WSOP Main Event Champions 2012-14: Merson, Riess, Jacobson

Main Event Winners 2012-14

As the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) inches closer, PokerNews is looking back at all the past WSOP Main Event champions since the turn of the century.

While previous installments of this series have focused on the likes of 2000-02 winners Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortensen and Robert Varkonyi or 2003-05 winners Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem, this installment will look at 2012-14 champions Greg Merson, Ryan Riess and Martin Jacobson.

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Greg Merson: 2012 Main Event Champion ($8,531,853)

Greg Merson
Greg Merson

At 24 years old, Greg Merson took down the 2012 Main Event for $8,531,853 after battling through a field of 6,598 players. It wasn't even the first seven-figure score of the year for Merson, who had earned his first bracelet earlier in the series when he took down the $10,000 six-handed no-limit hold'em event for $1.1 million.

Merson, a Maryland resident who had about a dozen cashes heading into the Main Event, battled through a final table that lasted 398 hands, making it the longest-ever at the WSOP up to that point. Merson's opponents at the final table included high-stakes pro Jeremy Ausmus (5th - $2,155,313), Hungary's Andras Koroknai (6th - $1,640,902) and 21-year old Jake Balsiger (3rd - $3,799,073), who was looking to become the youngest Main Event champion in history.

Balsiger bowed out in third when he three-bet shoved his short stack with queen-ten, only to be called by the dominating king-queen of Merson. The runout of 666J5 didn't help the Balsiger and he was eliminated to begin a heads-up battle between Merson and 26-year-old Jesse Sylvia.

In the final hand of the tournament, Merson had about a two-to-one chip lead and opened to four million with K5. Sylvia looked down at QJ in the big blind and three-bet to 9.5 million.

Merson, sitting quietly behind a pair of aviators, announced a four-bet all-in with Sylvia covered. Sylvia sighed and shuffled his chips before putting in his remaining 60 million. Cameras panned to Vanessa Selbst on Sylvia's rail, who did not look happy with the way the hand went down.

The flop of 639 was no help to Sylvia and the 6 on the turn didn't change things. Sylvia was drawing to just a queen or a jack before the 7 bricked off on the river and Merson became the 2012 champion. The victory made Merson the first player since Chris Ferguson in 2000 to win a preliminary bracelet and the Main Event in the same year and propelled him over Phil Hellmuth to be the 2012 WSOP Player of the Year.

2012 Main Event Final Table Results

 PLACEPLAYERCOUNTRYPRIZE
 1Greg MersonUnited States$8,531,853
 2Jesse SylviaUnited States$5,295,149
 3Jake BalsigerUnited States$3,799,073
 4Russell ThomasUnited States$2,851,537
 5Jeremy AusmusUnited States$2,155,313
 6Andras KoroknaiHungary$1,640,902
 7Michael EspositoUnited States$1,258,040
 8Robert SalaburuUnited States$971,360
 9Steve GeeUnited States$754,798

Road to Recovery

Merson's Main Event victory and earlier bracelet win would be incredible feats for any poker player. But Merson's 2012 run was particularly amazing as it occurred while he was 11 months sober from an earlier drug relapse after his online poker career was stripped away on Black Friday.

Merson's two victories at the 2012 WSOP remain his biggest cashes to date, though he had a near-seven-figure score in 2014 when he finished second in the $25,000 buy-in PokerStars Carribbean Adventure No-Limit Hold'em High Roller for $948,996. The next year, Merson finished fourth in the WSOP Event #2: No-Limit Hold'em for $152,126.

All said and done, Merson currently has $11.4 million in live tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, showing that his incredible run in 2012 wasn't just a fluke.

Merson sits second on Maryland's all-time money list, behind Anthony Gregg with just under $12 million. Another big score at the World Series could push Merson ahead as the all-time money money leader of the Old Line State.

Greg Merson's Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win

 DATEBUY-INEVENTPLACEPRIZE
 January 2014$25,000PokerStars Carribbean Adventure No Limit Hold'em High Roller2nd$948,996
 May 2015$5,000WSOP Event #2: No Limit Hold'em4th$152,126
 January 2016$25,000PokerStars Caribbean Adventure No Limit Hold'em - High Roller13th$88,020
 June 2015$10,000WSOP Event #15: Pot Limit Hold'em Championship5th$79,182
 September 2015$3,200World Poker Tour Maryland Main Event4th$78,449

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Ryan Riess: 2013 Main Event Champion ($8,361,570)

Ryan Riess
Ryan Riess

Ryan Riess emerged as the 2013 Main Event champion to win $8,361,570, just shy of what Merson earned for his victory the previous year.

The 23-year-old Riess, a resident of Michigan, became the 45th Main Event champion after getting through a field of 6,352 and battling at a final table with Sylvain Loosli (4th - $2,792,533), two-time bracelet winner JC Tran (5th - $2,106,893) and David Benefield (8th - $944,650).

Riess entered heads-up play against runner-up Jay Farber with a chip deficit, though Riess was able to battle and pick up pots to take the lead. Farber was almost sent home when he got it in with a straight draw to the top pair of Riess, but a gin turn card extended his Main Event life.

