New Poker World Champ Is a Rookie, 'Pretty Tired of Poker'

Scott Blumstein is $8.1M richer after winning grueling World Series of Poker
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 23, 2017 7:33 AM CDT
New Poker World Champ Is a Rookie, 'Pretty Tired of Poker'
Dan Ott competes at the World Series of Poker main event, Saturday, July 22, 2017, in Las Vegas.    (John Locher)

A New Jersey man with an accounting degree is this year's World Series of Poker champion. Scott Blumstein won the series' marquee no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event early Sunday in Las Vegas surrounded by dozens of relatives and college friends. He is now more than $8.1 million richer after eliminating Pennsylvania's Daniel Ott on the 246th hand of the final table, more than 60 hands with just the two of them with bricks of bills and a gold bracelet separating them. "I'm really happy about how I played tonight," said Blumstein, who's 25. Blumstein's final hand of an ace of hearts and a two of diamonds ended up being stronger than that of Ott, who went all in with an ace of diamonds and an 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. The last card that prompted Blumstein's supporters to erupt.

"I'm really happy with the result, really happy with the deuce because I was playing good, but I'm pretty tired of poker at this point honestly, and to have to go back and battle pretty deep again, I wasn't looking forward to it," said Blumstein, who fell to his knees after the two of hearts was revealed. Blumstein, Ott, and seven other players reached the final table after having bested more than 7,200 participants, notes the AP. Each was guaranteed at least $1 million. Ott earned $4.7 million. Neither he nor Blumstein had previously played at the main event. Blumstein, a Temple University grad, is a regular on New Jersey online poker sites but had never cashed in the World Series of Poker. His total live winnings stood at more than $300,000 before Sunday. Besides his multimillion-dollar payout, he also took home a bracelet made from white and yellow gold, diamonds, and rubies. (More World Series of Poker stories.)

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