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Amateur Wins $1 Million in Colossus III Event

Thomas Pomponio of Manahawkin, New Jersey took down the Colossus III event for $1 million at the World Series of Poker yesterday. The $565 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event was added to the WSOP schedule in 2015 and had a record-setting number of entrants with over 22,000 players. This year’s tournament had over 18,000 entrants, good for third most of all time in WSOP history, and lasted for nine days.

Pomponi, who works as a butcher, outlasted the other 18,052 players to win his first ever World Series of Poker bracelet. He started the final day of the tournament in 5th place but rallied towards the end to take it down. In the final hand, Taylor Black of Santa Cruz, California was all-in preflop with Js8c and Pomponio called with Ad6d. It was by far the biggest win in his 10+ years playing poker.

Before this, my largest cash was $62k online and $24k live, so it’s a little bit of an improvement. It’s so surreal. Ever since I was a kid, at night I would dream of sitting at the end holding up the gold. And somehow it’s real now. Pretty crazy.

Pomponio won’t have much time to celebrate, however, as he’s supposed to be back at work this Saturday. He still lives with his parents, so hopefully after this win he can move out and get nice place of his own.

 

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