Mike Jukich was so overcome with joy after his World Series of Poker win that he jumped on the table of the main stage. That’s what a jackpot of nearly $1 million will do.
Jukich earned his victory in the $1,500 Monster Stack, Event No. 21 of the 2022 World Series of Poker, after opponent Mateusz Moolhuizen went all-in on a pocket king and queen of clubs. With a high-card ace, Jukich claimed his first gold bracelet and a total of $966,577.
He was the last man standing out of a field that started with 6,501 entries.
Warning: NSFW Language
Watch the incredible final moments of @WSOP Event #21: $1,500 Monster Stack as Mike Jukich, filled with emotion, takes a leap onto the table after sealing his victory.
A full replay of the event is available now on PokerGO.
🔁 – Watch it here: https://t.co/mGobn7nF56 pic.twitter.com/GYbehWf2PG
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 15, 2022
In case you didn’t get a good look at it, here’s a freeze frame.
Jukich’s excitement comes with good reason. He’d apparently been chasing this moment since losing his chip lead and finishing 12th in 2013.
“So, what’s haunted me before was in 2013 I think I was chip leader with 12 left in a $1,500 event and $720,000 up top and I ended up getting 12th and was devastated,” Jukich said in a PokerGo press release. “So I didn’t get in the Thunderdome, didn’t mark it off the bucket list of making a WSOP final table, none of that. I was super disappointed. I just never really ran good any summer I was out here until I finally had a deep run in the Main Event after the 12th-place finish. But yeah, I was pumped this year.”
As the runner-up, Moolhuizen took home $597,362. Third-place finisher Francis Anderson won $449,912.
[listicle id=1911923]
[mm-video type=video id=01g5m2pg62j6j2b07bv4 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g5m2pg62j6j2b07bv4/01g5m2pg62j6j2b07bv4-2c5646264c1c0edf9ee4aad7bae6157a.jpg]