button in SafariOganyan's Last Minute Entry Results in Final Table Chip Lead
Aram Oganyan left it until the last possible moment to register for Event #7: $15,700 NLH at the 2026 Poker Masters, but the late entry paid off as he finished Day 1 with the chip lead inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
The event attracted 58 entries, generating an $870,000 prize pool, with nine players making the money. Just five remain heading into Tuesday's finale, where $278,400 awaits the champion.
Making his first appearance of the series, Oganyan bagged 2,595,000 (87 big blinds) after enjoying his fair share of good fortune. He nearly exited before the money but found a two-outer to survive, before winning a pot worth almost two million chips when his ace-king got there against Dan Smith's pocket tens on the soft bubble.
Close behind is Adrian Mateos, who returns with 2,325,000 (78 big blinds). The Spaniard has reached his third final table of the series and is chasing his second title, having already finished runner-up in Event #2 and won Event #5.
Final Table Seat Draw & Chip Counts
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | 1,550,000 | 52 |
| 2 | Cherish Andrews | United States | 1,275,000 | 43 |
| 3 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | 2,325,000 | 78 |
| 4 | Aram Oganyan | United States | 2,595,000 | 87 |
| 5 | Joe McKeehen | United States | 940,000 | 31 |
Day 1 Action
After stone-bubbling three events earlier in the series, Mateos found himself on the other side of the money bubble this time. He made Broadway to eliminate short stack Brock Wilson in tenth place, guaranteeing the remaining nine players at least $26,100.
Jeremy Ausmus also enjoyed a productive day and briefly held the chip lead. A fortunate clash with Sean Perry, who ran pocket tens into Ausmus' pocket queens, helped propel his stack towards two million. Ausmus eventually bagged 1,550,000, good for third place.
Cherish Andrews secured her first cash of the series after several frustrating near misses. Andrews has regularly built stacks on a single bullet but struggled to convert those runs into paydays. This time, she broke through and will return with 1,275,000.
Rounding out the final five is 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen, who also recorded his first cash and final table appearance of the series. He returns as the short stack with 940,000 (31 big blinds).
Another notable arrival was Daniel Negreanu, who made his first appearance of the Poker Masters. The GGPoker ambassador needed two bullets to reach the money before finishing seventh when his ace-eight ran into Andrews' flopped set of deuces.
Negreanu remains undecided about returning for Event #8, with the golf course calling. He has been spending much of his time golfing while awaiting the birth of his first child.
Mateos Extends Purple Jacket Lead
Mateos began the day leading the Poker Masters Purple Jacket standings with 381 PGT points, and his third final table appearance has strengthened his position.
His closest challengers all fell short of the final five, with Myles Mullaly finishing ninth, Nicholas Palma eighth, and Joey Weissman sixth. All three added points to their totals, but Mateos is guaranteed a larger return after reaching the final day.
With another $15,700 event and the $26,000 and $51,000 tournaments still to come, the race remains open, although Mateos has given himself some breathing room at the top.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $278,400 |
| 2 | $174,000 |
| 3 | $121,800 |
| 4 | $87,000 |
| 5 | $65,250 |
The final five return on Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. local time, with play resuming in Level 16 at blinds of 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante. There will be 22 minutes remaining on the clock.
The final table will be streamed on PokerGO and its YouTube channel from 1 p.m. local time, with PokerNews providing coverage in line with the delayed broadcast to avoid spoilers.
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