Zavorotnijs Wins Poker Masters Event #4
Vitalijs Zavorotnijs won Poker Masters 2026 Event #4 for $224,000 and his second PGT title after a full house over full house cooler against Clemen Deng.
The fourth tournament of the Poker Masters 2026 autumn series at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas has a champion. Latvia's Vitalijs Zavorotnijs beat Clemen Deng in a dramatic finish to win his second PokerGO Tour (PGT) title and a top prize of $224,000.
Event #4 Overview
- Buy-in: $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em
- Entries: 80
- Prize pool: $800,000
- Places paid: 12
- Winner: Vitalijs Zavorotnijs (Latvia), $224,000
- Runner-up: Clemen Deng (USA), $144,000
One unusual note came on the money bubble. Adrian Mateos was eliminated right on the bubble, his third bubble finish in four tournaments of the series.
The Final Day
Five players returned for the final day, with Zavorotnijs leading the way as chip leader. Andrew "Lucky Chewy" Lichtenberger was the first to leave the final table in 5th place. British WSOP bracelet holder Jamie Dwan followed in 4th place. Both were eliminated by Clemen Deng, who built momentum heading toward heads-up play.
Nick Palma Chases a Second Title
Nicholas "Nicky P" Palma, who had won Event #2 of the series just days earlier, was trying to add a second trophy. His run ended in 3rd place when his all-in with Ks Jc ran into a full house held by Zavorotnijs with 7s 7c.
Palma still came away with plenty to show for it. His 104 PGT points moved him to the top of the overall Poker Masters leaderboard. With 339 points and $339,200 in series earnings, he sits in a strong position in the race for the Purple Jacket, the award given to the series leaderboard winner.
A Brutal Cooler to Finish
The heads-up match between Zavorotnijs and Deng ended in spectacular fashion. With the board reading 4s Qs Jd 4c 8c, Deng moved all in, and Zavorotnijs called quickly.
The Hands
- Clemen Deng: Jc 4d, a full house, fours full of jacks
- Vitalijs Zavorotnijs: Qd 4h, a higher full house, fours full of queens
Both players had made full houses, but Zavorotnijs held the bigger one. The cooler ended the tournament instantly and sealed the title for the Latvian pro.
Final Results: Event #4 $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em
- 1st: Vitalijs Zavorotnijs (Latvia) $224,000
- 2nd: Clemen Deng (USA) $144,000
- 3rd: Nicholas Palma (USA) $104,000
- 4th: Jamie Dwan (United Kingdom) $76,000
- 5th: Andrew Lichtenberger (USA) $56,000
- 6th: Erik Seidel (USA) $40,000
- 7th: Sam Laskowitz (USA) $32,000
- 8th: Jeremy Ausmus (USA) $32,000
- 9th: Joey Weissman (USA) $24,000
- 10th: Chris Hunichen (USA) $24,000
- 11th: Neil Warren (USA) $24,000
- 12th: John Krpan (Canada) $20,000
The Leaderboard Race
With four events complete, the battle for the Purple Jacket is heating up. Palma leads after a win and a 3rd-place finish, while Zavorotnijs adds a second PGT title to his record. The remaining events of the series will decide who finishes on top.
FAQ
- Vitalijs Zavorotnijs of Latvia won the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em event for $224,000, his second PGT title.