Nick Palma Leads Purple Jacket Race After Third-Place Finish in Poker Masters Event #4

Nick Palma moved to the head of the Poker Masters leaderboard after finishing third in Event #4: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em on Friday. The $800,000 prize pool was won by Latvia's Vitalijs Zavorotnijs, with Clemen Deng runner-up and Andrew Lichtenberger and Jamie Dwan making the final table; the field began with 80 entries. Palma's third-place result followed his victory in Event #2 and delivered 104 series points, enough to displace Myles Mullaly at the top of the standings with six events still to play.

Event #4 summary and the final table outcome

Event #4 attracted 80 entries and produced a five-handed final table at PokerGO Tour's Poker Masters. The tournament paid down to the final positions, and Zavorotnijs captured the title and the largest share of the $800,000 prize pool. Clemen Deng finished second after heads-up play, while Palma converted a short stack into third place. Andrew Lichtenberger was eliminated in fifth and Jamie Dwan took fourth.

The final sequence of eliminations ran as follows. Lichtenberger was the first player eliminated at the final table when he moved all-in and ran into a hand raised by Deng; the board did not improve Lichtenberger and he exited in fifth. Dwan then lost a blind-versus-blind confrontation to Palma and was knocked out in fourth. Deng later lost his remaining chips on a hand that saw a key river card favour the opponent, ending his stack and leaving two players for heads-up.

How Palma climbed to the Purple Jacket lead

Palma's third-place finish added 104 points to his series total, taking him past Myles Mullaly on the Poker Masters leaderboard. Palma had already won Event #2 earlier in the series; his podium in Event #4 is his second three-figure point pickup of the festival. With six Poker Masters events still to be played, Palma sits atop the standings but must accumulate further points to secure the season-long Purple Jacket.

The structure of the PokerGO Tour scoring awards significant points for final-table finishes and event wins. Palma's mix of a win and a third-place finish in the early events has given him an immediate advantage, though the leaderboard remains contestable given the remaining schedule.

Heads-up and the final hand that decided Event #4

Deng held a narrow lead entering heads-up play against Zavorotnijs. The pair exchanged small pots and the lead changed hands multiple times during the duel. The final hand concluded with both players making full houses; Zavorotnijs's full house was higher and that hand delivered the title to the Latvian.

Palma's elimination came prior to heads-up. He moved all-in over a button raise from Deng and faced a call from Zavorotnijs in the small blind. The subsequent runout left Palma drawing thin on the flop and eliminated on the turn. Palma converted the short-stack opportunity into third place and immediately re-entered the tournament room by registering for Event #5.

Final-table dynamics and key spots

The final table was shaped by aggressive button raises, blind-versus-blind confrontations and a several pivotal all-in confrontations. Deng used an early big stack to pressure opponents, while Palma navigated from a short stack to stay alive through a couple of doubles and key hands.

• Andrew Lichtenberger departed in fifth after an overcall left him short and unable to catch on the board.

• Jamie Dwan lost a blind-versus-blind hand to Palma and finished fourth.

• Clemen Deng's run ended on a hand decided by a river card that removed his remaining chips and set up heads-up play.

Implications for the Poker Masters leaderboard and schedule

Palma's 104 points were sufficient to overtake Myles Mullaly in the race for the Purple Jacket. Six events remain on the Poker Masters schedule, meaning the lead is provisional. Players with multiple final-table appearances early in the series can build a points buffer, but the series still awards large point hauls for wins that can reshuffle the leaderboard quickly.

For readers tracking the festival, Poker Masters remains the primary event series on the PokerGO Tour calendar this week; full replays and final-table coverage are available through PokerGO. Photographs from the final table were supplied by Antonio Abrego/PokerGO.

What to watch next

Palma will defend his new lead across the next six events, where further deep runs or wins will be required to lock up the Purple Jacket. Several contenders, including Myles Mullaly and players who have already recorded final-table finishes this series, remain within striking distance. The early mix of a title and another top-three by Palma sets up a storyline to monitor as the Poker Masters progresses.

Images courtesy of Antonio Abrego/PokerGO.