Nick Yunis has become the 2024 World Poker Tour bestbet Scramble champion, winning $315,791 and the iconic Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.
All eyes were on three-time champion Eric Afriat as six-handed play began at the bestbet poker room in Jacksonville. The 55-year-old Canadian came in with a commanding 6.5 million chip stack which put him nearly 60 bigs ahead of second-place Nick Funaro.
A fourth WPT title for Afriat would take him level with current record-holder Darren Elias, who captured four titles between September 2014 and May 2018 (plus a painfully close runner-up finish at the 2010 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown).
But it was Yunis who would emerge top of the 361-player field, taking down the biggest score of his career only a few months after becoming a father for the first time.
WPT bestbet Scramble Championship Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Yunis | $315,791 | Canada |
| 2 | Yunkyu Song | $252,059 | U.S. |
| 3 | Eric Afriat | $165,000 | U.S. |
| 4 | Joseph Jordan | $123,000 | Chile |
| 5 | Nicholas Funaro | $93,000 | South Korea |
| 6 | Dion Jagroo | $71,000 | U.S. |
Afriat Goes for Glory
Jagroo entered the final six as the short stack and it didn’t take long for then-chip leader Afriat to send him packing. With his stack dwindling, Jagroo took his chances and jammed with just a gutshot straight draw on the queen-high board. Afriat found the call with pocket jacks and eliminated Jagroo while extending his lead.
Funaro was next to go after one of those hands where you look like a genius when it works but kick yourself when it doesn’t.
He picked up 9♣3♣ and got into a blind-on-blind war with Yunis, who held 8♣5♥. Yunis flopped two pair on the Q♥8♦5♣ flop, making him a 90% favorite to win the hand, but Funaro was having none of it. Yunis checked it to his opponent on all three streets, with Funaro firing on the flop, again on the A♠ turn, and then unloading the clip on the K♣ river. Yunis wasn’t a believer and correctly made the call to send Funaro to the rail.
Perhaps Yunis was giving off the vibe he could be bluffed off of big pots, because it wasn’t long before Jordan also tried his luck in similar fashion. Yunis was standing strong with a boat and snap-called the river shove of Jordan with just king high. This left him crippled, and soon after he committed his final few blinds with Yunis again seeing him off. It’s easy when you’ve got it, as they say.
A Game-Changing Bluff
If any viewers thought Yunis was simply hitting the cards, that was all about to change with a major bluff against Afriat in three-handed play.
Yunis began the hand with just under 7m and raised on the button with Q♠8♥. Afriat called in the small with 9♣7♣ on around 5.7m, and Song came along with a stack of 5.1m.
The flop came 9♠10♣6♣ giving Afriat middle pair, the flush draw and gutshot straight draw. He opted to lead out small, prompting a call from Song’s J♠10♠ top pair. Yunis weighed up his options and stuck in a raise to 700k with his double gutter, which Afriat three-bet to 1.5m. Song folded and Yunis paid to see a turn.
The 3♠ did little for Yunis but was a good card for Afriat, who led out for 25% pot. Yunis called the 1m and they went to the river.
The 5♠ confirmed that Afriat had the best hand but Yunis sensed weakness in his lead for just 1/10 pot. It didn’t take long for Yunis to jam it all in and Afriat just couldn’t muster a call.
You can see how it went down from the 4:13:30 mark below.
All wasn’t yet lost for Afriat, who got himself into a terrific position in an all-in against Song. He began well ahead with pockets kings against pocket nines, until a nine on the flop ended his hunt for a record-equalling fourth WPT title.
Heads-Up Play
Eliminating Afriat helped Song, but he still trailed to the 2:1 chip advantage of Yunis as the two entered heads-up play. With big bucks on the line, the two agreed on a deal which meant they were effectively playing for $33,000, a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat in Las Vegas, and the title.
Heads up lasted 18 hands, including a double up for Song when short stacked with J♥10♦ against J♦5♦, but ultimately the cards would favor Yunis.
With his opponent sitting on just 11 big blinds, Yunis applied the pressure with K♠3♥ and ran into Song’s K♣5♣. Song looked good value for at least a split pot, but the 3♦ on the river gave Yunis two pair and the championship.