Nick Yunis Makes History For Chile! Wins WPT bestbet Scramble Championship For $315,791

Nick Yunis (cover image), the Chilean poker pro, has just achieved what many players only dream of. On November 19, at the World Poker Tour (WPT) bestbet Scramble Championship in Jacksonville, Florida, he took down the title, the trophy, and a mountain of cash.

Yunis bought into the tournament for $5,000 and walked away with a life-changing $347,850 after a heads-up deal. Yunkyu Song, who just won the WPT Prime Playground Championship last month, gave him a run for his money but ultimately finished in second place, taking home $252,059.

Nick Yunis is your WPT @bestbet_jax Scramble Champion! 🏆

After more than a decade of grinding on the WPT, Nick Yunis has finally secured his first WPT title!

Yunis triumphed at the $5,000 bestbet Scramble Championship in Jacksonville, etching his name on the prestigious Mike… pic.twitter.com/36pkyiFGw7

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) November 20, 2024

This win is a dream come true for Yunis, marking his largest tournament cash ever. He’ll now be heading to the WPT World Championship in Las Vegas next month with a pocket full of cash and a Golden Passport to the ClubWPT™ Gold $5M Invitational Freeroll.

“I still can’t believe it. I’m like, ‘Am I dreaming?’ Yunis said, still reeling from the victory. “I’ve been playing for so long, and to finally win a major title…it’s incredible. I’m thankful to God, to my supporters, and to my family that’s watching. My wife couldn’t come because of the baby, but I know they are extremely happy for me, and I’m just over the moon.”

But this victory is about more than just the money and the trophy. Yunis has etched his name in the poker history books as the first Chilean player ever to win a WPT Main Event title. “I’ve always wanted to represent Chile on the world stage,” he shared. “From the very beginning of my career, I’ve always made sure to ask reporters to put the Chilean flag next to my name. I really wanted to be the first to win a bracelet, but my friend Alex (Ramirez) won one this year (laughs). But now I can say that I’m the first Chilean to win a WPT Main Event. It’s really cool!”

With this victory, Yunis now has over $2.70 Million in total live earnings, extending his lead as Chile’s all-time money list leader.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska was full of praise for Yunis, stating, “Nick made his mark, and we happily welcome him to the WPT Champions Club and look forward to seeing him next month at the WPT World Championship.”

Tournament Highlights

The WPT bestbet Scramble Championship, with its $5,000 buy-in, attracted 361 hopefuls, creating a prize pool of over $1.6 Million. Only the top 46 players would get a piece of the pie, with a minimum cash of $9,100.

The tournament was full of exciting moments and heartbreaking exits. One of the most dramatic hands took place on the money bubble. Josh Hopkins, holding a strong nine-high flush, looked poised for a big payday. But unfortunately for him, Joe Jordan flopped a king-high flush, sending Hopkins to the rail just one spot shy of the money.

Three-time WPT champion Eric Afriat was a major contender throughout the tournament. He entered the final table as the chip leader, aiming to tie Darren Elias‘s record of four WPT titles. Afriat, a Canadian who loves Jacksonville, has over $5.60 Million in live tournament winnings, and everyone was wondering if this would be his time to add a fourth WPT title.

The tension was palpable when Afriat and Yunis clashed in a crucial three-handed pot. Afriat had the top pair and a flush draw, but Yunis, holding just queen-high, put him to the test with an all-in bet. It was a gutsy move, a pure bluff. Afriat agonized over the decision… and ultimately folded. Yunis raked in the biggest pot of the tournament thus far, crippling Afriat and taking a commanding lead. Afriat had to eventually settle for third place and $165,000.

The tournament attracted some of the biggest names in poker. WPT commentator and champion Tony Dunst made a deep run, finishing 16th. The 2015 WSOP Main Event champion, Joe McKeehen, finished right behind him in 17th place, both earning $16,800. Other notable players who cashed included WPT champions Vitalijs Zavorotnijs (22nd for $13,700) and Josh Reichard (34th for $9,100).

The entire final table action was streamed live on WPT’s YouTube channel. You can check out the replay below and witness Yunis’s incredible victory for yourself!

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Eric Afriat – 6,570,000
2. Nick Funaro – 3,680,000
3. Joe Jordan – 2,795,000
4. Nick Yunis – 2,690,000
5. Yunkyu Song – 1,335,000
6. Dion Jagroo – 1,035,000

Final Table Recap

Dion Jagroo was the first to fall, finishing in sixth place for $71,000. He moved all-in on the flop with a gutshot straight draw but couldn’t connect against Eric Afriat’s pocket jacks.

Nick Funaro, who entered the final table second in chips with his brother and fellow pro Frank Funaro cheering from the rail, was put to the test shortly after Dion Jagroo’s elimination. In a battle of the blinds, he made a daring multi-street bluff with . He aggressively raised both the flop and turn and then shoved all-in on the river with the board showing . Yunis called with , and Funaro’s bluff was exposed, sending him home in fifth place with $93,000.

Joe Jordan was the next to face a tough decision. He got involved in a big pot against Yunis, but the cards weren’t on his side. He ended up losing a crucial 60/40 hand, exiting in fourth place for $123,000.

With three players left, the battle intensified. Yunis started making big moves. First, he rivered a king-high straight to win a huge pot to pull ahead of Afriat. Then, he pulled off an incredible bluff, shoving all in on the river with nothing but air! Afriat, holding the better hand, couldn’t bring himself to call and had to fold. Yunis was now in the driver’s seat with Afriat on the ropes.

Eric Afriat, desperate to get back in the game, found himself all-in with against Yunkyu Song’s . The flop came , giving Song a set of nines! Afriat was drawing very thin, needing a club or a kind. The turn s5] and river bricked, and just like that, Afriat’s dream of a fourth WPT title was shattered. He finished in third place, earning a respectable $165,000.

With Nick Yunis holding a nearly 2:1 chip lead over Yunkyu Song, the two players decided to make a deal, reducing the payjumps. But the title and the glory were still up for grabs. Song managed to double up once but still faced an uphill battle. Finally, with Song down to just 11 big blinds, the final hand played out.

Yunis, on the button, shoved all-in with . Song, in the big blind, looked down at and made the call. The flop was a rollercoaster: ! Top pair for both players! The turn was the , giving Song a flush draw. Could he pull off the double-up and get back in the game? The river came… the ! Yunis improved to two pair, kings and threes, and that was it! Nick Yunis, the poker player from Chile, had made history by winning the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship!

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Nick Yunis – $315,791
2. Yunkyu Song – $252,059
3. Eric Afriat – $165,000
4. Joe Jordan – $123,000
5. Nick Funaro – $93,000
6. Dion Jagroo – $71,000

*denotes a heads-up deal

Content & Images Courtesy: World Poker Tour