It took a while, however the $1 million thriller bounty ultimately surfaced.
Just below six hours after Day 2 of the inaugural Mini Thriller Tens of millions obtained underway on the 2026 World Collection of Poker, one lucky participant peeled again the event’s most wished prize.
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Persistence Pays Off as Shelton Wins a Million
It took 43 gamers drawing from the Gold Chest, which contained any bounty prize price $25,000 or extra, earlier than the $1,000,000 bounty was pulled.
Jeff Platt was joined on stage by Shelton, who chosen his ticket and slowly pulled it from the packaging. The primary digit was a one, and he immediately knew what it meant. He had pulled the largest Thriller Bounty on supply and was out of the blue a millionaire.
In line with PokerNews reside reporter Tim Baker, Shelton erupted in celebration, shouting and screaming uncontrollably, whereas the remainder of the sphere let loose a collective sigh, realizing the largest bounty was off the desk.
Shelton completed 102nd within the Mini Thriller Tens of millions for $3,350, however the seven-figure prize will likely be of significantly extra curiosity to him, his household and his buddies.
Millionaire Shelton’s Response
Shelton spoke solely to PokerNews and stated that his bustout, partly, led him to attract the highest bounty.
“Once I drew [the Gold Chest], I used to be below the gun,” he defined. “So I stated I might play my button after which go up after that. However on my button, I get AxKx in towards 8x8x to bust.
“So if I might have simply gone up right away, I might nonetheless be within the event.”
“It just about doubles my web price!”
However Shelton says he isn’t too frightened about that now that he is $1,000,000 richer.
“It just about doubles my web price!” he stated. “A part of me felt like this was my 12 months. I am not a brilliant superstitious particular person, however I felt one thing massive was going to occur.”
By the point Shelton went to attract, there was a 1 in 8 likelihood for him to attain the seven-figure rating, one thing he says he wasn’t frightened about as he is “hit method worse than one in eight earlier than.”
“I am the second-best poker participant from Sacramento, behind Mike Postle”
Describing himself as a fortunate leisure participant, Shelton says outdoors of poker, he manages property, however he will not be seeking to grind many extra tournaments along with his newfound wealth.
“One World Collection of Poker event a 12 months is an excessive amount of grind. I am a leisure participant. I am the second-best poker participant from Sacramento, behind Mike Postle.
“I’ll get together and mess around with the boys. Hopefully, I survive and do not go too onerous. After which I simply have to determine the place I’m going from there!”
Shelton Joins Glantz & Montoya in Million Greenback Bounty Membership
Whereas the Mini Thriller Tens of millions is making its debut on the WSOP schedule this summer season, the seven-figure bounty has already turn into one of many collection’ most sought-after prizes due to the success of its larger brother, the $1,000 Thriller Tens of millions.
The primary-ever $1 million bounty was pulled by Matt Glantz when the event debuted in 2022, creating some of the memorable moments of that 12 months’s WSOP.
Since then, tens of hundreds of gamers have flocked to the occasion chasing the dream of turning a event knockout right into a life-changing rating.
Final summer season, that dream grew to become actuality for 23-year-old Tyler Montoya. Remarkably, it took lower than an hour for the highest prize to be claimed, with Montoya discovering the million-dollar envelope on simply the seventh bounty draw of the day.
“If you happen to’re a stripper on the strip membership, you need to be working tonight,” Montoya suggested after revealing the prize.
Calum Grant
Senior Editor & Stay Occasions Government
Calum has written for varied poker shops however discovered his residence at PokerNews, the place he has contributed to numerous articles and reside updates, offering insights and reporting on main poker occasions, together with the World Collection of Poker (WSOP).
