Deuce on the River! Scott Blumstein’s Miracle Card Seals WSOP Main Event Title
Despite playing poker for a living, Scott Blumstein skipped the first 72 events at the 2017 World Series of Poker. The reasoning: to improve his game and health leading up to the one tournament he did have circled on his WSOP calendar — the $10,000 WSOP Main Event
Blumstein focused on online poker tournaments in his home of New Jersey the whole summer before making the trip to Vegas for the Main Event. He even called his shot, claiming he was "just going to win" the tournament, according to a close friend.
He wasn't bluffing.
The 25-year-old poker pro won poker's most prestigious tournament early Sunday morning at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Blumstein defeated fellow young-gun Dan Ott heads-up for the coveted gold and diamond bracelet along with the $8,150,000 prize.
2017 WSOP 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 |
Winner's Reaction
On the final hand, Blumstein held A♥2♦ against the A♦8♦ of his opponent, with a miracle 2♥ on the river securing him victory. Blumstein's rail exploded after the deuce hit, and he collapsed to the floor at the realization that he had won the tournament.
"I'm still in shock," Blumstein said to the media after the tournament ended. "I thought I would get even more emotional than what I got in real time, but it's just the best feeling, I can't even put it into words."
"I mean, is there a better way to win the Main Event than hitting a three-outer on the river?"
"I mean, is there a better way to win the Main Event than hitting a three-outer on the river?" he said. "A normally inconsequential deuce just changed my life. I was mentally preparing for 40 big blind poker but the river was a deuce and the rest is history."
Just two weeks ago, he was a New Jersey online grinder, and Blumstein says nothing has really changed.
"I don't have an ego in this game. I check my ego at the door. Having the money, am I going to play a little more live poker? Probably. But I'm probably going to choose where I go based on location and what works for me as opposed to the buy-in of the tournament."
If he's not using the money to play high stakes, what will Blumstein do with it?
"Money doesn't really motivate me, it doesn't drive me. I didn't want to win this thing for the $8 million, but with that being said it's nice to have some freedom now. The goal was to get to a point where I can do whatever I want to do. And I think I'm going to have that opportunity now, whether it's poker, business, or going back to school.
"I have the freedom to do that now. That's the American dream in my eyes and finding happiness is part of that. What a good way to get there."
Final Table Action
The plan on Thursday for the first day of the final table of the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event was to play down to the final six players, then bag up chips and return Friday to play down to the final three. Those plans changed early Friday morning with seven still left, including one massive chip leader and several short stacks still vying for the $8.15 million top prize.
Blumstein started the day as chip leader, but the opening exchanges belonged to second-in-chips and fan favorite John Hesp. He won the first three hands of the day, one of them a big bluff that he happily showed to get a big rise out of those in attendance.
On the fourth hand of the final table, the crowd got even louder as the first all-in confrontation took place.
Ben Lamb shoved with ace-nine suited out of the big blind against Jack Sinclair who had opened from the button. Sinclair called with ace-queen, which held up through the flop, turn and river. Lamb was the first player out and took home $1 million for his ninth-place finish. The high-stakes poker pro finished in third place in this event in 2011 for $4,021,138.
Another former November Niner, Antoine Saout, was close to being the second player eliminated but escaped when his ten-nine came from behind against the king-eight of Sinclair after all the chips went in preflop. Dan Ott then got a double through Blumstein when his ace-jack held up against Blumstein's queen-ten on a jack-high board, leaving eight players still in contention.
Blumstein Secures Massive Double With Aces
But it was a huge hand that headlined day 1 of the final table, as Blumstein vaulted into the clear chip lead, doubling through Hesp in sensational fashion with the pair one and two in the counts.
The clash began when Blumstein opened from under the gun for 2.2 million and Hesp called from the big blind. Both players checked on ace-seven-five rainbow and an off-suit ten hit the turn. Hesp checked again and Blumstein bet 3 million. Hesp check-raised to 7 million, and Blumstein responded with a three-bet to 17 million.
Hesp got up out of his chair, then moved all in. Blumstein snap-called, creating the biggest pot of the tournament thus far.
Hesp: Ax10x
Blumstein: AxAx
Hesp had top two pair but was drawing dead against the top set of Blumstein, who ran over to his rail to celebrate even before the river card was dealt.
The meaningless three of clubs completed the board and Hesp lost the 156 million-chip pot, leaving him with only 24 million. Blumstein was still stacking his huge pile of newfound chips a couple hands later.
A short while later, Sinclair ended up on the rail in eighth place. The Englishman moved all in with king-jack suited right into the aces of Bryan Piccioli. The flop brought a king to keep Sinclair hopeful, but the turn and river bricked end Sinclair's run in eighth place for a payout worth $1,200,000.
