Craig Mason Wins the 2026 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship
Step into the DojoFree poker against bots that learn. Earn your belt. Dojo Coin is play money.JOIN NOW
Original illustration for Superintelligence Poker. Not a likeness of any real person.
Quick answer: The World Poker Tour reported on Nov. 10, 2026 that Craig Mason won the $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship for $358,800, which includes a $10,400 seat in the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. He beat Matt Affleck heads-up after the final three players agreed to adjusted payouts. The event drew 510 entries and a $2,346,000 prize pool.
A first WPT title at The Venetian
The championship ran Nov. 5–10 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, during a festival the tour said continues through Nov. 15. WPT's official release put the field at 510 entries across three starting flights, with the prize pool clearing a $2 million guarantee. The top 64 finishers were paid, with a $9,200 minimum cash.
Mason's first-place prize is his first World Poker Tour title, and WPT said his name will go on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup. In the same release, Mason said, "It means everything. I'm trying not to cry right now, but this is a dream." WPT CEO Adam Pliska congratulated him and thanked the Venetian team.
PokerNews, writing the next day, said Mason is a WSOP Circuit and PokerGO Tour champion who entered the six-handed final table with the fifth-smallest stack, just ahead of Anthony Piacquadio. Piacquadio finished sixth for $88,000.
The final table, then a three-way deal
The official payouts, after the three-way adjustment WPT recorded, were:
- 1st: Craig Mason — $358,800 (includes the $10,400 World Championship seat)
- 2nd: Matt Affleck — $301,000
- 3rd: Daniyal Gheba — $276,000
- 4th: Nick Pupillo — $155,000
- 5th: Nick Yunis — $117,000
- 6th: Anthony Piacquadio — $88,000
PokerNews described the path there. Mason doubled through Nick Yunis, a former WPT bestbet Scramble champion, who then finished fifth. Bracelet winner Nick Pupillo busted fourth after losing a 60/40 to Mason. Mason held about a 2-to-1 lead when three-handed play began, but Affleck and Gheba closed the gap, and Gheba briefly took a big chip lead. Gheba then got in with J-8 against Mason's Q-8 and finished third for $276,000.
Heads-up, PokerNews said Mason started with nearly a 2-to-1 advantage, then Affleck seized the lead over about 20 hands. The final hand, per that account, came when Affleck moved all in on a 9-6-3 flop with A-Q and Mason called with J-9. Mason's pair held. Those hole-card details come from PokerNews, not from WPT's official release.
The sensei is waitingTrain against superintelligent bots. Free account, play money only. Dojo Coin is play money.JOIN NOW
WPT also listed several notable cashes deeper in the field, including Phil Hellmuth in 20th, Jesse Lonis in 27th, Landon Tice in 28th, and WPT champions Asher Conniff (40th) and John Phan (46th).
What the win adds to his résumé
PokerNews, citing The Hendon Mob, said Mason now has more than $3.5 million in live tournament cashes. That live-earnings figure was not repeated in the WPT release.
The $10,400 seat sends him to the Season 24 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, scheduled for Dec. 13–20. The published $358,800 already includes that entry; it is not an extra prize on top of first place.
There is no secret "Mason method" in one final table. The official record is a mid-field start, a deal, and a heads-up call that held. Players who want a place to practice those late-tournament decisions can do so on Superintelligencepoker.com.
For more poker news and tournament coverage, see PokerGO Tour titles, no-limit hold'em strategy, and SPR basics. Browse the Superintelligence Poker blog for more.
FAQ
Who won the 2026 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship?
Craig Mason. The World Poker Tour announced the result on Nov. 10, 2026. He defeated Matt Affleck heads-up.
How much did he win, and does that include the World Championship seat?
WPT listed $358,800 for first place and said that figure includes a $10,400 entry into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December.
How big was the field?
510 entries and a $2,346,000 prize pool, according to WPT, above a $2 million guarantee. Sixty-four places were paid.
Was there a deal?
Yes. WPT said the final three players agreed to adjusted payouts. The official published amounts are $358,800, $301,000, and $276,000 for first through third.
Sources
1. World Poker Tour, "Craig Mason Wins WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship for $358,800," Nov. 10, 2026: https://www.worldpokertour.com/press-release/craig-mason-wins-wpt-venetian-las-vegas-fall-championship-for-358800
2. World Poker Tour, Season 2026 results (Mason, $358,800; $5,000 buy-in; Nov. 5–10): https://www.worldpokertour.com/event/results
3. PokerNews, "Craig Mason Wins WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship After Three-Way Chop," Nov. 11, 2026: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/11/craig-mason-wins-wpt-venetian-52786.htm
Ready to take a seat?Join free and put what you just read to work at the tables. Dojo Coin is play money.JOIN NOW