WSOP Main Event Champions 2015-17: McKeehen, Nguyen, Blumstein
With the 2023 World Series of Poker just around the corner, PokerNews is continuing to look at past WSOP Main Event champions and what they've been up to since winning poker's big one.
Our last installment of the series looked at the winners from 2012-2014, with this edition focusing on Joe McKeehen, Qui Nguyen and Scott Blumstein, who all triumphed in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
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Joe McKeehen: 2015 Main Event Champion ($7,683,346)
Entries | Prize Pool | Places Paid | Min-Cash |
---|---|---|---|
6,420 | $60,348,000 | 1,000 | $15,000 |
It took just 184 hands for the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table to conclude, with McKeehen dominating, knocking out five players. He also famously despatched Daniel Negreanu in 11th place after rivering Broadway against KidPoker's flopped pair of aces.
He entered the final table with over double the chips of his next closest competitor, advanced to six-handed play with 2.81 times second place, and then entered the three-handed finale with 3.21 times more than second place in his arsenal. Not only that, but when anyone tried to play back at McKeehen, he either had the goods or made solid decisions that allowed him to keep up his dominance.
On the first day of the final table, McKeehen knocked out the first three players. That helped propel him from his starting stack of 63.1 million to 91.35 million, and it was much more of the same on the second day, just sans the three eliminations. On the Monday session, McKeehen only took out one player, and that was Max Steinberg in fourth place to end the day. After starting with 91.35 million, McKeehen increased to 128.825 million.
Heading into the final day, it certainly looked as though McKeehen would win, and both Josh Beckley and Neil Blumenfield were playing for second. After starting the day second in chips, Blumenfield ran a bluff against McKeehen, putting the chip leader in a tough spot on the river. McKeehen made the call with top pair and knocked Blumenfield to the bottom of the trio. Not long after, McKeehen made it to heads-up after finishing off Blumenfeld.
The battle between McKeehen and Beckly would last 13 hands as McKeehen's ace-ten paired up to move ahead of his opponent's pocket fours to seal the victory and one of the most one-sided WSOP final tables ever.
2015 Main Event Final Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Joe McKeehen | United States | $7,683,346 |
2 | Josh Beckley | United States | $4,470,896 |
3 | Neil Blumenfield | United States | $3,398,298 |
4 | Max Steinberg | United States | $2,615,361 |
5 | Ofer Zvi Stern | Israel | $1,911,423 |
6 | Thomas Cannuli | United States | $1,426,283 |
7 | Pierre Neuville | Belgium | $1,203,293 |
8 | Federico Butteroni | Italy | $1,097,056 |
9 | Patrick Chan | United States | $1,001,020 |
McKeehen Continues to Crush
McKeehen was just 24 years old when he won the Main Event and has since put together a poker career envied by many. His Main Event triumph marked his maiden bracelet victory, and became a three-time bracelet winner in the years to follow after being the last player standing in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship and WSOP Online $3,200 High Roller in 2017 and 2020 respectively.
Strangely, those two bracelet wins fail to make it into McKeehen's top five cashes since winning the Main Event. Just a few months after becoming the World Champion, he notched a second place in the 2016 PCA $100,000 Super High Roller for another seven-figure score and has continued to produce impressive results.
The Pennsylvania native has $19.5 million in live tournament wins from his first recorded cash in 2010 and is a shoo-in for the Poker Hall of Fame when he becomes of age.
Joe McKeehen's Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win
DATE | BUY-IN | EVENT | PLACE | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 2016 | $100,000 | PCA $100,000 Super High Roller | 2nd | $1,220,840 |
July 2016 | $111,111 | WSOP High Roller for One Drop | 6th | $829,792 |
August 2021 | $25,500 | SHRPO The Big 4 High Roller | 2nd | $550,990 |
June 2018 | $1,500 | WSOP Millionaire Maker | 3rd | $538,276 |
March 2021 | $5,000 | WPT Venetian Main Event | 2nd | $491,960 |
Qui Nguyen: 2016 Main Event Champion ($8,005,310)
Entries | Prize Pool | Places Paid | Min-Cash |
---|---|---|---|
6,737 | $63,327,800 | 1,011 | $15,000 |
Qui Nguyen won the 2016 WSOP Main Event by outlasting a field of 6,737 players and defeating Gordon Vayo in a heads-up battle that lasted for several hours.
