Scott Stewart is not any stranger to closing out a poker event. He had recorded 18 wins already in his profession, together with incomes six World Sequence of Poker Circuit gold rings. None of these triumphs can evaluate to his newest victory, although. On Dec. 21, Stewart got here out on high of the 2024 World Poker Tour World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. He defeated a discipline of two,392 whole entries within the $10,400 buy-in occasion to safe his nineteenth profession title and $2,563,900 in prize cash.
This was the most important payday but for the 36-year-old poker professional from Lengthy Seaside, California. In actual fact, it topped his earlier excessive rating of $535,000 earned because the Thirteenth-place finisher within the 2017 WSOP important occasion by over $2 million. With this marquee win, Stewart now has greater than $5.6 million in lifetime earnings.
Stewart completed off the win in entrance of a big rail of supporters. After popping out on high, he thanked them and highlighted the celebrations that had been quickly to return.
“No plans for the cash, however plans to have some enjoyable and I can’t be extra excited,” Stewart advised WPT reporters. “I acquired one of the best associates on this planet… A number of associates got here out. Shout out to you guys. You’re one of the best. We wish to have enjoyable, something we do. We had slightly bit of additional enjoyable at the moment and it was value it.”
Along with the title and the cash, Stewart was additionally awarded 2,700 Card Participant Participant of the 12 months factors for the win. This was his first title and fifth final-table end of the 12 months. With 3,016 whole factors, he now sits simply exterior the highest 100 within the 2024 POY race standings offered by International Poker.
This occasion ran from Dec. 14-21. The event drew 2,392 entries throughout its three beginning flights, leading to a $23,441,600 prize pool which was paid out throughout the highest 299 finishers. Loads of large names ran deep, together with three-time bracelet winner Paul Volpe (twenty eighth), high-stakes event star Mikita Badziakouski (nineteenth), bracelet winner Jeremy Wien (14th), and five-time bracelet winner Brian Yoon (eleventh).
The ultimate day started with simply six gamers remaining and Eddie Pak within the lead, with WPT champion and two-time bracelet winner Chris Moorman in second chip place. This was the second straight 12 months that the UK poker professional made the ultimate desk of this large occasion, having completed fourth in 2023 for a career-best rating of $2,095,300.
There have been fireworks immediately, with three eliminations within the first 10 fingers. Christian Roberts of Venezuela was the primary to fall, together with his A
Q operating into the A
A
of Stewart simply 4 fingers into the day. Roberts flopped a flush draw however failed to enhance any additional and was despatched to the rail with $665,000 for his efforts.
The very subsequent hand noticed all the chips go in with Canada’s Ryan Yu holding 99 going through the A
Okay of Pak. In want of simply an ace or king to take the lead, Pak discovered a number of of each. The ultimate board learn AOkayJAOkay, giving him aces full and the knockout. Yu earned $875,000 because the fifth-place finisher.
Moorman took an enormous hit on the following hand, operating pocket sixes into the pocket queens of the UK’s Rob Sherwood. Just a few fingers later Moorman min-raised to 1,600,000 from the cutoff with QQ. Pak three-bet to five,000,000 from the small blind with 1010 after which known as when Moorman four-bet to 9,100,000. The flop got here down JJ7 and Pak checked. Moorman guess 4,000,000 and Pak check-raised all-in. Moorman known as for 20,500,000 whole. Pak invoked his ‘one time’ and the ten rolled off on the flip, giving him tens full and the lead. The three on the tip modified nothing and Moorman was eradicated from this event in fourth place for the second time in as a few years. He cashed for $1,150,000 this time round, bringing his recorded earnings to $11.3 million.
“I am gonna need to Last Desk subsequent 12 months now…” pic.twitter.com/UoBRkrc6O4
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) December 22, 2024
Whereas the primary three gamers had been dispatched in speedy succession it took a number of hours earlier than the fourth knockout got here to go. On the 69th hand of the day, Pak’s run on this occasion got here to an finish. Pak had entered three-handed motion with the lead, however misplaced an enormous pot early on operating a multi-street bluff into the flopped aces stuffed with Stewart. In his remaining hand, he defended his large blind with Q10 going through a button elevate to 2,700,000 from Stewart, who held JJ. The flop got here down Okay43 and each gamers checked. The three on the flip noticed Pak check-call a 4,000,000 guess from Stewart and the river introduced an motion card: the J. Pak guess 11,500,000 together with his queen-high flush and Stewart moved all-in together with his jacks stuffed with threes. Pak ultimately made the decision and was proven the dangerous information. The 31-year-old from Los Angeles earned $2,000,000 for his efforts, by far the most important payday on his resume.
Heads-up play started with Stewart holding 161,300,000 to the 77,900,000 of Sherwood, good for simply higher than a 2:1 lead. The 2 went on to battle for over 100 fingers, with loads of ups and downs alongside the best way. Sherwood took the lead and stretched an enormous benefit of his personal late, however Stewart managed to combat his method again to almost even earlier than the decisive hand of the event arrived. He picked up OkayOkay on the button and raised to 9,000,000. Sherwood three-bet shoved from the large blind for 114,200,000 efficient (28.55 large blinds) with 66 and Stewart snap-called. The board got here down 1052JQ and Stewart’s pocket kings held to see him take a commanding lead.
Sherwood was left with fewer than two large blinds. He managed one double up, however was quickly all-in once more with 73 acing J10 for Stewart. The OkayJ558 runout gave Stewart jacks and fives for the win, bringing the event to an in depth. Sherwood earned $2,200,000 because the runner-up finisher.
Here’s a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the remaining desk:
Place
Participant
Earnings
POY Factors
1
Scott Stewart
$2,563,900
2700
2
Rob Sherwood
$2,200,000
2250
3
Edward Pak
$2,000,000
1800
4
Chris Moorman
$1,150,000
1350
5
Ryan Yu
$875,000
1125
6
Christian Roberts
$665,000
900
Photographs supplied by WPT.
