button in SafariZavorotnijs Leads Final Five as Palma Eyes Second Series Title
Just five players remain in Event #4: $10,500 NLH at the 2026 Poker Masters, with Vitalijs Zavorotnijs holding a commanding chip lead heading into Friday's final table.
The tournament attracted 80 entries, creating an $800,000 prize pool, with the top 12 players making the money. All five remaining contenders have locked up at least $56,000, but their attention will be on the $224,000 first-place prize and the valuable points on offer in the race for the Poker Masters Purple Jacket.
Zavorotnijs returns with 3,530,000 chips, giving him a sizeable advantage over Clemen Deng (2,630,000) and Jamie Dwan (2,375,000). The top three have some breathing room, but Nicholas Palma (850,000) and Andrew Lichtenberger (620,000) will need to make something happen early, with just 17 and 12 big blinds respectively.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitalijs Zavorotnijs | Latvia | 3,530,000 | 71 |
| 2 | Clemen Deng | United States | 2,630,000 | 53 |
| 3 | Jamie Dwan | United Kingdom | 2,375,000 | 48 |
| 4 | Nicholas Palma | United States | 850,000 | 17 |
| 5 | Andrew Lichtenberger | United States | 620,000 | 12 |
Zavorotnijs Sets the Pace as Dwan Continues Breakout Year
Zavorotnijs had to survive a few all-in confrontations on his way to the final five, but once he found his footing, he became a consistent presence near the top of the counts.
One of the day's biggest pots came when Joao Simao ran pocket queens into Zavorotnijs' pocket kings. The Latvian's superior pair held, sending him into the chip lead, and he spent the remainder of the day either at the summit or firmly inside the top three.
Deng also had a significant pot go his way. Having narrowly avoided becoming the unfortunate bubble boy, he picked up a crucial double through Lichtenberger when his pocket tens held against pocket nines.
For Dwan, this deep run is another chapter in what has already been an extraordinary 2026.
The Brit was a last-minute addition to the field but has made his entry count, securing his first cash of the series and, remarkably, his first-ever cash inside the PokerGO Studio.
Dwan's rise through the high-stakes ranks has been one of the year's more interesting stories. A former UK parliamentary candidate with a strong background in online poker, he has enjoyed a breakout year on the live circuit, highlighted by his $2,276,691 victory in the $50,000 High Roller at the 2026 World Series of Poker, where he captured his first bracelet.
It's quite the journey for someone who once had ambitions of a career in politics. Now, Dwan is making a name for himself among the biggest players in the game, and another six-figure payday could be on the cards.
Can Palma Take Control of the Purple Jacket Race?
Another player who will fancy his chances is Palma, even if his chip stack leaves him with little room for error.
Palma has been one of the standout performers of the opening four events, having already won Event #2: $10,500 NLH for $235,200. The New Yorker described that triumph as the most important victory of his career, and he wasn't shy about declaring his intentions to win the Purple Jacket.
He's now given himself another opportunity to back up those words.
A second victory would send Palma to the top of the Poker Masters standings, although he'll have to navigate the final table as one of the two shortest stacks.
Rounding out the final five is Lichtenberger, a familiar face at the PokerGO Studio who has plenty of experience in these high-pressure situations. Lichtenberger survived a huge three-way all-in early in the day and steadily worked his way through the field to secure another final-table appearance.
Mateos Suffers Another Brutal Poker Masters Bubble
If there's one player who will be happy to see the back of the first four Poker Masters events, it's probably Adrian Mateos.
The Spanish superstar has endured a particularly frustrating series, despite coming agonizingly close to the money and another title on several occasions.
Mateos began by bubbling Event #1 before finishing runner-up to Palma in Event #2. He then bubbled Event #3, and lightning struck for a third time in Event #4 when Chris Hunichen sent him to the rail one place short of the money.
To make matters worse, Event #3 champion Joey Weissman had been reduced to just 10,000 chips at one stage of bubble play. Somehow, Weissman managed to spin that tiny stack back up and survive, leaving Mateos as the last player to depart without a payday.
With Mateos eliminated, the remaining 12 players were guaranteed a share of the $800,000 prize pool, and the knockouts quickly followed.
Weissman eliminated John Krpan in 12th before Palma sent Neil Warren packing in 11th. Hunichen, who had burst the bubble, was next to go when his tournament came to an end against Zavorotnijs' pocket jacks.
Weissman's comeback eventually ended in ninth place after his pocket queens failed to hold against Deng's ace-king.
Dwan then found a three-outer against 2024 PGT Player of the Year Jeremy Ausmus, eliminating him in eighth place to set the final table.
Sam Laskowitz was the first player to depart from the seven-handed final table, before Dwan collected the remainder of Erik Seidel's short stack in sixth place to bring the day's action to a close.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $224,000 | ||
| 2 | $144,000 | ||
| 3 | $104,000 | ||
| 4 | $76,000 | ||
| 5 | $56,000 | ||
| 6 | Erik Seidel | United States | $40,000 |
| 7 | Sam Laskowitz | United States | $32,000 |
The final five return on Friday, October 16, at 11:45 a.m. local time, with play resuming at Level 18, where the blinds will be 25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante.
As always, stick with PokerNews for continued coverage of the 2026 Poker Masters as the battle for the titles and Purple Jacket continues.