Justin Scott Wins Gold Bracelet and $842,262

Las Vegas, NV – Justin Scott flew into Las Vegas and promptly lost his entire bankroll at a baccarat table. This would not be an unusual story, since millions of visitors arrive in the gambling
The World Series of Poker is the biggest poker event of the year.  capital of the world each year and then leave town with less money. Scott’s story is unique because out of the ashes of defeat in the pit, the 22-year-old professional poker player from Detroit scratched together a $2,000 buy-in for the No-Limit Hold’em championship and ended up winning $842,262 at the 2006 World Series of Poker, presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light.

Scott steamrolled over a staggering field of 2,050 players – one of the largest tournaments held thus far at the World Series. After 2,041 players had been eliminated over two long days, nine players took their seats at the final table upon the Rio poker stage. The nine finalists comprised largely an unknown group of poker players. None had previously won a WSOP gold bracelet. When play began, Justin Scott enjoyed a decisive chip lead. Nathan Templeton was second, with everyone else far off in the distance. ESPN television was on hand to film the seven-hour finale, which featured perhaps the most dominant victory by any player yet at this year’s WSOP.

Bryan Micon, a.k.a. “Neverwinpoker” fulfilled his namesake by being the first player to bust out. Micon took a horrible beat when his pocket kings were trounced by Jason Johnson’s ace-king. Johnson caught two devastating aces on the board to crush Micon. The Atlanta-based poker player took $74,620 for ninth place.

What goes around comes around. After busting-out Micon, Jason Johnson was himself eliminated when his ace-queen lost of Justin Scott’s ace-king. Neither player made a pair, but the king-kicker in Scott’s hand played and Johnson was knocked out. Johnson, a painter from Florida, cashed out for $93,275. Johnson’s elimination would mark the first of seven consecutive players to be eliminated by Scott. His play at this final table was so domineering, that as play progressed spectators could see the growing sense of frustration on the faces of Scott’s powerless opponents.

Dr. Josh Wakeman attended his first WSOP and this was his first-ever final table appearance. The chiropractor from Illinois had his back broken when his ace-jack was upset by Justin Scott’s queen-seven. Two queens flopped, and Dr. Wakeman was discharged in seventh place. In what has been a great year in poker for chiropractors (world champ Joe Hachem’s former profession), Wakeman collected $111,930 in prize money.

The Justin Scott express rolled on. Already ahead in chips by a 3 to 1 count, Scott’s total domination continued. Carl Olson went out next. His pocket sixes were flattened by Scott’s ace-seven. The proverbial toss-up situation with a pair versus two overcards went Scott’s way, when an ace flopped. Olson, a University of Washington graduate who now plays poker professionally, received $130,585 for sixth place. 

If there was any thought that Justin Scott might eventually go card dead and take a few hits, it vanished when the chip leader busted out yet another player – this time holding pocket deuces. Scott’s deuce-deuce edged out Nathan Templeton’s queen-ten when the real estate investor from Tennessee failed to connect with a pair. Templeton’s share of the prize poll amounted to $149,240 for fifth place.

By this time, Justin Scott was an immovable force. He amassed the vast majority of the chips still in play, making the spectacle more of a contest for “second place” than any lingering suspense as to who would be the tournament winner. Scott obliterated yet another player when his ace-king broke Greg Glass’ king-ten. Both players flopped top pair when a king came. Drawing slim with two cards still to come, Glass failed to hit a ten. Was Glass half-full or half-empty? It depends on how one views a fourth-place finish. The 40-year-old poker player from California received $186,550 in prize money.

Things were not so bright for Bob Bright. The CEO of a stock trading firm in Las Vegas cashed out as the third-place finisher when his ace-six failed to connect with the board. Justin Scott’s pocket threes held up on the final hand, fizzling out Bright’s chances of a comeback victory. Bright, who won the “Best All-Around” player award at Caesar’s Las Vegas on this year’s WSOP Circuit, had to settle for $261,170 and third place, this time.   

Looking at the chip discrepancy going into heads-up play, Farzad Rouhani must have felt like a stalled Hyundai sitting in the middle of the rail road tracks looking up at a roaring freight train. Rouhani was down nearly 13 to 1 – the single-largest lead going into heads-up play at the WSOP in over three years. Scott’s 3,800,000 in chips, festooned in dozens of neat columns looked like the Acropolis compared to Rouhani’s 290,000 shack.

Overlooked in Scott’s extraordinary victory was Rouhani’s remarkable survival skills. Perhaps no player had fewer key cards or bigger hands at this year’s World Series, and yet still managed to win more prize money ($429,065). On the previous day, when play had dwindled down to 35-players, Rouhani had less than 100,000 in chips and made a few key folds holding marginal hands which enabled him to survive longer in the tournament. Rouhani never had many chips in this event, yet still managed to outlast all but the last of 2,050 players.   

Rouhani put all of his last chips into the pot as the favorite. His pocket eights were in the lead on the final hand of the tournament. But Scott simply could not be stopped. His queen-six made a pair when a queen landed on board, and Rouhani ended up as the last victim of what can only be described as poker’s closest thing to a massacre. 

The new poker champion was interviewed afterward and began with a classic understatement. “I came in with 1.5 million,” Scott said. “I was able to use my chips to run over the table.”

Scott was complimentary toward his opponents, particularly Rouhani. “Maybe I’m going to write a poker book,” he said. “I’m going to put (Rouhani) in it for how to play short-handed in tournaments. He was simply amazing.”

Justin Scott’s trip to Las Vegas may have started off with a wimper. But it certainly ended with a bang. He went from being flat broke to $842,262 richer. “I’m going to pay off the rest of my dad’s home,” Scott said. “Then, I’m going to buy a home for myself.”