“The world is yours.”
Those four words from Scarface could just as easily be the motto of Nicholas Palma, better known to the poker world as Nicky P. And the reference is no coincidence. The New Yorker was sporting a Scarface T-shirt throughout his run to the 2026 Poker Masters Event #2: $10,500 NLH title.
Much like Tony Montana, Palma isn’t one for keeping a low profile. He wears his heart on his sleeve, is loud, brash, in your face and never short of confidence. Whether he’s celebrating a big pot or telling the world’s best players exactly what he thinks, Palma is rarely one to go unnoticed at the poker table.
But behind that larger-than-life personality is a player who has dedicated himself to becoming one of poker’s elite. And after defeating Adrian Mateos heads-up, he has another result to back up his ambitions.
Palma topped a field of 84 entries at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, collecting $235,200 and his first PokerGO Tour title. It wasn’t the biggest payday of his career, but in his eyes, it was comfortably the most important.
And for all the bravado, Palma was remarkably gracious in victory, saving some of his highest praise for the man he’d just beaten.
Event #2: $10,500 NLH Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Palma | United States | $235,200 |
| 2 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | $151,200 |
| 3 | Michael Berk | United States | $109,200 |
| 4 | David Coleman | United States | $79,800 |
| 5 | Nicholas Seward | United States | $58,600 |
| 6 | Christopher Par | United States | $42,000 |
| 7 | Sam Laskowitz | United States | $33,600 |
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“There Was Never a Doubt in My Mind”
Confidence has never been an issue for Palma, and even with one of the most accomplished tournament players in poker history standing between him and the trophy, the 37-year-old never doubted the outcome.
“They weren’t going to take it from me this time,” he said. “In poker, you take bad beats and everything, but this time I wasn’t going to allow them to take it from me. I was going to do whatever I had to do, and there was never a doubt in my mind that I was going to beat him.”
“We’re both competitors. He’s obviously a legend, but I’m a great player in my own right. I just have the confidence, and I knew I was going to win.”
It’s the sort of statement you’d expect from Nicky P, but his recent results suggest there’s plenty of substance behind the talk.
Palma has enjoyed one of the strongest stretches of his career over the past 12 months, and he’s setting his sights considerably higher. He wants to finish 2026 among the top ten in the Player of the Year race and break into the top 20 of the Global Poker Index rankings.
“I plan on being a top 10 player in this game for the next 10 to 15 years,” he said. “And I’m not just saying that. I’m going to put the work in to do it.”
“I just play poker, sleep, play poker and sleep. You don’t just wake up and do that. You have to put the work in, and I’m just going to keep working.”
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Final Day Action
The opening level was something of a stalemate, but the tournament was turned on its head as soon as the blinds increased for the first time.
David Coleman got things moving with an audacious four-bet bluff on the flop with seven-high, forcing Berk to fold Big Slick. Nicholas Seward then moved into the chip lead after doubling through Palma with pocket aces against ace-king, only for Palma to pick up aces of his own and double through Mateos.
Michael Berk won a big flip against Coleman before Mateos reclaimed the chip lead from Seward, with his pocket aces holding against ace-queen.
Seward soon found himself back at the bottom of the counts after mistiming a bluff against Berk, who was sitting on the second-nut flush. His situation went from bad to worse when a pot against Mateos left him with just a single chip, which Coleman collected on the following hand.
Coleman, a close friend and mentor of Seward, was next to depart in fourth place. His queen-ten couldn’t overcome Berk’s ace-ten after the chips went in preflop.
Palma began to take control during three-handed play, winning a huge pot against Berk, who turned two pair into a bluff with a hefty river raise. Unfortunately for the former IT help desk professional, Palma had the nuts and responded with a shove, forcing Berk to fold and surrender a sizeable chunk of his stack.
Just a couple of hands later, Berk shoved his remaining 17 big blinds with queen-jack, but ran straight into Mateos’ ace-king. The better hand held, sending Berk to the rail and setting up the heads-up showdown.
Mateos and Palma battled for an age, with Mateos making up ground before Palma pulled away again. On the first all-in and call, Mateos doubled with aces against sixes but that lead lasted a minute as Palma laid a trap with ace-jack. Mateos shoved with a weaker ace and saw a 9.4 million chip pot go to Palma.
Mateos started a comeback with two doubles when short, but Palma ultimately closed it out to taste victory on one of poker’s biggest stages.
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“I Come From Nothing”
For all his talk about rankings, titles and becoming one of the best players in the world, Palma’s motivation goes much deeper than poker.
Palma pointed to his New York upbringing and the personal losses he suffered earlier in life in what drives him through each day.
“One, I’m a New Yorker, and two, I just come from nothing,” Palma explained.
“I lost a lot of my family when I was younger, and I just want to have my family name live on forever. I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can.”
“When you work as hard as you possibly can, you can sleep good at night because when you give your all, nothing else matters.”
It’s a side of Palma that can sometimes get lost behind the table talk and animated celebrations. His personality might divide opinion, but his commitment to the game is difficult to question.
“I want to be the best ever, or try to be. There’s many great and talented people, but I know if I put the work in, and I just turned 37, I’m still young.”
“If I keep doing this for 10 or 15 years, I don’t know if I’ll be the best, but I’m going to work my best to be the best.”
Before wrapping up his interview, Palma made sure to acknowledge two of the most important people in his life.
“I want to say I love you to my mom Rosemary and my nephew Bobby, and thank you to everyone who roots for me.”
“I’m just trying to be an example of if you work really hard, you could literally do anything in this life. I know it’s a cliché saying, but it’s actually true.”
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The Purple Jacket Is Next on Nicky P’s List
Palma barely had time to celebrate before turning his attention to the next tournament. With Event #3: $10,500 NLH already underway, the newly crowned champion was eager to get straight back into the action as there’s another prize on his mind.
Standing beside the Poker Masters Purple Jacket during his winner’s interview, Palma made it clear he has every intention of adding it to his wardrobe.
“I’ve had my eyes on this jacket for the last few months. I’ve been looking forward to this series, and I plan on winning another tournament, getting another top two or three, and I plan on wearing the jacket.”
He’s even got a celebration planned if he manages to pull it off.
“I’ll go to the bar one time with it. Only one time, though.”
With his first PokerGO Tour title in the bag, Palma has made a fine start to his Purple Jacket campaign. And if Nicky P gets his way, this won’t be the last time he’s celebrating at the PokerGO Studio this week.
Photo Credit: PokerGO
Calum Grant
Senior Editor & Live Events Executive