Maryland 
man wins
 $8.53M
 poker title

A 24-year-old poker professional from Laurel won the World Series of Poker main event, outlasting his final opponents in a marathon card session of nearly 12 hours for the $8.53 million title on Wednesday.

Greg Merson emerged with the title before dawn in Las Vegas after a session that proved a showcase for his skills amid the unpredictability of tournament no-limit Texas Hold ‘em. On the last hand, Mr. Merson put Las Vegas card pro Jesse Sylvia all-in with a king high. Mr. Sylvia thought hard, then called with a suited queen-jack.

“This whole stage is nothing you could ever prepare for,” Mr. Merson said.

Mr. Merson’s hand held through the community cards — two sixes, a three, a nine and a seven — to give him the title and put his name alongside former champions including Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan.
After an exhausting session, he’s ready to join them.

“I feel pretty good — got all the tears out so now I feel relaxed,” Mr. Merson said.

Mr. Merson also pushed past Mr. Hellmuth for the series’ Player of the Year honors, proving himself the top performer throughout this year’s series of card tournaments in Las Vegas and Europe. Mr. Merson also won a tournament bracelet this summer in Las Vegas for a no-limit Texas Hold ‘em 6-handed tournament.

Mr. Sylvia won $5.3 million for second place.

“That was nuts, man,” Mr. Sylvia said. “I thought whoever was going to heads-up was going to be much deeper than we were.”

Mr. Merson’s victory over Mr. Sylvia, 26, came after the pair outlasted the last amateur at the table, 21-year-old Jake Balsiger. The Arizona State senior hoping to become the youngest World Series of Poker champion was eliminated in third place, more than 11 hours into the marathon.

Mr. Balsiger gambled his last chips with a queen-10 and was dominated by Mr. Merson’s king-queen. Mr. Merson’s hand held through five community cards, forcing Mr. Balsiger to exit the tournament no richer than he was starting Tuesday’s finale.

The political science major, who has vowed to graduate, won $3.8 million in third.

“I have some homework due tomorrow, my Supreme Court class,” Mr. Balsiger said. “I didn’t do it last week because I was in a final table simulation, so my professor’s probably not the happiest with me.”

Even before Mr. Balsiger was eliminated, the players set a series record by pushing beyond 364 hands at the final table. Mr. Balsiger lost on hand 382, while Mr. Sylvia lost on hand 399.

All three players traded chips, big bluffs and shocking hands during their marathon run.

“It was kind of swinging emotionally,” Mr. Sylvia said. “Thinking that you’re going to be heads-up and then to make something on the river, and think you’re going to be heads up and someone else hits something.”

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