David Coleman, last year’s GPI Player of the Year, secured the opening event title
The 2025 Poker Masters series is underway at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, and the first Purple Jacket points have already been claimed. David Coleman, last year’s GPI Player of the Year, secured the opening event title along with a $270,000 payday, marking a strong start to the prestigious high-stakes series.
This year’s kickoff event came with a twist, offering a multi-flight structure that allowed satellite qualifiers a shot at competing on one of poker’s biggest stages. Two of those qualifiers, Jim Agate and Doug Lee, managed to reach the final table, locking up a $40,000 minimum cash before bowing out in seventh and sixth place, respectively. Their runs highlighted the new format’s ability to bring fresh faces into the mix.
Andrew Ostapchenko began the final day as chip leader and used his stack to pressure opponents early, at one point controlling nearly half of the chips in play. But momentum quickly shifted after he lost consecutive double-ups to Stephen Song and Spencer Champlin. Coleman capitalized, eliminating Champlin in fifth and later taking control with a big hand against Song, where his flopped flush cracked pocket kings.
Mitchell Halverson also surged late, overtaking the chip lead when his pocket deuces spiked a set against Ostapchenko’s jacks. Still, Coleman steadied himself, eliminating Ostapchenko in third place after his pocket tens held against king-queen. That left him with a commanding three-to-one chip lead going into heads-up play.
The final hand came when Coleman’s queen-ten suited held up against Halverson’s pocket fives, sealing the victory and putting him in early contention for the coveted Purple Jacket. With nine more events scheduled over the next two weeks, Coleman’s win sets the tone for a competitive series where consistency and points matter just as much as prize money.
