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Can Negreanu Go Wire-to-Wire for Poker Masters Title?
Daniel Negreanu started yesterday morning on the golf course, but he will start today inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas at the final table of Event #9: $26,000 NLH at the 2026 Poker Masters.
Despite being an outspoken detractor of "loosey goosey" play, Negreanu let loose yesterday in the Studio with two "mega pints" of wine that helped him bag the chip lead. We'll see if the poker legend and fan favorite can recover from the wild night and go wire-to-wire at the final table.
Also vying for the title as Nicholas Seward and Daniyal Gheba, two big stacks who lead the likes of Brandon Wilson and polarizing sports betting personality Sean Perry.
Rounding out the counts are good friends Jesse Lonis and Matthew Wantman, the latter of whom is fresh of a career-high score at Triton Jeju.
Event #9: $26,000 NLH Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | 2,205,000 |
| 2 | Nicholas Seward | United States | 1,700,000 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | United States | 1,120,000 |
| 4 | Brandon Wilson | United States | 755,000 |
| 5 | Sean Perry | United States | 570,000 |
| 6 | Matthew Wantman | United States | 530,000 |
| 7 | Jesse Lonis | United States | 525,000 |
Each returning player is after their first title of the series, one that will help them in the leaderboard race and fight for the overall festival title.
Negreanu and Perry have some history, but the two were friendly on Day 1 as Perry reserved most of his ire for Nicholas Palma. They played at separate tables yesterday, so things could heat up as the two share a final table.
Cards will get in the air at 11:45 p.m. local time with ten minutes left in Level 15 with blinds of 15,000/25,000/25,000. The PokerGO stream will kick off at 1 p.m. and PokerNews will report alongside it to avoid any final table spoilers.
A minimum cash of $50,000 is still on the table, but all eyes are on the top prize of $412,500, which will likely be the second biggest payout of the series.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $412,500 | ||
| 2 | $262,500 | ||
| 3 | $175,000 | ||
| 4 | $125,000 | ||
| 5 | $100,000 | ||
| 6 | $75,000 | ||
| 7 | $50,000 |
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Stay tuned as PokerNews will be on-site to cover the Event #9 final table. Check out the live reporting hub for other Poker Masters highlights.