Throughout the tournament, Nguyen displayed an aggressive style of play, often making big bets and raises to put his opponents under pressure. He also showed an ability to read his opponents' hands and make difficult calls when necessary.
In the tournament's final hand, Vayo pushed with jack-ten suited over a raise by Nguyen, only to get called by his dominating king-ten. Vayo flopped a double gutshot, but his draw would fail to complete. After blanks on the turn and river, Vayo exited in second place for $4,661,228.
Overall, Nguyen's aggressive and fearless play style and ability to read his opponents were key to his victory in the 2016 WSOP Main Event.
It's also noteworthy that Nguyen satellited his way into the Main Event, akin to 2003 champ Chris Moneymaker. Nguyen entered a $565 satellite tournament and then a $1,100 one, failing to win a Main Event seat in either. It wasn’t until his third try, another $1,100 satellite, that he prevailed.
The 2016 Main Event was a grand spectacle for viewers as several hands still spoken about today took place in the tournament.
The Main Event saw the introduction of William Kassouf to the masses, with his "nine-high like a boss," hand and fiery confrontation with Griffin Benger, which led to the latter telling Kassouf to "check your privilege."
There was also the insane cooler for third-place finisher Cliff Josephy, who was on the wrong side of a set-over-set situation when play was three-handed. Be sure to look back at the top five hands from the 2016 Main Event for a wave of nostalgia.
2016 Main Event Final Table Results
POSITION | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Qui Nguyen | Vietnam | $8,005,310 |
2 | Gordon Vayo | United States | $4,661,228 |
3 | Cliff Josephy | United States | $3,453,035 |
4 | Michael Ruane | United States | $2,576,003 |
5 | Vojtěch Růžička | Czech Republic | $1,935,288 |
6 | Kenny Hallaert | Belgium | $1,464,258 |
7 | Griffin Benger | Canada | $1,250,190 |
8 | Jerry Wong | United States | $1,100,076 |
9 | Fernando Pons | Spain | $1,000,000 |
Nguyen Goes Deep Two More Times
Before his Main Event win, Nguyen had only a handful of four-figure cashes and has only ten more HendonMob recorded results since his victory. Two occurred in the WSOP Main Event again, where he finished 455th (2019) and 241st (2021) for further scores of $30,780 and $38,600.
However, those are the only notable scores since 2016. Nguyen still plays the Main Event and was cruelly ousted on Day 2 of the 2022 WSOP Main Event after running kings into aces.
Qui Nguyen's Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win
DATE | BUY-IN | EVENT | PLACE | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|---|
November 2021 | $10,000 | WSOP Main Event | 241st | $38,600 |
July 2019 | $10,000 | WSOP Main Event | 455th | $30,780 |
June 2021 | $1,600 | Wynn Summer Classic | 46th | $7,871 |
June 2022 | $1,500 | WSOP Millionaire Maker | 247th | $6,600 |
June 2022 | $1,500 | WSOP Shootout | 86th | $5,835 |
Scott Blumstein: 2017 Main Event Champion ($8,150,000)
Entries | Prize Pool | Places Paid | Min-Cash |
---|---|---|---|
7,221 | $67,877,400 | 1,084 | $15,000 |
Despite playing poker for a living, Scott Blumstein skipped the first 72 events at the 2017 WSOP. The reasoning: to improve his game and health leading up to the one tournament he did have circled on his calendar — the 2017 WSOP Main Event. Blumstein cut his teeth in online poker tournaments in his home of New Jersey the whole summer before making the trip to Vegas.
