7 Unique Things about WSOP Champ Scott Blumstein

Scott Blumstein recently won the 2017 WSOP Main Event along with $8,150,000. Blumstein rose from being a relatively obscure poker pro to winning on the game's biggest stage.

Now the New Jersey native is a famous poker champion. If you're interested in learning more about Blumstein, keep reading as we cover 7 interesting points about him.

1. He couldn't Afford the $10k Main Event Buy-in Last Year

Scott Blumstein wanted to play in the 2016 WSOP Main Event. The only problem is that he didn't have enough money to front the $10,000 buy-in.

That said, he stuck around his native New Jersey and played in the 2016 Borgata Summer Poker Open $1 Million Deepstack Kick Off ($560 buy-in).

Facing a 2,368-player field, Blumstein triumphed and collected a $199,854 prize. This money was crucial because it allowed him to enter the 2017 Main Event.

2. Blumstein is a WSOP Rookie

The 25-year-old had never played in the WSOP prior to this summer. And he skipped the first 72 tournaments of the 2017 WSOP so that he could play online and prepare for the Main Event.

This is a bold move considering that thousands of players enter this prestigious tourney ever year. The 2017 WSOP drew 7,221 players – third most in the event's history.

But Blumstein was still confident that he could perform his best if he properly prepared. Blumstein even told a close friend that he was "just going to win" the Main Event. We now know that his prediction has come true.

3. Four of Blumstein's Friend's Turned a $60 Investment into $40,000

Prior to the Main Event, four of Blumstein's friends put $60 towards his buy-in. They were hoping to earn a share of any potential winnings he collected. But the friends never expected to turn this small investment into $40,000!

Here's an excerpt from ESPN's Darren Rovell:

"Gerolamo, Aldo Boscia, John Scuteri and Nick Muldrow gave Blumstein $60 each toward his $10,000 entry fee and will each come away with $40,750 before taxes."

4. He Got a Miracle Hand to Win

Blumstein faced off against Daniel Ott heads-up to close the Main Event. And the final hand saw Blumstein raise with A-2 offsuit. Ott shoved his remaining chip stack into the middle after calling with Ad-8d.

The first four cards on the board were Js-6s-5h-7h. This reduced Blumstein's chances of winning the tournament right here to 7%. But Blumstein spiked a 2h on the river, which ignited a celebration.

"I mean, is there a better way to win the Main Event than hitting a three-outer on the river?" he questioned. "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."

5. Blumstein Has a Poker Coach

Many successful players have had poker coaches. And Blumstein is no different because he's been learning from a coach for the past couple of years.

According to NorthJersey.com, Steven Goodemote of Canandaigua, New York has been coaching the WSOP champion. Goodemote said that Blumstein "was always a winning player.” He added that they met while playinga tournament at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York.

"I saw his potential, so I gave him my contact information for backing/coaching online," Goodemote explained. "He's a great guy, and I couldn't be happier for him."

6. He's Most Excited about Freedom – Not the Money

We can be sure that Scott Blumstein is pumped about the $8.15 million prize he won. However, Blumstein made sure to point out that it's the freedom he's most excited about.

"Money doesn't really motivate me, it doesn't drive me," Blumstein explained. “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."

7. Blumstein Plans to Play More Live Poker

No matter what Blumstein chooses next – whether it be business, poker, or school – he will be playing more live poker in the future.

"Just two weeks ago I was a New Jersey online grinder and nothing has really changed," he said. "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."

In addition to this, Blumstein will definitely be playing more tournaments. And he's excited about trying to repeat at the 2018 WSOP Main Event too.

"I'll definitely be able to play a lot more tournaments," he said. "I'm going to come back next year for sure. It was an amazing experience. I'll never pass this up again. Just keep playing, and try to win next time."