DC's Max Steinberg Turned a $27 DraftKings Contest Into a 4th Place Finish At The WSOP Main Event, Earning $2,615,361
LVS - The shrewdest gambling move Max Steinberg made involving the World Series of Poker Main Event took place three months before the tournament began and had nothing to do with cards or chips. The 27-year-old local entered a handful of daily fantasy leagues on DraftKings.com that awarded a first-place prize into the $10,000 buy-in world championship of poker. He joined an NBA satellite event in early April, stacking his lineup with Golden State Warriors bench players knowing the starters would rest late in the season and Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins had a monster game and the eventual NBA champion Warriors put up characteristically big numbers, allowing Steinberg’s team to beat out more than 500 others. “It wasn’t even a sweat,” he said. “I won by a lot.”
ESPN - Prior to his DFS life, the 27-year-old poker pro was one of the brightest young poker players in the world. About a decade ago, Steinberg’s introduction to poker was the typical online story. About halfway into his time at American University in Washington D.C., Steinberg dropped out of college to play poker full time. However, instead of sitting in front of his computer screen all day, he decided to start playing on the poker circuit around the world. Born in Fairfield, Iowa, he always wanted to travel to other parts of the world and took advantage of the poker tour. “I always dreamed of seeing different parts of the world,” he said. “I traveled to Europe, to Australia, to Latin America, to China. I really enjoyed traveling around the world.” During his poker career, Steinberg earned almost $2 million (before this summer) and fulfilled the goal of every poker player: winning a bracelet. Additionally, he’s finished runner-up in three other bracelet events, including the nationally televised 2013 WSOP National Championship.
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Not too bad for a $27 investment. Did a little bit of DFS NBA on DraftKings, turned $27 into a 10k Main Event seat, and rode that puppy to a 4th place finish for over 2 million dollars. I’d say that’s a decent ROI. Just a kid from Iowa who moved to DC and dropped out of college to play poker. Cleaned up in the poker world, moved to DFS, and dominates there. Just goes to show that with a little bit of hard work, these games are beatable. Of course there is some luck involved, but it’s no coincidence that a top-tier poker player transitioned to DFS and is a beast at both. Which is why it’s bananas that online poker is illegal in the US and DFS might not be far behind. Both are games of skill. Neither game has someone holding a gun to your head requiring you to play it. The fact that the lottery exists…and is government run…but online poker is illegal outside of NJ and Nevada is the biggest hypocrisy known to man.
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Sorry for that little tangent there, but it’s bullshit and more people should care that our government decided what we can/cannot do with our own money from the comfort of our own home. But anyway, with Steinberg’s 4th place elimination last night, only 3 remain in the main event, playing down to a champion tonight. The favorite, as he has been since the final table began on Sunday, is professional poker player Joe McKeehen, a young guy from Philly. He came into the final table with a massive chiplead and hasn’t relinquished at all. With 3 players left he has 2/3 of the chips in play. When he wins, he takes home a cool 7.6 million dollars, and the crown of Philly’s first championship in 3 centuries (estimated).
PS: If you live in Jersey, sign up for the Barstool Poker Tournament. Win and you keep all da monies, plus tickets to Smackdown. What else are you going to do on a Wednesday? See some flops, make some cash.
PS: Poor Negreanu. 11th place in the Main Event. Would have been hugeeeee for poker if he final tabled. Biggest star in the game on ESPN chatting it up. It’s what the game needs. Brutal way to go out.