Great Dane! Youngest Winner of World Series of Poker
A 22-year-old college dropout from Denmark won the World Series of
Poker and its $9.15 million prize, then spent the night partying with
friends at a suite reserved for Las Vegas' biggest gamblers.
Peter Eastgate became the tournament's youngest champ early Tuesday,
making a wheel straight and eliminating his final opponent, 27-year-old
semiprofessional card player Ivan Demidov. Demidov held two pair, twos
and fours, when Eastgate called his all-in bet.
Eastgate erased the youngest-winner record set by Phil Hellmuth at 24
in 1989. Eastgate started playing no-limit Texas Hold'em with high
school friends in Denmark, and after trying college for a week, he
dropped out upon realizing he was good enough to make a living as a
pro. He started at the lowest stakes and worked up to build a sizable
bankroll.
Eastgate said he would have been happy with a top-five finish, but he
thought he had a chance to win it all after eliminating a few players
from the final table. "My motivation was $9 million and a bracelet,"
Eastgate said. Demidov did not exactly leave a pauper. He took home
more than $5.8 million for second place.