The Latest: New champion happy but 'pretty tired of poker'
By Associated Press
Jul 23, 2017 3:09 AM CDT
Dan Ott competes at the World Series of Poker main event, Saturday, July 22, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)   (Associated Press)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on the no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event in Las Vegas (all times local):

1:05 a.m.

A New Jersey man who just became this year's World Series of Poker champion and pocketed more than $8.1 million says he's "really happy" with how he played but he's "pretty tired of poker at this point."

Rookie Scott Blumstein won the series' marquee no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event early Sunday in Las Vegas. He eliminated another poker main event rookie, Daniel Ott, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, on the 246th hand of the final table.

Blumstein's ace of hearts and two of diamonds were stronger than Ott's hand.

Blumstein says he had to "battle pretty deep" and he's "really happy with the result."

Late Saturday night, Frenchman Benjamin Pollak was eliminated in third place.

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12:20 a.m.

New Jersey's Scott Blumstein is this year's World Series of Poker champion.

The 25-year-old won the series' marquee no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event early Sunday in Las Vegas. He's now more than $8.1 million richer.

Blumstein is from Brigantine, New Jersey. He eliminated another poker main event rookie, Daniel Ott, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, on the 246th hand of the final table.

Blumstein's ace of hearts and two of diamonds were stronger than Ott's hand.

Ott went all in with ace of diamonds and eight of diamonds. The community cards were a jack of spades, a six of spades, a five of hearts, a seven of hearts and a two of hearts.

Blumstein is also taking home a gold bracelet made from white and yellow gold and diamonds and rubies.

Earlier Saturday, Frenchman Benjamin Pollak was eliminated in third place.

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9 p.m.

Poker pro Benjamin Pollak has gone out in third place at the no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event of the World Series of Poker

The Frenchman was eliminated Saturday, the third day of play at the final table. He leaves the premier tournament with $3.5 million.

He started the day with over 45 million chips and put his last 35.6 million on the line on queen of clubs and 10 of diamonds. But the chip leader of the final table had the strongest hand out of the three remaining players.

Scott Blumstein of Brigantine, New Jersey, increased his chip count to more than 232 million with his ace of hearts and queen of spades. Meanwhile, Daniel Ott of Altoona, Pennsylvania, reached a 128 million chip count with king of clubs and nine of diamonds.

The community cards laid out on the table were jack of spades, three of diamonds, king of diamonds, four of clubs and six of spades.

Blumstein and Ott are vying for a grand prize of over $8.1 million.

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7:50 p.m.

An accounting error paused play for a few minutes at the final table of the no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Organizers were forced to recount chips Saturday after a hand in which Daniel Ott doubled up to almost 70 million, while Benjamin Pollak dropped to about 23.3 million. But Pollak did not have that amount of chips in front of him after the hand.

Series spokesman Seth Palansky says 10 million chips were miscounted. He says the dealer had pulled chips from Pollak's stack, but he was unaware and ended up paying Ott, too.

Chips have no monetary value in the tournament. Each player will have to lose all his chips before he is eliminated from the final table.

Pollak, Ott and Scott Blumstein are the three remaining players vying for a grand prize of more than $8.1 million.

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5:42 p.m.

The marquee no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event of the World Series of Poker is down to the final three players vying for the top prize of more than $8.1 million.

Rookie Scott Blumstein is arriving at the table Saturday as the chip leader. The 25-year-old resident of Brigantine, New Jersey, has more than 226 million chips.

The players, who bested more than 7,200 others, at this point are guaranteed $3.5 million. The champion also will receive a gold bracelet made from white and yellow gold and diamonds and rubies.

Blumstein will be joined at the table by Daniel Ott of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Frenchman Benjamin Pollak.

The 25-year-old Ott has more than 88 million chips, while 34-year-old Pollak is starting Saturday with over 45 million chips.

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