Top Stories of 2024, #8: Three Bracelets for Scott Seiver in Summer of Success
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The story of the summer at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was that of Scott Seiver winning three gold bracelets, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in Las Vegas since Jeff Lisandro did it back in 2009 (Note: George Danzer won three bracelets enroute to becoming 2014 POY but one of them was at WSOP Asia-Pacific).
Seiver’s summer performance was so good that it not only earned him 2024 WSOP Player of the Year Honors, despite strong competition from both Michael Rocco and Jeremy Ausmus but also the honor of being PokerNews’ No. 8 story of 2024.
Seiver Aims to Make a Point
While he has a tournament poker resumé most would envy – he sits 34th on the all-time money list with over $27 million in lifetime earnings dating back to 2006 according to The Hendon Mob – Seiver is primarily a cash game player.
He will often forgo tournament play, including the annual WSOP, in favor of the side action. That was especially true in 2023 when he amassed just $227,620 in tournament earnings, a career-low since 2007 not including the pandemic year of 2020.
After seeing his colleague Brian Rast, who one could argue is cut from the same cloth in terms of balancing cash games and tournaments, get inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2023, Seiver felt a bit of inspiration.
You see, Rast had won the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for the second time that summer, which gave him his sixth gold bracelet. It was a result that no doubt helped push him over the edge with Poker Hall of Fame voters. With only four bracelets to his credit and slated to turn the PHoF-eligible 40 years old on April 14, 1985, Seiver figured it was a good time to show everyone just why he belonged amongst poker’s greats.
“It’s literally the reason I’m doing this right now," Seiver told PokerNews during the summer. "I think that some people that are supremely familiar with poker might have forgotten me as much. I’ve been really playing mostly cash games, very high-stakes nosebleed games, but more out of the tournament scene, which makes it more out of the public eye.
"And turning 40 next year, that’s why I wanted to come play these tournaments and just put some cherries on top of the resume.”
Seiver’s Prior Bracelets
Seiver won his first bracelet at the 2011 WSOP when he took down $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $755,891. A decade later, Seiver took down the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship at the 2018 WSOP for a second bracelet and $296,222.
Seiver's third bracelet was earned during the 2019 WSOP when he took down the $10,000 Razz event for $301,421. He came close to winning a fourth bracelet at the 2021 WSOP in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship but ultimately finished in fourth place for $107,967.
In 2022, Seiver won his fourth bracelet by taking down Event #3: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em for $320,059.
Scott Seiver's WSOP Bracelets
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Event #21: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 1st | $755,891 |
| 2018 | Event #52: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship | 1st | $296,222 |
| 2019 | $10,000 Razz (Event #62) | 1st | $301,421 |
| 2022 | Event #3: $2,500 Freezeout NLH | 1st | $320,059 |
| 2024 | Event #10: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 1st | $426,744 |
| 2024 | Event #40: $1,500 Razz | 1st | $141,374 |
| 2024 | Event #72: $10,000 NL 2-7 Lowball Championship | 1st | $411,041 |
Hitting a Turkey in 2024
Seiver became a five-time WSOP bracelet winner in 2024, taking down Event #10: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 Or Better Championship for $426,744.
"I came into this summer with a real desire to try and win as many bracelets as I can"
“This bracelet actually means a lot to me," he said after the victory. "Everyone (who) plays a tournament, they always want to win. But I came into this summer with a real desire to try and win as many bracelets as I can."
He added: "Honestly, I’ve been one of the best in the world at cash games, heads-up no-limit tournaments, literally almost any form of poker there has been. And I just feel that it was important to let people know that I’m still here and doing this.”
Two weeks after capturing his fifth bracelet, Seiver won the $1,500 Razz event for bracelet number six and another $141,374 in prize money.
“It’s this weird feeling where you set a goal that should be close to impossible and then take the steps to do it,” Seiver said after the second win. “It’s the entire motivator. I really, truly want to win Player of the Year this year. I’m going to do as much as I can to make that happen.”
Amazingly, Seiver completed a remarkable hat-trick after taking down Event 72: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship for his third bracelet of the summer and another $411,041.
"I feel very satisfied right now," Seiver told PokerNews after the win. "I can't really describe it. I'm like on Cloud Nine right now. This just means so much to me, and it also is a step in a personal journey I've made for myself where I've had an eye-in-the-sky dream where I want to win one bracelet in every single discipline there is."
Seiver said he would like to win a bracelet in nine poker variants during his career, and he's already achieved five before turning 40. The champ's three bracelets in a single series put him in elite company with Lisandro (2009), Phil Ivey (2002), Ted Forrest (1993), Phil Hellmuth (1993), and Puggy Pearson (1973). Danzer won three in 2014, but his first came in the World Series of Poker Asia Pacific (APAC) series.
Winning POY as Well
The three bracelet wins propelled Seiver to the top of the 2024 WSOP Player of the Year race, which he never relinquished and he picked up that prestigious accolade for the first time.
Funny enough, in late May after the Daniel Negreanu $25K Fantasy Draft, Seiver, who was selected by Team AJ’s Eagles for $37, took to X for what no doubt proved another money-making venture.
2024 WSOP Player of the Year Top 10 Standings
Seiver's performance at the WSOP was one for the record books, and come next year, if he has his way, it'll be what ultimately helps push him over the edge for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame.
