Nick Palma moves into lead for the Purple Jacket after Poker Masters Event #4 final table
Third place in Event #4 and 104 points put Palma provisionally atop the leaderboard
Key Takeaways
- Nick Palma rose to first in the Poker Masters standings after finishing third in Event #4 and earning 104 points.
- Event #4: $10K No-Limit Hold'em drew 80 entries and produced a $800,000 prize pool.
- Palma’s 104 points were enough to overtake Myles Mullally and place him provisional leader of the series.
- Vitalijs Zavorotnijs won Event #4, Clemen Deng finished second, and Andrew Lichtenberger and Jamie Dwan finished fifth and fourth respectively.
- Six events remain in the series, meaning Palma must add further results to secure the Purple Jacket.
Nick Palma climbed to first place in the Poker Masters leaderboard after finishing third in Event #4: $10K No-Limit Hold'em, held Friday 16 October 2026 as part of the PokerGO Tour (PGT). The tournament generated a prize pool of $800,000 from 80 entries; Palma added 104 points for his finish, enough to displace Myles Mullally from the top spot.
Results from Event #4: $10K No-Limit Hold'em
The field of 80 entries was reduced to a five-handed final table after play on Thursday. Vitalijs Zavorotnijs, from Latvia, took the title and the largest share of the total pot. Clemen Deng finished as runner-up. The final table concluded with the following placings: fifth Andrew Lichtenberger, fourth Jamie Dwan, third Nick Palma, second Clemen Deng and first Vitalijs Zavorotnijs.
The decisive heads-up pitched Zavorotnijs against Deng; the final hand ended with both players making full houses, and the Latvian’s better full cleared the way for the win. Official tournament footage was provided by Antonio Abrego/PokerGO.
How the final table unfolded and Palma’s performance
The final table was aggressive from the start. Andrew Lichtenberger was the first exit on Friday after moving all-in and losing that confrontation to Clemen Deng; Lichtenberger finished fifth. Jamie Dwan fell soon after in a blind-versus-blind confrontation against Palma and left in fourth.
Palma reached the heads-up bubble with a short stack but converted that situation into a third-place finish that awarded him 104 points toward the Poker Masters leaderboard. His result in Event #4 was his second podium of the series, following his previous win in Event #2, and that record of results provided the momentum to place him as provisional leader.
Palma did not waste time: after his elimination he re-entered play and registered in the field for Event #5 immediately after leaving the final table.
Implications for the race to the Purple Jacket
The addition of 104 points catapulted Palma to the top of the overall standings, displacing Myles Mullally. Six events remain on the Poker Masters calendar, so Palma will need to add more points to secure the Purple Jacket at the end of the series.
The Poker Masters points system rewards consistent results across multiple high-buy-in events, and Palma has already posted two three-figure results on the leaderboard: the win in Event #2 and the third place in Event #4. That combination gives him a lead window but not a lock: the standings can change across any of the six remaining tournaments.
Final-table protagonists and their routes
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs: winner of Event #4 and top finisher at the final table, he closed out the day with the title and the largest share of the $800,000 prize pool.
Clemen Deng: reached heads-up after eliminating Lichtenberger and other opponents; closed as runner-up after a very tight duel with Zavorotnijs.
Nick Palma: recorded his second series podium with a third place that delivered 104 points. He had already won Event #2 at the same festival.
Jamie Dwan: lost significant chips in a blind-versus-blind confrontation with Palma and finished fourth.
Andrew Lichtenberger: was the first player eliminated in the final-day action, finishing fifth.
Watch the final table and next steps
The full final-table broadcast is available for interested viewers; the organization published the official replay and multimedia credited to Antonio Abrego/PokerGO. If you want to watch the complete Event #4 replay you can access the official replay. For ongoing coverage of the series and points analysis, consult the news section. Players are already preparing for upcoming events; Palma, now the provisional leader, is positioned to add more points in the next tournaments.
"Palma added 104 points and moved to the head of the standings," reports the official PokerGO Tour coverage.
Zavorotnijs, Deng, Palma and the rest of the field will continue competing under the PokerGO Tour and the Poker Masters banner, with six events remaining that will decide who wins the coveted Purple Jacket at the end of the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and in which event did Nick Palma finish third to take the lead?
Nick Palma finished third in Event #4: $10K No-Limit Hold'em on Friday 16 October 2026. That result awarded him 104 points and moved him into first place on the Poker Masters leaderboard.
Who won Event #4 and what was the total prize pool?
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs won Event #4. The tournament recorded a total prize pool of $800,000 from 80 entries.
How many events remain and what does that mean for the Purple Jacket race?
Six events remain in the Poker Masters series. Although Palma leads after adding 104 points, he will need further results across those remaining events to secure the Purple Jacket.
What were the final-table placings in Event #4?
The final-table finishing order was: fifth Andrew Lichtenberger, fourth Jamie Dwan, third Nick Palma, second Clemen Deng and first Vitalijs Zavorotnijs.
Tags
About the author
Sofía Carrasco
Poker Correspondent
Sofía Carrasco covers live and online poker — tournament series from the WSOP and EPT to the daily room grind, promotions, and the industry moves behind them. The reports keep every score, pot, and player name exactly as the record shows, and follow the story past the final hand: who qualified, what the structure rewarded, and how the field is shifting. For player moves, software, and regulation across the poker economy, Sofía Carrasco is the first read.
More from Sofía Carrasco