At 25 years old, Blumstein defeated fellow young gun Dan Ott heads-up for the coveted gold and diamond bracelet along with the $8,150,000 prize. Norman Chad once said that a deuce on the river never changes anything, but that claim was debunked on the tournament's final hand. Blumstein's ace-deuce was behind Ott's ace-eight, but the former rivered a pair of deuces to capture the title.
Blumstein entered the final table as the chip leader and maintained his lead throughout. He played a patient and strategic game, carefully choosing his spots and taking advantage of opportunities to accumulate chips.
One such instance was when he doubled through John Hesp, one of the summer's success stories, in a 156 million-chip pot to take a commanding lead that he would never relinquish.
2017 Main Event Final Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Scott Blumstein | United States | $8,150,000 |
2 | Dan Ott | United States | $4,700,000 |
3 | Benjamin Pollak | France | $3,500,000 |
4 | John Hesp | United Kingdom | $2,600,000 |
5 | Antoine Saout | France | $2,000,000 |
6 | Bryan Piccioli | United States | $1,675,000 |
7 | Damian Salas | Argentina | $1,425,000 |
8 | Jack Sinclair | United Kingdom | $1,200,000 |
9 | Ben Lamb | United States | $1,000,000 |
Poker on the Back Burner for Blumstein
Speaking to PokerGO in 2020, "Poker is on the back burner for me. I mean, I definitely enjoy playing tournaments here and there. I haven't really had a successful run since then, and I obviously wish I could," said Blumstein.
"I enjoy the game, and it'll always be a part of my life...I'm still trying to figure out what I really want to do with my life, which again is a great problem to have," he added.
Scott Blumstein's Top 5 Cashes Since WSOP Main Event Win
DATE | BUY-IN | EVENT | PLACE | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|---|
November 2019 | $10,000 | Poker Masters $10K NLHE | 6th | $58,200 |
September 2017 | $3,500 | WPT Borgata Main Event | 52nd | $10,508 |
March 2018 | $1,600 | Parx Casino Big Stax | 9th | $10,012 |
June 2018 | $3,500 | MSPT Big Blind Ante Event | 71st | $9,119 |
March 2019 | $3,500 | WPT Venetian Main Event | 77th | $6,370 |
In this Series
- 1 Here's the Full Schedule for 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP); Win Main Event for Life!
- 2 Reigning Main Event Champion Espen Jorstad Eyes "Crazy Summer"; Plans to Play Full 2023 WSOP Schedule
- 3 6 Las Vegas Facts That Sound False But Are Actually True!
- 4 How to Decide Which WSOP Tournament(s) to Play
- 5 Registration for 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is Now Open
- 6 How to Stay Healthy in Las Vegas During the WSOP
- 7 WSOP Main Event Champions 2015-17: McKeehen, Nguyen, Blumstein
- 8 PokerGO's 2023 WSOP Live-stream Schedule Covers Biggest Events and More
- 9 2023 Main Event Maynia Could Be Your Best Chance of Playing at the WSOP
- 10 A Look at the 2023 WSOP Online Bracelet Schedule – How to Deposit
- 11 Five Reasons Winning Poker Players Lose Money at the WSOP
- 12 Five Questions to Ask Yourself at Your First WSOP
- 13 Interview: Vice President Jack Effel Looks Ahead to 2023 WSOP
- 14 World Series of Poker Addresses Solver Concerns, Clarifies RTA Policy
- 15 Negreanu, Deeb Again Highest Valued WSOP $25K Fantasy Draft Picks
- 16 PokerNews Staff 2023 WSOP Predictions – Will Ivey Play? Hellmuth vs. Negreanu?
- 17 Let the Games Begin: 2023 World Series of Poker Officially Underway
- 18 WNBA Champion Kelsey Plum Kicks Off WSOP Mystery Millions
- 19 5 Poker Tax Facts to Remember Heading into the 2023 WSOP
- 20 Introducing The Chad & Jesse Poker Show; Two Episodes a Week During 2023 WSOP
- 21 PokerNews Podcast: Catching Up w/ WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart
- 22 Negreanu or Hellmuth — Who Will Have the Best 2023 WSOP?