In the final hand, Riess opened to 2.5 million holding AK and Farber moved all-in for 14 million with Q5. Riess snap-called with his Big Slick and both players headed to their rails for support and hyping up.

The flop came 4J10 to take away Farber's queen outs as Riess picked up a broadway draw. The 3 on the turn was a brick and Riess had tears in his eyes before the 4 peeled off on the river to seal him the victory.

"I've been dreaming about this for a long time," Riess said after the win. "Ever since I was 14 and saw [Chris] Moneymaker win it. I just had a great feeling about it."

2013 Main Event Final Table Results

 PLACEPLAYERCOUNTRYPRIZE
 1Ryan RiessUnited States$8,361,570
 2Jay FarberUnited States$5,174,357
 3Amir LehavotIsrael$3,727,823
 4Sylvain LoosliFrance$2,792,533
 5JC TranUnited States$2,106,893
 6Marc-Etienne McLaughlinCanada$1,601,024
 7Michiel BrummelhuisNetherlands$1,225,356
 8David BenefieldUnited States$944,650
 9Mark NewhouseUnited States$733,224

Continued Poker Success

While Riess has yet to win another WSOP bracelet or take home another seven-figure score, he has managed to rack up $6.8 million in tournament winnings in addition to the $8.4 million he won in the Main Event, according to The Hendon Mob.

Riess' second biggest score came in 2017 when he took down the $10,000 buy-in WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Finale for $716,088, giving himself a WPT title to add to his poker accolades.

In 2019, Riess finished second in the a $50,000 buy-in US Poker Open No-Limit Hold'em event for $492,000, his third biggest score to date. Riess has also done quite well on the European circuit, including a fourth-place finish in the 2018 WSOPE Main Event for €337,778.

Riess had a few deep runs during the 2021 WSOP but wasn't able to win another bracelet. He could do so if he plays an active schedule at the 2022 WSOP.

Ryan Riess' Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win

 DATEBUY-INEVENTPLACEPRIZE
 April 2017$10,000WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Finale1st$716,088
 February 2019$50,000US Poker Open Event #9: No-Limit Hold'em2nd$492,000
 August 2018€50,000European Poker Tour Barcelona Event #17: No-Limit Hold'em4th€344,700
 October 2018€10,000WSOPE Main Event4th€337,778
 December 201725500PokerStars Prague Event #21: No-Limit Hold'em2nd€278,475

Martin Jacobson: 2014 Main Event Champion ($10,000,000)

Martin Jacobson
Martin Jacobson

Martin Jacobson defied all odds when he took down the 2014 Main Event for $10 million. He had never won a major live tournament, he had entered the final table as a short stack and no player from Sweden had ever won the WSOP Main Event.

Amazingly, Jacobson was able to take down the event and make history in the process. The Swedish player naviaged through a field of 6,683 entrants and a final table that included fellow northern Europeans Felix Vincent Stephensen of Norway ($5,147,911) and Jorryt van Hoof of the Netherlands.

Jacobson entered heads-up play with 142 million chips to Stephensen's 58.5 million, a significant chip advantage over his Norwegian opponent. In the final hand, Stephensen opened to 3.5 million with A9 and Jacobson moved all-in in the big blind with 1010. Stephensen quickly called as the effective stack.

Jacobson was ahead with his pocket pair and the flop came 3910 to give him a set and have Stephensen drawing practically dead. The K on the turn sealed the victory for Jacobson before the 4 came on the river.

Jacobson had started Day 1a as chip leader and, after the victory, became the first player since Joe Cada in 2009 to go from beginning chip leader to champion.

2014 Main Event Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Martin JacobsonSweden$10,000,000
2Felix StephensenNorway$5,145,968
3Jorryt van HoofNetherlands$3,806,402
4William TonkingUnited States$2,848,833
5Billy PappasUnited States$2,143,174
6Andoni LarrabeSpain$1,622,080
7Dan SindelarUnited States$1,235,862
8Bruno PolitanoBrazil$947,077
9Mark NewhouseUnited States$730,725

Still Crushing

Jacobson has yet to win another WSOP bracelet yet, but he has racked up a total of $17.1 million in live earnings throughout his career, according to The Hendon Mob.

Jacobson had his second-biggest live score to date the year before the $111,111 One Drop High Roller at the 2013 WSOP, where he finished in sixth for $807,427.

Since his eight-figure score in the Main Event, Jacobson has had a number of large six-figure cashes, including a sixth-place finish in the 2017 WSOP High Roller for One Drop for $641,382 and a runner-up finish in a 2018 Card Player Poker Tour Deep Stack Extravaganza II event for $398,303.

The Swedish pro's last cash came in the 2022 WPTDeepStacks Sydney Main Event in April, where he finished in 186th-place for $2,073.

Martin Jacobson's Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win

 DATEBUY-INEVENTPLACEPRIZE
 June 2017$111,111WSOP Event #6: High Roller for One Drop6th$641,382
 July 2017$5,000Card Player Poker Tour Deep Stack Extravaganza III Event #1032nd$398,303
 June 2018$2,620WSOP Event #24: The Marathon5th$155,062
 May 2015€25,000EPT Monte Carlo Event #61: High Roller10th€96,300
 October 2019C$3,000WPT Montreal Main Event6thC$110,000
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