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LONDON -- 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Martin Jacobson of Sweden will be at this year's WSOP to defend his title, Gambling 911 can reveal in a world exclusive report!
Speculation had been rampant in the poker world for weeks about whether the 27-year-old champ, who now lives in England, would be at the 2015 WSOP, which gets underway on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Jacobson hadn't made any public statement either way--saying he would or would not be going to this year's WSOP--and WSOP officials questioned by Gambling 911 last week said they had no idea if he was showing up.
So Gambling 911 earlier this week crossed the pond and sat down with the bearded Swedish multi-millionaire at his posh home in a ritzy section of the British capital city and asked him his plans for the 2015 Main Event, as well as for the rest of the WSOP.
"Yes, I'm going!" Jacobson exclaimed when asked if he'd be in Vegas to defend his Main Event title, which earned him a cool $10 million, as well as a gold-and-diamond WSOP championship bracelet and world fame.
And the Main Event won't be the only tournament at this year's WSOP that he'll be entering.
"My plan, as always, is to play in all the no-limit Texas hold 'em events," Jacobson said.
And what does he think his chances are of repeating as Main Event champ?
"I think my chances to win the Main Event again are about 3,000-1, but with so many variables, it's really tough to estimate," Jacobson said.
Since winning the title last November, Jacobson has become a multi-millionaire, a poker superstar and a television personality and has travelled the world, hobnobbed with celebrities, posed for numerous "selfies" with fans and signed numerous autographs.
But it's all become old hat, said Jacobson, trying not to sound too jaded by the "rigors" of fame and fortune.
"My life hasn't really changed at all, so it's pretty much been business as usual," he said. "I'm just enjoying playing poker and being able to make a living out of one of my passions."
One thing Jacobson has been able to accomplish that some of his immediate predecessors as WSOP Main Event champ have not is to avoid the so-called "WSOP Jinx," which has been plaguing WSOP Main Event winners since Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event in 2003 after qualifying in an online poker tournament and ignited a worldwide poker boom.
After Moneymaker won, his wife divorced him, getting half his poker winnings.
After Australian Joe Hachem won the title, he got death threats and had to go into hiding.
After Jamie Gold won it, he was sued for half his winnings by his gay lover, who claimed to have staked Gold his entry fee.
After Greg "Fossilman" Raymer won it, he was the victim of a mugging attempt in a Vegas hotel and then later was arrested in North Carolina for soliciting a prostitute.
After Canadian Jonathan Duhamel won it, he was beaten up and seriously injured in a home invasion and robbery at his Montreal residence.
Worst of all for Duhamel, in addition to some cash, his WSOP Main Event championship bracelet was stolen in the robbery and still hasn't been recovered.
Or shown up on eBay.
By Tom Somach
Gambling911.com Staff Writer
