Arizona poker player finishes in second place, winning $6.5 million at World Series of Poker Main Event.

Steven Jones of Arizona came in second place at the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event on Tuesday, narrowly missing out on the victory. After 10 days of fierce competition at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, he walked away with a prize of $6.5 million.

The tournament brought in an unprecedented 10,043 entrants, generating a prize pool of $93.4 million. Daniel Weinman from Georgia emerged as the winner, earning $12.1 million and the prestigious championship bracelet. Jones, a real estate broker, was among the few remaining part-time players in the event.

Despite not winning the top prize, Jones stayed positive about his experience of nearly reaching the pinnacle of success in the game.

He confided in PokerGO that he was currently feeling a little down, but expressed confidence that he would feel much happier and thankful the next day. He recognized the influence of luck in his journey to his current position.

A large turnout at the World Series of Poker

Originally from Flint, Michigan, Jones now lives in Scottsdale and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Arizona State University. He was introduced to poker by his mother at 35, and further developed his skills through casual home games in his teenage years.

Coming in second place in the largest event in WSOP history is a major accomplishment. Players endured long 12-hour days for 10 consecutive days. Before reaching the final table, Jones had only won $245,000 in live tournaments, with his highest previous cash being $57,425 for finishing ninth in the 2018 WSOP Colossus. This exceptional showing has now become a standout moment on his poker career.

As the final nine players were reached, Jones found himself in second place in chips, trailing only Adam Walton. Despite not having a professional background in poker, Jones exuded confidence and control at the final table, fearlessly placing bold bets with his substantial chip stack. Jones successfully eliminated two opponents before progressing to the final three on Monday as the chip leader.

Jack was outkicked for the championship.

In a crucial moment during three-handed play, Walton went all in with pocket eights against Weinman’s pocket Aces. As a result, Weinman ended up with around 75% of the remaining chips, giving him a clear advantage over Jones.

The Arizona poker player started off winning a few hands, but was unable to build up their chip stack much. In the last hand, with blinds at 1.25 million and 2.5 million, Jones raised to 7 million with Jc8d, only to be called by Weinman with KcJd.

Weinman checked after the flop of Js5s3d. Jones made a bet of 6 million, which Weinman raised to 18.5 million. Jones called, and the turn showed the 4c. Weinman then placed a bet of 38 million, prompting Jones to contemplate his next move.

After four minutes, Jones went all in with his last 146 million chips. His opponent promptly called, putting Jones in a tough spot. Jones was hoping for an eight on the river, but instead, the Ah card was revealed. Although disappointed, Jones was content with how he played in the tournament and had nothing but praise for his opponent.

Jones admitted that while the result was not what he had hoped for, he struggled with the choice to concede. He acknowledged feeling torn and praised his opponent for their strong performance. Despite the challenging circumstances, Jones emphasized his enjoyment of the game and the overall positive experience.