Seat 1: Scott Wellenbach, 67, Halifax, NS/Canada - 6,015,000
Canadian Scott Wellenbach is best known for donating his €61,400 cash after he finished 17th in the PokerStars Championship Barcelona 2017 – all of it – to charity. He intends to do exactly the same thing here regardless of how far up the payout ladder he goes, including the $1.5 million first prize.
Wellenbach has worked for more than 30 years translating Buddhist teachings and his outlook on life, money and gaming is philanthropic. He describes his road to the final table as “up and down” but admits that he’s been on the heater of his life in the Main Event. Wellenbach has what he refers to as a “knack” for online qualifiers, winning eight packages including one on PokerStars to come to the PCA.
When asked if he would be donating his PCA winnings, he replied, “Of course! Otherwise, the poker gods might cut me off – where would I be then?” and then said that he wanted to see the money go to “women’s education and feeding people who are hungry” among other causes. Wellenbach claims that he started playing poker with his family on seaside trips aged eight and his experience has served him well.
Scott Wellenbach's 2019 PCA Main Event
| Day | Position | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 155,400 | 22 / 349 |
| 3 | 334,000 | 26 / 79 |
| 4 | 1,135,000 | 11 / 20 |
| 5 | 6,015,000 | 2 / 6 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,015,000 |