- 23 Some of the Best Poker Players Who Haven't Won a WSOP Bracelet
- 24 Quads, Runner-Runner & Other Crazy Hands From the WSOP $25,000 High Roller
- 25 2023 WSOP Featured Females: Maria Konnikova & Kristen Foxen Making Runs
- 26 Phil Ivey, Doug Polk in Action at Epic WSOP $25k Heads-Up Tournament
- 27 Five Tournaments Fans Don't Want to Miss at the 2023 World Series of Poker
- 28 Five Reasons Winning Poker Players Lose Money at the WSOP
- 29 We Asked ChatGPT to Predict the WSOP $25K Heads Up Championship
- 30 Doug Polk Headlines the Final Four in WSOP $25K Heads Up Championship
- 31 Two $1,000,000 Prizes Pulled in WSOP Mystery Millions
- 32 Five Questions to Ask Yourself at Your First WSOP
- 33 Andrews Suffers Brutal Beat on $5K Freezeout Bubble; Hellmuth Deep in $600 Deepstack
- 34 The Two Failed Bluffs in One Week that Cost Doug Polk $700k
- 35 2023 Poker Hall of Fame Nominations Open; Rast, Scheinberg, Savage Frontrunners?
- 36 Badugi Primer - Get Ready for A Brand New WSOP Tournament
- 37 2023 Poker Hall of Fame Nominations Open; Rast, Scheinberg, Savage Frontrunners?
- 38 Estes Nabs Second WSOP MI Online Bracelet; Kershaw Victorious in First PA Event
- 39 Steve "Cuz" Buckner & Lon McEachern Recent Guests on The Chad & Jesse Poker Show
- 40 Is Today the Day Isaac Haxton Finally Wins His First WSOP Bracelet?
- 41 Hitting the Nuts: Man & Woman Discuss Infamous 2023 WSOP Low Blow
- 42 Sarah Herzali Comes Up Shy of Being First Female Bracelet Winner of 2023 WSOP
- 43 A Look Inside Phil Hellmuth's WSOP Break Room: How Does He Fit on that Couch?
- 44 Scotty Nguyen Recovering From Surgery, Will Miss First Half of WSOP
- 45 Man of the People: How Daniel Negreanu Bagged Top 4 Stack on $300 Gladiator Day 1a
- 46 PN Podcast: Poker Hall of Famer Jack McClelland Shares Stories About Doyle Brunson & Stu Ungar
- 47 Poker Player Spikes Quads on River to Escape WSOP $50K Bubble
- 48 2023 WSOP Hands of the Week: Polk's Miracle Two Outer; Accidental Exposure Saves Tull from Bubble
- 49 Phil Galfond Offers Poker Hall of Fame Pick; Says Two Should Be Inducted Per Year
- 50 Poker Boom 2.0? WSOP Attendance Crushing Last Year's Turnout
- 51 Stanley Cup Champs! Vegas Poker Community Reacts to Golden Knights' Win
- 52 Erik Seidel on Verge of Joining Poker's Most Exclusive Club: 10 WSOP Bracelets
- 53 WSOP Player of the Week: Josh Arieh Makes Poker Hall of Fame Case
- 54 Next Fedor? This German 22-Year-Old is Taking the 2023 WSOP by Sturm
- 55 Daniel Negreanu Quietly Having Success in Large Field Events at 2023 WSOP
- 56 Mike "BrockLesnar" Holtz Running Away with WSOP.com Player of the Year
- 57 Jennifer Harman Remembers Doyle: "He Was Like a Marshmallow Puppy Dog to Me"
- 58 Aces, Kings, Kings, and Queens - You Won't Believe this Epic 2023 WSOP Hand
- 59 Jason Koon's Stack Pulled from WSOP $250K Super High Roller as Wife Enters Labor
- 60 Meet The WSOP App Thrill Team
- 61 TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Things To Do In Las Vegas During The 2023 WSOP
- 62 Phil Ivey Bubbles the 2023 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller
- 63 Unknown Poker Player in Town for Father's Day Randomly Enters WSOP $250K
- 64 2023 WSOP Hands of the Week: Negreanu Knows All The Angles, a Quads Counterfeit
- 65 Jungleman Attempts to Terminate PPC Field for 3rd Straight Year; Moneymaker Jumps In
- 66 Ivey Puts Life on Line in Level 5 of $50,000 PPC in Massive PLO Pot – Did He Win?
