poker Masters campaign in brutal fashion, bubbling the opening event after having his pocket aces cracked. But his fortunes have quickly turned around, with the Spaniard leading the final five players in Event #2: $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em following a 12-hour day inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
Widely regarded as one of the best No-Limit Hold'em tournament players in the world, Mateos had to navigate a few tricky spots throughout the day, surviving multiple all-ins before taking control as the field thinned out. By the time play wrapped up, he had built a stack of 3,230,000, putting himself in pole position for another major title.
Mateos is far from the only big name still in contention. In fact, all five remaining players have plenty of tournament experience, setting up what should be a fiercely contested final day.
Nicholas Palma (2,475,000) sits second in chips, followed by Michael Berk (2,000,000), David Coleman (1,610,000), and rising star Nicholas Seward (1,185,000).
All five will fancy their chances of claiming the title and picking up valuable points toward the overall Poker Masters standings, where the series winner will receive the coveted Purple Jacket.
The tournament attracted 84 entries, generating an $840,000 prize pool, with the top 12 players making the money.
End of Day 1 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | 3,230,000 | 81 |
| 2 | Nicholas Palma | United States | 2,475,000 | 62 |
| 3 | Michael Berk | United States | 2,000,000 | 50 |
| 4 | David Coleman | United States | 1,610,000 | 40 |
| 5 | Nicholas Seward | United States | 1,185,000 | 30 |
A Second Bullet Pays Off for Coleman, Berk and Seward
Of the five remaining players, only Mateos and Palma managed to make it through Day 1 on their first bullet. Berk, Coleman, and Seward each needed a second $10,500 buy-in to keep their title hopes alive.
After an early elimination, Coleman jumped back into the tournament just before registration closed and made the most of his second chance.
He cracked pocket kings on two separate occasions and also pulled off a remarkable escape against Myles Mullaly, the Event #1 champion. Mullaly had flopped a set of tens, only for Coleman to go runner-runner with kings to complete a straight and take down the pot.
Seward also had his share of ups and downs. The young American made an excellent start and was among the chip leaders during the opening levels, but a huge confrontation with Cherish Andrews brought his first attempt to an abrupt end.
Seward flopped a set of nines, usually a dream scenario, but Andrews had already flopped a straight. The cooler sent Seward back to the registration desk, although he recovered well enough to secure a place among the final five.
Berk, meanwhile, looked on course to bag the overnight chip lead after taking 3,240,000 into the final table. However, a costly triple-barrel bluff against Palma saw a sizable chunk of his stack disappear. He still finished with a healthy 2,000,000, leaving himself well placed for a run at the title.
Palma Picks Off Opponents as the Field Thins
While others needed second chances or late recoveries, Palma enjoyed a much smoother day at the tables.
The American navigated several tricky spots without ever finding himself in serious danger of elimination. He also did plenty of the eliminating himself, sending Aram Zobian to the rail early in the session before accounting for Tony Gregg.
Later, Palma dispatched Victoria Livschitz and Mullaly in quick succession before bringing Day 1 to a close by eliminating Christopher Par in sixth place.
Par deserved plenty of credit for his performance. The amateur held his own against a field packed with high-stakes professionals and made it all the way to the final six before Palma ended his run.
Aces Cracked Again as Money Bubble Bursts
The money bubble was a relatively quick affair, although there was a familiar sight for anyone who followed the opening event.
Justin Zaki, who finished runner-up to Mullaly in Event #1, found himself in an excellent position with pocket aces against Berk. But the best starting hand in poker failed to hold up, with Berk rivering trip tens to send Zaki to the rail.
Soon after, Livschitz eliminated Landon Tice to burst the bubble and guarantee the remaining 12 players a payday.
Tice's exit was particularly painful given the comeback he had mounted. At one stage, he was down to just 11,000 chips, but somehow managed to spin that tiny stack back into contention. All that hard work ultimately went unrewarded, with Tice falling one spot short of the money.
With the bubble out of the way, the eliminations came quickly. Sam Soverel, Livschitz, and Mullaly were the first three players to collect payouts, followed by Matthew Wantman and Jesse Lonis to set up the final table.
It was there that Mateos made his biggest gains of the night. The Spaniard won a massive coin flip against Sam Laskowitz, with his pocket queens improving to a flush against ace-king.
The pot propelled Mateos into the chip lead, a position he held through to the end of play.
Remaining Payouts
The remaining five players have all locked up $58,800, but the biggest prizes are still to come, with $235,200 awaiting the champion.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $235,200 | ||
| 2 | $151,200 | ||
| 3 | $109,200 | ||
| 4 | $79,800 | ||
| 5 | $58,600 | ||
| 6 | Christopher Par | United States | $42,000 |
| 7 | Sam Laskowitz | United States | $33,600 |
Day 2 resumes on Wednesday, October 14, at 11:45 a.m. local time, with 18 minutes and 30 seconds remaining in Level 17. Blinds will be 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates from the PokerGO Studio as Event #2 plays down to a champion.