From 20,000 Chips to Champion: Justin Vaysman Completes a Stunning Poker Masters Event #6 Comeback

Last Updated on October 20, 2026 by Bala Kumar

Every tournament player has heard the old line about “a chip and a chair.” Justin Vaysman just proved it at the highest level. With five players left at the final table of Event #6 at the 2026 Poker Masters in Las Vegas, he had just 20,000 chips, a quarter of a big blind. A few hours later, he was holding the trophy and collecting $192,000.

It was the first title of its kind for the three-time bracelet winner, and one of the most remarkable comebacks of the poker year. Here’s how it happened, what the numbers say, and what everyday tournament players can learn from it.

Poker Masters Event #6 at a Glance

Event #6 was a $10,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament played over October 17–19, 2026. It attracted 64 entries and built a $640,000 prize pool, with the top 10 places paid.

Vaysman’s $192,000 first prize was 30% of the total prize pool and more than 18 times his buy-in. It was also the third-biggest score of his career. His larger results were $350,000 for finishing 25th in the 2024 Main Event and $257,400 for winning a $5,300 online six-max bracelet event. The Horsham, Pennsylvania player now has more than $2 million in career tournament earnings.

Final Table Results

The final seven earned a combined $576,000, or 90% of the prize pool. That’s typical of a high-roller field, where a final table is the only place where most of the money is won.

How the Day 1 Bubble Set the Stage

Vaysman built the stack he would later lose in dramatic fashion. On the money bubble, his pocket sevens held up against Adrian Mateos’ ace-queen and Robert Chorlian’s ace-six. That three-way pot eliminated two players at once and burst the bubble.

For Mateos, it was a strange week. He leads the overall series standings after a win and a runner-up finish, but this was also his fourth bubble in six events.

Michael Berk (10th), Andrew Lichtenberger (9th) and Cherish Andrews (8th) also cashed before the night ended. Seven players returned for the final day with very close chip counts:

Final Day Starting Chip Counts

Only 610,000 chips separated first place from seventh. With blinds starting at 20,000/40,000 and a 40,000 big blind ante, that gap was about 15 big blinds. Anyone could still win.

The Hand That Nearly Ended Justin Vaysman’s Tournament

Livschitz eliminated Laskowitz in seventh when her set of eights beat his pair of aces. She then knocked out Weissman in sixth when her ace-king held against his ace-four. Weissman, who won Event #3 for $218,400, now has four cashes in the series.

Livschitz briefly held a big chip lead, but Gregg cracked her pocket aces with pocket queens. Then came the hand that nearly ended Vaysman’s tournament.

With five players left, the action folded to Winter in the small blind. He raised to 660,000 with 8♦7♥. Vaysman, in the big blind with A♥9♦ and 680,000 chips, called, leaving himself only 20,000.

Both players checked through the board: Q♥ 10♣ 6♠ 5♥ 7♦. Winter’s eight-seven paired the seven on the river. Vaysman was left with 20,000 chips. At that level, the big blind was 80,000, so he had a quarter of one big blind.

Justin Vaysman’s Comeback, Step by Step

From 20,000 to 400,000 Chips

Vaysman won three all-ins in a row. Because big blind antes put extra chips into every pot, each win grew his stack quickly. Three hands later, he had about five big blinds.

Anthony Gregg Finishes Fifth

Gregg got his J♥J♦ all in against Winter’s Q♣J♣, and the Q♦J♠8♣ flop gave Gregg a set. But the 2♣ turn gave Winter a flush draw, and the 7♣ river completed it.

The Triple-Up That Changed Everything

Winter raised, and the two short stacks behind him, Wilson and Vaysman, moved all in. Vaysman had A♣9♣, Wilson had A♥K♠, and Winter had K♣3♥.

The board ran out 8♦ 6♣ 5♦ 7♣ 7♦, giving Vaysman a nine-high straight. His stack jumped to 2,050,000, about 100 times the 20,000 he had shortly before.