- 67 "Bucket List Event": Moneymaker Makes WSOP $50k Poker Players Championship Debut
- 68 Kabrhel Denies Cheating Allegations, Threatens to Sue Robl
- 69 King's Resort Has Big WSOP Plans For The Rest Of 2023
- 70 No 11th Bracelet As Johnny Chan Falls in 14th in WSOP $1,500 Big O
- 71 Win Your Way Into 2023 WSOP Main Event with 112 Seat Sprint on WSOP.com
- 72 The Muck: Should Poker Community Ban Martin Kabrhel?
- 73 Phil Ivey Closing in on 11th Bracelet; Rast Playing for the Poker Hall of Fame?
- 74 Horseshoe to Host Doyle Brunson Celebration of Life Memorial July 2
- 75 Familiar Faces Among 2023 Poker Hall of Fame Nominations
- 76 Negreanu Proposes Changes to the Poker Hall of Fame Induction Process
- 77 No-Limit Hold'em Crushers Driving WSOP $25K Fantasy Draft Top Team
- 78 2023 WSOP Featured Females: Women in Full Force in Tag Team Event
- 79 World Series of Poker 2024: Read Phil Ivey's Top WSOP Tips
- 80 Poker Hall of Famer Billy Baxter Eyes Up First Bracelet in 21 Years
- 81 Revealing the Hand: 5 Common Tells You Can Spot at the WSOP
- 82 2023 WSOP Hands of the Week: Royal Flush Over Quads; KK < KK & 4-of-a-Kind for Seidel
- 83 "Barstool Nate" Shares His Wild Adventure Getting to the 2023 WSOP One Month Late
- 84 Remembering Doyle Brunson's Final WSOP Cash in 2018, a Near Bracelet Win
- 85 2023 WSOP Featured Females: Who Will Win the Largest Ladies Event In Poker History?
- 86 Upcoming WSOP Circuit Schedule is Out; $1 Million Freeroll Returns
- 87 PN Podcast: GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu Talks 2023 WSOP & Poker Hall of Fame
- 88 The Smoking Petition: How Tom McEvoy Helped the WSOP Become Smoke Free
- 89 2023 WSOP Hands of the Week: Poker Player Learns Lesson for Premature Celebration
- 90 Hellmuth, Negreanu Pay Tribute to Doyle Brunson at 2023 WSOP
- 91 Silicon Valley's Chamath Palihapitiya Returns to the WSOP After a Decade
- 92 Admitted Poker Cheater Ali Imsirovic Enters WSOP $1,500 Shootout Event
- 93 Six-Time Bracelet Winner Brian Rast Voted Into Poker Hall of Fame
- 94 Lexy Gavin-Mather Is One of the 2023 WSOP's Most Prolific Vloggers
- 95 PN Podcast: Final Show from the 2023 WSOP w/ Guests Brian Rast & Phil Hellmuth
- 96 How Much Money Players at 2023 WSOP Main Event Final Table Really Made
- 97 Mike Holtz Nabs WSOP Cashes Record While Ian Matakis is POY
- 98 The Complete Overview of the 2023 NV/NJ WSOP Online Bracelet Events
- 99 Daniel Weinman Wins Record-Breaking 2023 WSOP Main Event for $12,100,000
- 100 Nicolai Morris & Elias Garney Win Final WSOP Online Bracelets in Michigan & Pennsylvania