David Coleman Wins Poker Masters $1M Showcase Opener
Summary:
- David Coleman topped 239 players in the $5,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em event during the 225 Poker Maskers series to claim $270,000.
- He now leads the Poker Masters Purple Jacket race, awarded to the series champion.
- Andrew Ostapchenko finished third, while Mitchell Halverson was runner-up for $185,000.
The 2025 Poker Masters series got off to a high-stakes start in Las Vegas, and it was David Coleman who made the first big statement. The American poker player has $9,034,487 in total live earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, ruled over a field of 239 players in the debut $1,000,000 Showcase at the PokerGO Studio.
His victory in the $5,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em event not only brought him a prize of $270,000, but also an early lead in the race for the Purple Jacket. The latter is given to the best performer across all 10 events, and it represents one of the most sought-after prizes on the high roller calendar.
Jim Collopy, last year’s Poker Masters champion, holds the title of defending jacket winner.
Heated Final Table Action
Coleman began the final table second in chips, just behind California pro Andrew Ostapchenko. From the outset, Ostapchenko applied pressure, leveraging his big stack to build a comfortable advantage.
Early on, Jim Agate’s attempt at a double-up ended in defeat against Mitchell Halverson, sending Agate out in seventh for $40,000. Soon after, Ostapchenko tightened his grip on the lead when his pocket kings outlasted Doug Lee’s smaller pair, knocking the PGT satellite qualifier out in sixth place for $49,000.
However, tournament momentum can swing quickly. While Spencer Champlin fell in fifth ($60,000) at the hands of Coleman, it was Stephen Song who took over the chip lead by dragging a big pot from Ostapchenko.
Song looked poised to run deep but suffered a brutal beat when his pocket kings couldn’t hold against Coleman’s ace-eight of diamonds. The flop brought three diamonds, leaving Song drawing thin, and he was eliminated in fourth for $75,000.
That poker hand catapulted Coleman into a commanding position. Ostapchenko briefly clawed back, doubling with king-queen against Coleman’s ace-three, but his comeback was short-lived. Coleman sent him to the rail in third for $120,000, setting up a heads-up battle with Halverson.
Although Halverson managed to chip up, Coleman’s lead proved insurmountable. A lost race sealed Halverson’s fate, and he bowed out in second place for $185,000. Coleman collected $270,000 for the victory.
Halverson didn’t leave empty-handed. By the end of the night, he had already reached the final table of Event #2 and secured at least another $26,000, with a chance to contend for $157,000 and his own push toward the Purple Jacket.
