Scott Stewart Wins World Poker Tour World Championship For $2.6 Million

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 Series 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 area 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 Long Beach, California. In truth, it topped his earlier excessive rating of $535,000 earned because the Thirteenth-place finisher within the 2017 WSOP predominant 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 giant rail of supporters. After popping out on high, he thanked them and highlighted the celebrations that had been quickly to come back.

“No plans for the money, but plans to have some fun and I can’t be more excited,” Stewart informed WPT reporters. “I got the best friends in the world… A lot of friends came out. Shout out to you guys. You’re the best. We like to have fun, anything we do. We had a little bit of extra fun today and it was worth it.”

In addition to the title and the cash, Stewart was additionally awarded 2,700 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. This was his first title and fifth final-table end of the yr. With 3,016 whole factors, he now sits simply exterior the highest 100 within the 2024 POY race standings offered by Global 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. Plenty of massive 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 closing 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 yr that the UK poker professional made the ultimate desk of this big occasion, having completed fourth in 2023 for a career-best rating of $2,095,300.

There had been fireworks straight away, with three eliminations within the first 10 arms. Christian Roberts of Venezuela was the primary to fall, together with his AQ working into the AA of Stewart simply 4 arms 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 the entire chips go in with Canada’s Ryan Yu holding 99 going through the AOk of Pak. In want of simply an ace or king to take the lead, Pak discovered a number of of each. The closing board learn AOkJAOk, giving him aces full and the knockout. Yu earned $875,000 because the fifth-place finisher.

Moorman took an enormous hit on the subsequent hand, working pocket sixes into the pocket queens of the UK’s Rob Sherwood. Just a few arms 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 referred to as when Moorman four-bet to 9,100,000. The flop got here down JJ7 and Pak checked. Moorman wager 4,000,000 and Pak check-raised all-in. Moorman referred to 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 3 on the top 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’m gonna have to Final Table next year now…” pic.twitter.com/UoBRkrc6O4

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) December 22, 2024

While the primary three gamers had been dispatched in fast 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 working a multi-street bluff into the flopped aces stuffed with Stewart. In his closing hand, he defended his massive blind with Q10 going through a button elevate to 2,700,000 from Stewart, who held JJ. The flop got here down Ok43 and each gamers checked. The 3 on the flip noticed Pak check-call a 4,000,000 wager from Stewart and the river introduced an motion card: the J. Pak wager 11,500,000 together with his queen-high flush and Stewart moved all-in together with his jacks stuffed with threes. Pak finally made the decision and was proven the unhealthy 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 two went on to battle for over 100 arms, 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 battle his approach again to just about even earlier than the decisive hand of the event arrived. He picked up OkOk on the button and raised to 9,000,000. Sherwood three-bet shoved from the large blind for 114,200,000 efficient (28.55 massive 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 massive blinds. He managed one double up, however was quickly all-in once more with 73 acing J10 for Stewart. The OkJ558 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 is a have a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the closing desk:

Photos offered by WPT.