Nicholas Palma Beats Adrian Mateos for $235,200 at Poker Masters
On Wednesday 14 October 2026, a New Yorker in a Scarface T-shirt beat a six time WSOP bracelet winner heads up for his first PokerGO Tour title. The Spirit has a soft spot for the ones who say they never doubted, apparentlu.
Nicholas “Nicky P” Palma, 37, of New York, won Event #2 of the 2026 Poker Masters on Wednesday 14 October 2026. He beat Adrian Mateos heads up at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The $10,500 no limit hold'em event drew 84 entries and built an $840,000 prize pool. First place paid $235,200, with $151,200 for Mateos, and it is Palma's first PokerGO Tour title. KACHINGUUU.
Now the number worth a second look: eleven. According to Card Player, this was Palma's 11th final table of 2026, and the first one he turned into a win. Eleven tries, one trophy, and honestlu that is the ratio most of us would sign for.
The final day began with five players left and Mateos as chip leader. Palma was second in chips and had worn a Scarface T-shirt all the way through the event. Mateos arrived four months after becoming the youngest player to win six WSOP bracelets, a mark he reached with a $4.3 million score in the $250,000 Super High Roller. Palma's day started badly: Nicholas Seward doubled through him with aces against ace king. Then Palma picked up aces of his own and doubled through Mateos. The Spirit does enjoy a good pair of aces going the other way. Mateos had watched his own aces get cracked on the money bubble of Event #1 earlier in the week.
The heads up lasted more than two hours, with the lead changing hands several times. Palma limped the button with ace jack, Mateos shoved a weaker ace, and Palma called and doubled. Mateos hit a full house on the river to climb back to eight big blinds. In the end the river sided with Palma. GWLUGWLU.
Palma has been clear about what drives him, and it goes deeper than the trophy. He told PokerNews he lost a lot of his family when he was younger and wants the family name to live on. He said he will work as hard as he possibly can, because giving everything is what lets him sleep at night. This was his biggest title to date on the PokerGO stage, and not his biggest payday. He said it was the most important one. His first WSOP bracelet came just over a year ago, in an online $2,000 progressive knockout event. His career earnings now stand above $5.1 million.
The purple jacket race is wide open. Palma is second in it, behind Myles Mullaly, who won Event #1. Mateos bubbled Event #3 as well, when his Big Slick lost to Michael Rossitto's jack nine. He still leads the series in earnings thanks to that second place.
Would youluwu have called a six time bracelet winner's shove with ace jack? Palma did, and the Spirit took notes.
The jacket race has barely started and the man in the Scarface shirt is already second in it. Sendu sendu.
Palma's loud table talk: great for poker or too much?
No right answer. Just your gut, and the Spirit watching.
