Scott Blumstein

Scott Blumstein was born on March 27, 1992, in Morristown, New Jersey. He attended Temple University, where he earned a degree in accounting. After graduating, he decided to pursue a career in professional poker, building on skills he had developed playing online.

Blumstein began his poker journey online, playing under the screen name "Sblum2711." Over time, he accumulated nearly $150,000 in online tournament winnings, honing his deep-stack and aggressive play. He then transitioned to live tournaments, with his first significant live cash coming in July 2016 at the Borgata Summer Poker Open. There, he won a $560 buy-in event for $199,854 – at the time his largest live cash by a wide margin. He also recorded three cashes on the WSOP Circuit prior to his breakout.

In 2017, Blumstein entered the World Series of Poker Main Event, a $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em championship. Remarkably, he played only one WSOP bracelet event that summer: the Main Event. According to close friend Chris Horter, Blumstein had boldly predicted his success, saying, "I'm going to skip all of the WSOP, and I'm just going to win the Main."

Blumstein navigated a field of 7,221 entrants – the third-largest Main Event field at the time – and entered the final table as the chip leader. At the final table, he faced several experienced opponents, including Dan Ott. The heads-up duel lasted 65 hands; on the 246th hand of the final table, Blumstein’s A♥ 2♦ held against Ott’s A♦ 8♦ when a deuce hit the river, securing him the $8,150,000 first prize and the WSOP bracelet. The victory remains one of the largest payouts in poker history.

Since his Main Event win, Blumstein has continued to compete in both live and online events. He has cashed in multiple WSOP tournaments, including:

• 2018 WSOP Event #39: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout – 46th place ($5,227)
• 2019 WSOP Event #50: Monster Stack $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em – 627th place ($2,705)
• 2021 WSOP.com Online Bracelet Event #8: $888 NLH Crazy Eights – 109th place ($1,251)
• 2022 WSOP Online $500 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack – 275th place ($876)
• 2023 WSOP Event #76: $10,000 Main Event – 782nd place ($25,000)
• 2023 WSOP Online Event #5: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max – 15th place ($6,882)
• 2024 WSOP Event #81: $10,000 Main Event – 1,137th place ($17,500)
• 2024 WSOP Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship – 109th place ($8,989)
• 2026 WSOP Event #82: $10,000 Main Event – 671st place ($25,000)

Outside the WSOP, he has cashed in events such as the 2017 WPT Borgata Poker Open ($10,508 for 52nd) and the 2019 Poker Masters $10,000 event (6th for $58,200). As of 2024, his total live tournament earnings exceed $8.6 million, placing him among the top 200 on the all-time money list for US players.

Blumstein is known for an aggressive, positionally aware strategy that is particularly effective in deep-stacked situations. He applies consistent pressure with frequent bets and raises, forcing opponents into difficult decisions. However, he avoids unnecessary risks in marginal spots, demonstrating patience and discipline. His adaptability allows him to adjust to table dynamics and opponent tendencies, making him a formidable opponent in large-field tournaments.

Blumstein maintains a relatively low public profile. He is known to be a fan of sports and enjoys traveling. He has appeared in occasional poker media interviews, including a "This or That" video feature, but generally stays out of the spotlight. He resides in Morristown, New Jersey.

Blumstein's 2017 Main Event victory cemented his place in poker history as one of the few players to win poker's most prestigious tournament on their first attempt. His $8.15 million prize remains one of the largest in WSOP history. The win also earned him a WSOP bracelet and recognition as the Tournament Performance of the Year. Despite his relatively limited live tournament resume outside the Main Event, Blumstein’s prediction and execution of winning the Main Event after skipping other events has become a notable story in poker lore.