The WSOP marked the end to its 2017 campaign with its no-limit Texas Hold’em main event. New Jersey native Scott Blumstein defeated Pennsylvania’s Daniel Ott on the 246th hand of the final table. The final two players had more than 60 hands between them with a total of $8.1 million and a coveted WSOP golden bracelet on the line.
25-year-old Blumstein spoke of his enjoyment with his performance on the night, saying that everything came together in his favor. His winning hand consisted of an ace of hearts and two of diamonds, with the river sporting a jack of spades, six of spades, five of hearts, seven of hearts and a two of hearts. The last card put him in position to win the entire tournament. All of his supporting friends and family burst out into cheering when that two of hearts came down the river. Blumstein fell to his knees in front of them in awe of what happened.
A total of 9 players reached the final table in the WSOP main event. 9 players that beat out over 7,200 contestants in previous rounds. Each player at the final table was guaranteed at least $1 million, so technically everyone left a winner. This year was the first time the final table contestants did not have to wait until November to play out the last round of the tournament.
The WSOP is one of the most famous poker outfits in the world. This year’s events saw over 120,000 entrants from international countries, shattering the previous attendance records. The United States, Argentina, France and Britain all had representatives at the final table. Frenchman Benjamin Pollack was eliminated in third place.
Ott took home $4.7 million. Both he and Blumstein had no WSOP main event experience, which shows something of their abilities. While upset he did not come out on top, Ott says he is happy with his overall performance. He managed to finish second in the third largest main event in history.
Blumstein graduated from Temple University with a degree in Accounting. He gained his poker skill and experience through New Jersey’s online poker platform. This is certainly an advantage bestowed upon NJ residents, as their state is one of few to host legal and regulated online poker and residents also have access to a variety of legally sanctioned offshore poker sites that accept US players as well. Through the state’s online poker platform, Blumstein was able to see a multitude of hands and practice what to do in each scenario. Even though he practiced online, his total live winnings prior to the WSOP main event were just north of $300,000. His victory at the WSOP main event not only gives his total live winnings a considerable jump, but also the highly regarded golden bracelet that cements him as a legitimate player.
What is Blumstein planning on doing with his winnings? He says he is going to take a break from poker for a while, and with $8.1 million in the bank, he can do just about anything he wants. Expect to see him some more in the live poker circuit, but he has earned a well-deserved break from the game.