Adrian Mateos Lifts Spirits with Poker Masters Victory for $229,500

Adrian Mateos once again showcased his poker prowess at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. His dominance at the final table culminated in his first Poker Masters title in 2026. In a brief heads-up, he overcame Poker Hall of Fame member Nick Schulman, claiming the top prize of $229,500.

The fifth tournament of the prestigious festival, with a $10,500 NLH buy-in, attracted a total of 85 entries, marking the largest participation in the series so far. The prizepool soared to $850,000, with cash prizes set for the top 13 players.

Adrian Mateos managed to reach the money stages this time, with Joe McKeehen taking the position of bubble boy. Seven finalists entered the second and final day, led by chipleader Adrian Mateos, who set the pace from the start.

First to exit the final table was Matthew Wantman, followed by his eliminator Keith Lehr. Martin Zamani took fifth, running A-Q into Jeremy Becker’s A-K. Robert French finished fourth, as his A-K was outdone by Schulman’s Q-9 with a nine on the river.

The battle among the final three ended when Mateos put Jeremy Becker to an all-in test on a board of T d 3 d 8 h T c 5 c. After a long thought, Becker called with K s 8 s, but Mateos showed T h 4 h, sending Becker to third place with $106,250.

The final heads-up between Mateos and Schulman lasted only two hands. In the decisive hand, both players went all-in on the turn 7 c J s K h 3 h. Schulman held T h 9 h with chances for a straight flush, but Mateos led with A c A s. The river 9 d didn't aid Schulman, securing the title for the Spanish professional.

ACES for Adrian Mateos! But he's got to fade a lot of outs for Nick Schulman.

Stream the @PokerGOTour's Poker Masters, presented by @official_glp, on https://t.co/l4l4onsjSR. pic.twitter.com/dyfUSLMijo
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 17, 2026

Mateos Leads the 2026 Poker Masters Leaderboard

With this victory, Adrian Mateos not only reaped the financial reward but also gained 230 PGT points. He had already accrued 151 points for second place in Event #2, and with a total of 381 points and earnings of $380,700, he climbed to the top of the current Poker Masters leaderboard.

Mateos is now the frontrunner for the prestigious Purple Jacket and a $25,000 PGT Passport bonus. However, he also holds an unenviable record, having finished as bubble boy four times in six events. Following Events #1, #3, and #4, he narrowly missed the money spots again in Event #6: $10K NLH, right after his victory.

Results of Event #5: $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em Poker Masters 2026

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1.	Adrian Mateos	Spain	$229,500
2.	Nick Schulman	USA	$148,750
3.	Jeremy Becker	USA	$106,250
4.	Robert French	USA	$76,500
5.	Martin Zamani	USA	$59,500
6.	Keith Lehr	USA	$42,500
7.	Matthew Wantman	USA	$34,000
8.	Victoria Livschitz	USA	$34,000
9.	Brandon Wilson	USA	$25,500
10.	Justin Zaki	USA	$25,500
11.	Sam Soverel	USA	$25,500
12.	Sean Perry	USA	$21,250
13.	Daniyal Gheba	USA	$21,250

Sources: PGT, X, YouTube

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