That pot sent Piccioli back into third position on the leaderboard. Play continued for 35 more minutes after Sinclair's exit, but the same seven players were still grinding away. Then, shortly after Blumstein won a big pot off Ott to increase his lead, tournament organizers called for the bags to come out and play was halted for the day.
Day 2: Seven-Handed Play
After the first day's play at the final table, Blumstein had collected nearly half the chips in play despite not knocking out a single player. However, the short stacks at the table dictated most of the play on the second day of action.
Saout and Hesp doubled up within the first 20 hands, while others were able to chip up by getting their preflop shoves through without any resistance.
Later, though, Damian Salas was eliminated in seventh place when an untimely river card went the way of Ott. After Ott raised to 3.4 million from early position, it folded around to Salas in the big blind. He thought for about 45 seconds before calling, and the flop came down A♥3♥2♦
Salas checked to Ott, and he put Salas all in. Salas snap-called, and the cards were revealed.
Salas: A♣10♥
Ott: 4♦4♠
Salas was in great shape to double, needing to dodge just a four or a five. The 6♦ was safe, but Ott drilled the 5♠ on the river for the straight. Salas made a gracious exit from the tournament area as he made his way to collect his $1,425,000 prize.
Exactly 90 minutes later, Piccioli made a stand with his short stack. He moved all in from the small blind for about nine big blinds with ace-seven, but was unfortunate to get a call from Ott in the big blind with pocket kings, which held to send the Western New York native home with $1,675,000 for his efforts.
The flurry of eliminations continued only minutes later when Saout got involved in a big pot with Blumstein. Blumstein raised to 4.2 million on the button and Saout called from the small blind to see a flop of J♣7♦6♣. Both players checked, and Saout checked again on the 4♣ turn. Blumstein bet 5.6 million and Saout called.
The dealer completed the board with the J♥ on the river. Saout checked for a third time and Blumstein moved all in, putting Saout to the test for his last 26.1 million chips. Saout took his sunglasses off and stared at the board and then at Blumstein. Eventually, he called.
Saout tabled K♣J♦ for trip jacks, but Blumstein held 5♠3♠ for a straight. Blumstein headed to the rail to celebrate and Saout was eliminated in fifth place, pocketing $2 million for his second Main Event final table performance. He finished third in the Main Event in 2009.
Moments later, Hesp shoved for his last six big blinds from the cutoff with the 9♣7♣ and Pollak moved all in from the small blind. Ott folded, and the affable Englishman was at risk with two live cards.
Hesp: 9♣7♣
Pollak: A♦J♠
The flop came K♠10♠6♥, giving Hesp some extra outs. The 4♣ on the turn was no help and the 4♥ on the river ended Hesp's tournament. Pollak won the hand with ace-high and Hesp was eliminated in fourth place.
That hand capped off a tumultuous day for Pollak, who started with more than 77 million but will take only 45,850,000 into the final day
Day 3: Three-Handed Play
After Hesp's elimination on Friday, only three returned on Saturday to play down to a champion. Blumstein had a sizable lead over Ott and Frenchman Pollak. Chips shifted back and forth for three hours before a wild hand involving all three players could have ended the tournament right then and there.
With the blinds at 1,200,000-2,400,000, Pollak moved all in for 35.2 million on the button and Ott reraised all in from the small blind for 45.8 million. Blumstein was in the big blind and asked for a count. After a few short seconds, he called, and everyone in attendance rose to their feet.
Pollak: Q♣10♦
Ott: K♣9♦
Blumstein: A♥Q♠
Pollak and Ott were all in and at risk. The flop came K♦J♠3♦ and the rail exploded as Ott took the lead with a pair of kings. Pollak picked up an open-ended straight draw, and Blumstein still had outs with a gut-shot straight draw to possibly win the entire thing.
The turn was the 4♣, and the river was the 6♠, giving Ott more than a double-up and sending Pollak out in third place.
Blumstein began heads-up play with a nearly 2:1 lead over Ott and gradually grinded his opponent down by applying pressure and winning the majority of the small pots. Ott managed to double up once with king-nine against Blumstein's sixes to stay alive, but moments later the two got involved again. This time, Blumstein sealed the deal with a fortuitous river card that etched his name into poker history.
Blumstein limped and Ott raised to 8 million. Blumstein moved all in, putting Ott to the test for his remaining 55.5 million chips. Ott went into the tank and called after about a minute.
Ott: A♦8♦
Blumstein: A♥2♦
The flop and turn brought J♠6♠5♥7♥, keeping Ott ahead with his better kicker, but the river was the 2♥ and Blumstein hit his miracle card to lock up the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event title.
