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Adrian Mateos has claimed his first title of the 2026 Poker Masters, winning Event #5: $10,500 No-Limit Hold’em for $229,500 after a difficult week that saw him bubble three separate events. The Winamax ambassador entered the final day as chip leader and held off a seven-handed final table to secure the win, with Poker Hall of Famer Nick Schulman finishing runner-up for $148,750 out of an $850,000 prize pool generated by 85 entries.
Despite bubbling three of the first four events and cashing only once with a runner-up finish, Mateos said he tries not to dwell on results. “I focus only on the process and what I can control,” he told PokerNews, crediting his 14-15 years of professional experience for helping him manage the game’s swings.
The victory also pushes Mateos into the lead of the Purple Jacket standings, the award given to the series’ most consistent performer. With five events remaining, he expressed confidence in his position while acknowledging there is still plenty of work left to do.
The final table saw Matthew Wantman and Keith Lehr eliminated in quick succession, followed by Martin Zamani falling to Jeremy Becker in a preflop cooler. Robert French exited in fourth after his ace-king was outdrawn by Schulman’s queen-nine, setting up a three-way battle between Becker, Schulman, and Mateos.
Mateos eliminated Becker in third place after rivering trip tens against Becker’s two pair, then dispatched Schulman in just two hands of heads-up play when his pocket aces held against ten-nine suited.
With no time to celebrate, Mateos confirmed he would return immediately to Event #6, which was already underway. Event #7, a $15,700 buy-in tournament, is set to begin Monday with Daniel Negreanu expected to compete.