Brandon Wilson Finishes Fourth

Soon after, Wilson’s A♥2♦ was ahead of Vaysman’s J♦7♠ until the 9♦ 8♣ 4♦ 9♣ 10♦ board gave Vaysman a jack-high straight. It was Wilson’s 22nd final table of 2026.

Victoria Livschitz Finishes Third

Livschitz’s K♥J♦ ran into Winter’s K♠K♣, and the last king on the flop sealed it. Livschitz, a businesswoman with a competitive chess background, earned $86,400.

Heads-Up: Patience, Then One Brave Call

Vaysman started heads-up play facing roughly a 3-to-1 chip deficit, and it grew at first. He stayed alive by doubling up with ace-seven against Winter’s suited queen-six.

The turning point was a river decision. Winter moved all in as a bluff with only ten-high, and Vaysman called with second pair. That double-up gave Vaysman the chip lead for the first time.

The Final Hand

On the final hand, Vaysman limped from the button with 10♠9♥, and Winter checked with J♦3♦. The flop came 10♦ 9♦ 7♣, giving Vaysman top two pair and Winter a straight-and-flush draw. Vaysman bet 150,000, Winter check-raised to 700,000, and Vaysman called.

The K♥ turn missed Winter’s draws, but he moved all in for 2,975,000. Vaysman called. The 10♥ river gave Vaysman a full house and the title.

Winter earned $124,800 for second, his first cash of the series. He now has nearly $42 million in lifetime tournament earnings and leads this season’s high-roller tour standings with 1,975 points from 16 cashes.

What Recreational Players Can Learn From Vaysman’s Comeback

A Quarter of a Big Blind Isn’t Zero

Many players stop trying when they’re very short, but Vaysman kept playing. In any game with antes, every all-in competes for dead money already in the pot, so a tiny stack can grow surprisingly fast. Losing a pot can’t eliminate you if you never stop giving yourself chances to win the next one.

All-In Timing Matters More Than Waiting for Premium Cards

When you’re very short, the timing of your all-in matters more than your cards. Under 2–3 big blinds, folding usually costs more than going all in with a mediocre hand. Waiting for a premium hand while the blinds come around is often how short stacks bust. Vaysman’s triple-up came with ace-nine suited, not a monster.

Multi-Way All-Ins Can Multiply a Short Stack

A triple-up uses the same luck as a double-up but can grow your stack much faster. When a big stack raises and another short stack is already all in, there is extra dead money in the pot to win.

Tough Calls Can Win Titles

Calling off your tournament with second pair against a river shove is never comfortable. When you have a good reason to think your opponent is bluffing, though, being willing to make that call is often the difference between second and first place. On our poker blog, we cover more tournament strategy you can use in your own games.

Poker Masters 2026 Purple Jacket Race

Every Poker Masters event awards points toward the Purple Jacket, the series player-of-the-year prize. Vaysman’s 192 points lifted him to 231 total and fifth place. This was his second cash of the series, after finishing sixth in the opening event for $39,000.

Mateos still leads after winning Event #5 and finishing second in Event #2. Weissman is third with 300 points and $301,000 in series earnings.

Results From the First Six Events

Event #6 had the smallest field of the $10,500 events so far. Smaller fields at this level usually mean a tougher lineup, which makes Vaysman’s win even more impressive.

What’s Next at the 2026 Poker Masters?

The series runs until October 23 and has four events left, with bigger buy-ins and plenty of points still available.

With the standings this close and the biggest buy-ins still to come, the Purple Jacket race is wide open. Vaysman has already shown that one big score can change everything. Follow the rest of the series in our latest poker news.

The Bottom Line

Justin Vaysman’s Event #6 win was more than a lucky run. It showed the persistence, timing and courage that separate champions from everyone else. He went from 20,000 chips to $192,000 in one afternoon, and the reminder applies to every player: as long as you still have chips, you still have a chance.

Want to play your own tournaments online? Start with our GGPoker review 2026, or visit PokerClubGames for more news, reviews and strategy.

FAQs