Scott Blumstein won the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event in a 246-hand final table. Blumstein, a 25-year old resident of Morristown, New Jersey, held a dominant chip lead through most of the final nine.
Despite his dominated performance, the final hand between the eventual champion and Dan Ott was anything but certain. Blumstein called an ace-8 suited with an ace-2 offsuit. No one improved on the flop or turn, but Blumstein paired his two on the river.
Suddenly, the event was over and the world had a brand new WSOP Main Event champion. Blumstein won $8.1 million, along with his first WSOP bracelet. The winner said, “Is there a better way to win the Main Event than hitting a three-outer on the river? A normally inconsequential duece just changed my life. I was mentally preparing for a 40-big blind poker, but the river was a deuce and the rest is history.”
Dan Ott Finishes 2nd in WSOP Main Event
Dan Ott, a relative unknown from Altoona, Pennsylvania, finished second and collected $4.7 million. While the final hand did not go his way, Ott was philosophical about losing in such a way. Ott said, “The cards didn’t go my way, but I got second place in the third-largest Main Event ever. I can’t complain about that.”
Had Dan Ott won the hand on which he was eliminated, the 2017 WSOP Main Event’s final table might have taken a radically different turn. Ott would have held nearly $130 million chips to his opponent’s roughly $235 million in chips, which would have presented a whole new dynamic. While heads-up play began with a similar difference in chip stacks, it would have been later in the night and Dan Ott would have received a huge momentum boost.
It was not to be for Dan Ott, though. Scott Blumstein won the hand and was elated in post-tournament interviews. In his remarks after the event, Scott Blumstein showed a personal side that not every WSOP Main Event winner has been willing to show over the years.
Scott Blumstein WSOP Main Event Interview
Wearing his 888poker shirt, Scott told PokerNews.com, “I felt pretty good coming into today. Having all the chips helps. I started off a little rough. I had that hand where I could have ended it three-handed.”
He addressed his lucky turn on his “Honestly, that ace-deuce hand, I had three outs and, if they don’t come, we’re playing 40 big blind poker again. To say I thought I had it locked up, I don’t know that I’d go that far, because it’s poker and anything can happen. But I felt pretty good and the deuce on the river is a blessing…I can’t even believe it.”
Praises the Support of His Family
Scott Blumstein described the up-and-down events of the past year of his life, ultimately describing himself as “lucky”. His mother’s battle with cancer was at the top of his mind.
He said, “My mother has been through a lot. She’s beaten breast cancer three times. The last bout came about 7 or 8 months ago. That’s life, a rough time, but I’m a lucky guy and, even though in poker it might not feel like that sometimes in the past, I always knew deep-down that I’m blessed. Now it’s confirmed that I’m a lucky guy.”
Ultimately, a victory at a $565 buy-in poker tournament at the Borgata in New Jersey roughly a year ago was the pivotal moment. Before that time, Blumstein had won about $100,000 in three years of professional poker.
Blumstein also described the emotional roller-coaster that being a poker grinder can be, especially early in one’s career.
When asked about the many supporters he had in the crowd, Blumstein said, “My parents have been great. They have been super supportive of me. My father spoke to me about, ‘Scott, I think it’s time to get a job,’ and this was about a year ago right now. A week later, I won a poker tournament for $200,000 at the Borgata. It seems like, every time someone told me to quit, something good happens to me. It’s a very interesting life I’m in and I’m just happy that I’m on top of the world.”
2017 WSOP Main Event Final Table
The WSOP Main Event’s final table had a different format than it had in recent years. Instead of playing the final table in November (“November Nine”), the players took a one-day break and then completed the final nine in three days of action: July 20, July 21, and July 22.
Each of the first two days commenced at 5:30 pm Las Vegas time and was supposed to go until 3 players were eliminated. Event organizers chose to finish Day One of the final table with 7 players remaining, after Ben Lamb of France and Jack Sinclair of England were eliminated. Day 2 saw the elimination of John Hesp (4th, $2.6 million), Antoine Saout (5th, $2 million), Bryan Piccioli (6th, $1.675 million), and Damian Salas (7th, $1.425 million).
Below is a full recap of how the players finished. Despite having a couple of Americans finish 1st and 2nd, this was a good year for foreign poker players. France placed 2 of the Top 5 players, while the United Kingdom had 2 of the final 8. John Hesp, who held second place coming into the final table, was a colorful figure at the event. Damian Salas, a veteran player from Argentina, had the best-ever finish by an Argentine.
WSOP Final Table Results: Earnings, Nationality
- Scott Blumstein – 1st – $8.1 million – United States
- Dan Ott – 2nd – $4.7 million – United States
- Benjamin Pollak – 3rd – $3.5 million – France
- John Hesp – 4th – $2.6 million – United Kingdom
- Antoine Saout – 5th – $2 million – France
- Bryan Piccioli – 6th – $1.675 million – United States
- Damian Salas – 7th – $1.425 million – Argentina
- Jack Sinclair – 8th – $1.2 million – United Kingdom
- Ben Lamb – 9th – $1 million – United States
Ultimately, a man with an accounting degree from New Jersey won the WSOP Main Event. Scott Blumstein describes himself as a “New Jersey grinder” with “no ego” when it comes to playing poker. He said winning the 8-million dollars represents “freedom” to either play poker for a living, go back to get his Master’s degree, or start his own business.
From early indications, Scott Blumstein appears to be an affable and likeable World Series of Poker champion. In an age when many of the more recent WSOP winners have been somewhat sullen or angry towards the spotlight winning the world’s biggest poker event brings, it sounds like Scott Blumstein might be a friendly poker ambassador.
