John Cynn Won the 2018 WSOP

In 2016, John Cynn suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. After battling the demanding tournament for 7 days, the gambler was knocked out in 11th place. The worst part was, he was only two spots away from becoming one of the November Nine.

After going through this, many gamblers would have thrown in the towel. Bagging a $650,000 consolation prize, Cynn could have enjoyed the money and never returned to Poker. As the WSOP attracts more the 7,000 players, it seemed likely that Cynn would suffer a repeat performance and go home empty-handed, if he returned to the competition. However, giving up wasn’t in his nature. Instead, Cynn picked himself up and returned to the WSOP in 2018. This time around, his hard work wasn’t in vain. Not only did Cynn make the prestigious November Nine, but he bagged first place in the competition.

How did the Tournament Start Out?

Cynn was crowned World Champion at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, on Sunday 15th June. Although the final day of the WSOP was Saturday, the competition dragged on until the early hours of Sunday morning, breaking the record for the longest ever Main Event. However, the hard work was all worth it when Cynn picked up the first-prize cheque of $8.8 million. He was knocked down a number of times during the 12-hour final day, but each time he got back up and returned with talent, passion, and impressive stamina.

While Cynn gratefully accepted the multimillion-dollar prize, he reassured the public that he didn’t need the money to be happy. He explained that the feeling of winning the WSOP couldn’t be compared with anything else. There is no equivalent to the one-of-a-kind event, and he’ll remember the feeling for the rest of his life.

Who was Cynn’s Main Competition?

To win the competition, Cynn had to overcome not only the other players but also his own doubts and fears. In 2018, 7,873 other players participated in the WSOP, making it the second largest intake in the tournament’s 49-year history. Throughout the event, Cynn’s main competition was 33-year old Tony Miles, who finished in second place after the gruelling battle.

At the start of the final day, Miles had a significant chip lead. However, when the tournament boiled down to just him and Cynn, the chip stacks were almost equal. During the final day, Cynn won an almighty 105 million chip pot; however, it wasn’t long before Miles scraped this back with an all-in bluff. After realising that he would have won the title had he called, many people expected Cynn’s gameplay to decline. To the amazement of the crowd, Cynn picked himself up and returned to the competition with a cool head. Throughout the course of the tournament, the pair would go on to play 442 hands before Cynn was crowned the champion.

How Did the Tournament end?

As the clock chimed midnight, spectators had no idea how much longer the battle would go on. Just after 1 am, Cynn had another chance to win. This time, he remembered Miles’s earlier bluff and decided to risk going all-in. When the pair showed their hands, Miles displayed a 3 and 6 of hearts, a Jack of diamonds, and a 6 and 4 of clubs. The pot was worth 200 million, and Miles’s cards brought him to a point of neck and neck once more. After a couple more hands, a pattern began to emerge. Although Miles was winning the big pots, Cynn continued to grind him down each time. As the clock struck 3 am, it was clear that Cynn only needed one major hand to hold up to bag the title. At 4:45 am, it finally happened. Cynn unveiled a King and Jack of clubs while all Miles had was a Queen of clubs and an 8 of hearts.

Although Miles didn’t win, he chose to see the tournament as a story of redemption. Just a few years ago, he was a drug addict and alcoholic, but Poker has enabled him to put those days behind him. The $5 million second place cheque will allow him to continue on his new path.

As the night drew to a close, Miles expressed his thoughts on Cynn’s win. “I have a ton of respect for him,” he said. “He’s going to be a great champion. I’m really happy for him.”

He added: “It was a war, and it was amazing. I’m sure it will go down in chronicles, in history as one of the best heads up matches ever.”

Similarly, Cynn was full of praise for Miles. He described him as a great guy that he had shared a unique experience with. He explained that they’d bonded over their shared passion during the tournament, and now have nothing but mutual respect for each other.

In Summary

Until the next WSOP, John Cynn will hold the title of World Champion. Given his drive and dedication, he may even show a repeat performance this year and make it into the prestigious November Nine once more.

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