Sean Winter Wins 2026 Poker Masters Event #10 for $620,000
Sean Winter won the final event of the 2026 Poker Masters, defeating Sam Laskowitz heads-up to claim the $620,000 first-place prize. The $51,000 No-Limit Hold'em tournament attracted 31 entries and generated a $1,550,000 prize pool, with five players finishing in the money.
It was Winter's second PGT title of the season. The win brought his annual points total to 2,223, making him the first player to surpass 2,000 points on the 2026 PGT leaderboard.
Winter Closes Out the Heads-Up Match with Two Pair
Winter began heads-up play with nearly three times Laskowitz's chips. Laskowitz twice narrowed the gap, but Winter rebuilt his lead before the deciding hand.
Laskowitz limped from the button, and Winter checked his option in the big blind. On a Q-6-5 flop, Winter check-raised with bottom two pair. Laskowitz called with Q-2 for top pair.
The turn was a 3, bringing a third heart to the board. With 1,250,000 in the pot, Winter moved all in for 1,425,000. Laskowitz called after some thought, but the 8 on the river left Winter's two pair ahead.
Laskowitz earned $387,500 for second place, his largest live tournament cash to date.
Ausmus Falls Short as Mateos Secures the Purple Jacket
Seven players returned for the final day. Dan Smith was eliminated in seventh place, followed by Chris Brewer, whose A-J lost to Jeremy Ausmus's pocket aces on the money bubble.
Marius Gierse finished fifth after check-raising all in on a T-7-6 flop with T-9 for top pair and a gutshot straight draw. Sam Laskowitz held pocket queens, which stayed ahead to eliminate Gierse for $124,000.
Ausmus needed to finish first or second in Event #10 to overtake Adrian Mateos in the Poker Masters series standings. His chance ended during four-handed play when he got all in with pocket fives against Winter's A♦K♦.
Ausmus remained ahead on the flop, but an ace on the turn and another on the river gave Winter the winning hand. Ausmus finished fourth for $170,500.
His elimination secured the Purple Jacket for Mateos, who finished the series with 451 points from one victory and three cashes. Mateos also received a $25,000 PGT Passport bonus.
With three players remaining, Igor Yaroshevskyy held Q-J on an all-diamond A-Q-J flop against Winter's K-T. Winter had flopped a Broadway straight. After a 7 on the turn, Yaroshevskyy check-shoved and Winter snap-called. The straight held, leaving Yaroshevskyy in third place for $248,000.
2026 Poker Masters Event #10 Final Results
| Place | Player | Prize | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sean Winter | $620,000 | 248 |
| 2nd | Sam Laskowitz | $387,500 | 155 |
| 3rd | Igor Yaroshevskyy | $248,000 | 99 |
| 4th | Jeremy Ausmus | $170,500 | 68 |
| 5th | Marius Gierse | $124,000 | 50 |
Despite winning the finale, Winter finished fifth in the overall Poker Masters standings with 373 points. Mateos took the series title with 451 points, ahead of Nick Palma (407), Nick Seward (397) and Ausmus (389).
Winter Leads the 2026 PGT Player of the Year Race
Following the Poker Masters, Winter led the season-long PGT standings with 2,223 points. His record in PGT-qualifying events stood at two titles, 17 cashes and $4,391,694 in prize money.
Eelis Parssinen ranked second with 1,843 points, followed by Jeremy Ausmus (1,812), Alex Foxen (1,777) and Brandon Wilson (1,761). Winter remained the frontrunner for 2026 PGT Player of the Year.
The season-ending PGT Championship is scheduled for January 11–12, 2027. The $500,000 freeroll is open to the top 40 eligible players ranked on the PGT leaderboard and select Dream Seat winners.
Players seeking entry through the leaderboard must have sufficient PGT points and at least four cashes during the season, including one in a PGT-owned-and-operated event. They must also opt in before the final series. If a player does not meet these requirements, the seat passes to the next eligible player.
