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Event #9: $26,000 NLH
Day 1 Completed
2026 Poker Masters
Event #9: $26,000 NLH
Day: 1
Event Info
2026 Poker Masters
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
Buy-in
$26,000
Prize Pool
$1,250,000
Total Entries
50
Places Paid
8
Level
21
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
50
Players Left
7
Players Left 1 / 50
Filter
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Daniel Negreanu played 18 holes of golf on Wednesday morning, but he had no problem switching games as he bagged the final table chip lead in Event #9: $26,000 NLH at the 2026 Poker Masters.
The lively and banter-fuelled Day 1 of of the penultimate Poker Masters event drew 50 runners for a prize pool of $1,250,000. Alongside Negreanu, the seven-handed final table includes top high-stakes pros Jesse Lonis, Brandon Wilson, and Matthew Wantman, sports betting personality Sean Perry, and bracelet winners Nicholas Seward and Daniyal Gheba.
The final table doesn't include Adrian Mateos, who went out in ninth as he bubbled his fifth event of the series.
Event #9: $26,000 NLH Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | 2,205,000 | 88 |
| 2 | Nicholas Seward | United States | 1,700,000 | 68 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | United States | 1,120,000 | 45 |
| 4 | Brandon Wilson | United States | 755,000 | 30 |
| 5 | Sean Perry | United States | 570,000 | 23 |
| 6 | Matthew Wantman | United States | 530,000 | 21 |
| 7 | Jesse Lonis | United States | 525,000 | 21 |
Negreanu Lets Loose
Negreanu was lying about his hand on the river against an opponent he dubbed "the Mike Matusow of your generation." That opponent, Nicholas Palma, later called Negreanu "Rasta man" after he spoke in a Jamaican accent at the feature table.
It was fitting that the friendly rivalry ended with Negreanu busting Palma on the soft bubble.
Negreanu wasn't the only one catching heat from Palma. The Event #2 winner got into a spat with poker villain Sean Perry, who at one point reminded the New Yorker that he was "once the third ranked player in the world" and that he has "14 f***ing Ferraris."
A string of doubles saw short stacks Lonis and David Coleman survive the money bubble, and it seemed like fate that Mateos would be the one to fall as he bubbled his fifth Poker Masters event.
The Spanish crusher still leads the series leaderboard, but a cash would have pushed him over the top.
Coleman couldn't further spin up his short stack and went out soon after in eighth place at the hands of Wilson to end the day and set the final table. Nobody was happier than Perry, who pulled out his phone and took a video for his social media followers.
Day 2 action will kick off at 11:45 p.m. local time with ten minutes left in Level 15 with blinds of 15,000/25,000/25,000. PokerNews will report on a delay alongside the PokerGO stream to avoid any spoilers.
Each returning player is guaranteed $50,000, while a top prize of $412,500 awaits the eventual champion.
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 |
Stay tuned as PokerNews will be back to see out tomorrow's final table. Check out the live reporting hub in the meantime.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Day 1 has ended with seven players remaining and Daniel Negreanu in the chip lead.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Seward | United States | 1,700,000 | 68 |
| 2 | Jesse Lonis | United States | 525,000 | 21 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | United States | 1,120,000 | 45 |
| 4 | Brandon Wilson | United States | 755,000 | 30 |
| 5 | Matthew Wantman | United States | 530,000 | 21 |
| 6 | Sean Perry | United States | 570,000 | 23 |
| 7 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | 2,205,000 | 88 |
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
David Coleman was all in as the short stack against Brandon Wilson on a flop of 8♥5♠5♦.
David Coleman: K♦J♥ 
Brandon Wilson: 7♥7♦
Coleman was behind and at risk, and no one was more excited than Sean Perry.
"Seven! Seven!" Perry cheered as the board ran out 4♦6♠ to mark Coleman's elimination on the final table bubble.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Adrian Mateos moved all in with crumbs and was called by Matthew Wantman.
Adrian Mateos: J♠4♥
Matthew Wantman: 10♣3♣
The flop of 3♥6♠6♦ put Wantman in front and the runout of 9♠A♥ confirmed Mateos' elimination for his fifth stone bubble of the series.
Remarkably, the Spanish crusher is still first on the series leaderboard and is ready to return for tomorrow's finale. He even confirmed the start time with the tournament director on his way out.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
David Coleman was all in against Jesse Lonis on a flop of Q♠5♥10♥.
David Coleman: K♥8♦
Jesse Lonis: K♦7♣
Coleman had Lonis pipped and doubled up his short stack as the board finished out Q♦6♥.
"Ready for number five, Adrian?" Coleman yelled to Adrian Mateos, who has bubbled four events this series and is now the short stack.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Level 15
: 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Hand-for-hand play is underway with nine players remaining and eight spots paid.
Level: 15
Blinds: 15,000/25,000
Ante: 25,000
