Keith Lehr won Event #8: $15,700 NLH at Poker Masters 2026, held at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The American earned $277,200, with the title decided in a heads-up hand against Latvia’s Vitalijs Zavorotnieks that ended with a river full house.
Zavorotnieks began the final day as chip leader and was in contention for his second series title, but finished runner-up for $176,400. Justin Weisman came third, while Adrian Mateos maintained his lead in the Purple Jacket race with two events left in Poker Masters.
Details
Event #8: $15,700 NLH drew 56 entries, creating an $840,000 prize pool. NLH is no-limit Texas hold’em, in which bets are not restricted by a fixed limit. The final top seven were:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keith Lehr | USA | $277,200 |
| 2 | Vitalijs Zavorotnieks | Latvia | $176,400 |
| 3 | Justin Weisman | USA | $117,600 |
| 4 | Nicholas Seward | USA | $84,000 |
| 5 | Sam Soverel | USA | $67,200 |
| 6 | Nicholas Palma | USA | $50,400 |
| 7 | Daniyal Gheba | USA | $33,600 |
Five players returned for the final day after Nicholas Palma was eliminated on the last hand of Day 1. Sam Soverel was the first player to bust from the final table. The 17-time PokerGO Tour champion first lost a significant portion of his stack by calling Justin Weisman’s Broadway. In this context, Broadway means an ace-high straight. Soverel briefly recovered by doubling through Nicholas Seward, but then got it in with king-queen against Keith Lehr’s ace-king before the flop and finished fifth.
It was Soverel’s 15th Poker Masters final-table appearance, a record. He earned $67,200 for fifth place. Seward, who had the shorter stack when Soverel busted, moved up one spot, but then found himself in a tough spot against Weisman in a blind-versus-blind battle. Seward risked his chips with king-ten against Weisman’s pocket aces. He flopped top pair and a straight draw, but the turn and river changed nothing. The WSOP bracelet winner finished fourth and earned $84,000.
With three players left, Justin Weisman had a chance to take the outright lead in the Purple Jacket race. He had previously won Event #6, but the final day proved difficult: Weisman called value bets and folded to bluffs. His tournament ended after he limp-shoved ace-six from the small blind for around 25 big blinds. Zavorotnieks found pocket tens, called, and held his advantage through the hand. Weisman finished third for $117,600.
Zavorotnieks entered heads-up play with nearly a two-to-one chip lead and looked poised to become the first two-time Poker Masters 2026 winner. He picked up a few small pots early in the match, but the momentum then shifted. In the first major hand, Lehr got all-in with pocket kings against Zavorotnieks’ pocket fours. The kings held, and the American doubled up to take the chip lead.
Then, in a three-bet pot, Zavorotnieks improved to Broadway on the turn and moved ahead of Lehr’s two pair. All the chips went in on the turn, so Lehr needed help on the last card to keep his opponent from reclaiming the lead. The American made a full house on the river, won the hand, and claimed the title. It was a particularly painful finish for Zavorotnieks: after starting the day as chip leader, he came one step short of another trophy.
The win gave Keith Lehr his second PokerGO Tour title and his first tournament victory since 2024. Lehr is a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, having won in 2003 and 2015. The American has competed at the highest level for more than two decades, plays high-stakes cash games, and ranks first on Louisiana’s all-time money list. According to The Hendon Mob, his live tournament earnings surpassed $6 million with this victory.
Adrian Mateos remained atop the Purple Jacket leaderboard with 451 PGT points, 3 cashes, 1 win, and $467,700 in earnings. Nicholas Palma is second with 407 points, 4 cashes, 1 win, and $424,400. Vitalijs Zavorotnieks moved up to third with 365 points, 2 cashes, 1 win, and $400,400. The next spots go to Joey Weissman — 338 points, 5 cashes, 1 win, and $348,850; Justin Weisman — 325, 3, 1, and $348,600; Jeremy Ausmus — 321, 4, 1, and $383,000; Miles Mullally — 295, 4, 1, and $300,900; Keith Lehr — 265, 2, 1, and $319,700; Daniyal Gheba — 243, 4, 0, and $249,850; and Sam Laskowitz — 193, 4, 0, and $192,600. Two events remained in the series.
Commentary from the Vse-o-Pokere Editorial Team
For players and businesses, this news shows how tournament results depend not only on the starting advantage, but also on the specific payout structure, the field, and the final hands. An important practical question for operators and organizers is how to properly structure international tournaments, venue operations, entry registration, and the publication of financial results in light of applicable requirements. Clients should also distinguish live tournament poker, cash games, and other forms of gambling in advance: they may carry different contractual, advertising, and regulatory risks. Our team advises and supports clients on poker, gambling, casinos, games of chance, and related legislation, including the analysis of tournament models and operator activities. We help assess a project’s legal structure before launch and develop solutions for businesses that are already operating.
