Imagine having the opportunity to play in poker’s most prestigious poker tournament for just $109.
That’s exactly what Canada’s Dean Morrone did after qualifying for the 2019 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on 888poker. Not only that, on just his second trip to Las Vegas and first time playing the Main Event, he managed to turn his small investment into a $59,295 payday.
“I saw their online ads for the Main Event satellites, and I’ve always wanted to play this event, so I gave it a shot,” Morrone explained to Poker Central.
Turning Both His Life and Poker Game Around
Morrone, a fabricator in the oil and gas industry, originally hails from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, home to just over 12,000 residents. He first learned to play poker in his father’s home games and fine-tuned his game playing online.
Given the nearest poker room being 45 miles away and needing a change from a “dark spot” in his life, Morrone made the decision to relocate to Calgary.
“It’s crazy how one little change can affect your whole life,” he said in an interview with PokerNews. Among the changes he revealed were moving away from drugs and alcohol and instead focusing on poker and family. The latter have proven incredibly supportive of the former, as have friends and strangers from his hometown. To say it’s been a whirlwind adventure would be an understatement.
“I won a $100 satellite on 888poker that gave me a ticket into the [WSOP Main Event],” Morrone told PocketFives in a separate interview. “888poker flew us here, gave us some spending money, a week in a really nice hotel, and if I’m the last qualifier standing I get to come do it all over again next year. 888poker has been really good to us. I highly recommend trying to satellite online to get into this tournament.”
Morrone admits that he was initially focused on locking up a min-cash in the tournament – something common among satellite qualifiers – but little did he know that he’d get much more than that.
Living the Dream
On Day 5, Morrone had the biggest stack among the returning 354 players.
"It feels like an absolute simulation, I can't believe this is real life,” Morrone told PokerNews after bagging at the end of Day 4. “I've watched this tournament on TV over the years, always just manifested me playing it, it's all coming into effect."
Unfortunately, things didn’t go so well for Morrone on Day 5. He started the day as chip leader, but after an unsuccessful bluff against Antonio Esfandiari, he saw his stack cut down considerably.
Then in Level 24 (25,000/50,000/50,0000, Chris “Big Huni” Hunichen raised and Morrone three-bet to 325,000. Hunichen put in a four-bet and then called when Morrone shoved.
Hunichen: K♣K♦
Morrone: A♠9♦
Morrone managed to catch an ace on the 4♠A♦K♥ flop, but it was no good as Hunichen also found a set. The 5♥ turn left Morrone drawing dead, and he watched helplessly as the meaningless 8♣ was run out on the river to put an end to his 2019 WSOP Main Event.
Morrone ultimately finished in 159th place to turn his $109 investment into a $59,295 payday.
“I started out as a losing player in my early twenties, but since then I’ve evaluated my life and my game a lot, and it’s completely changed,” Morrone said while chatting with Poker Central.
For more on Morrone, check out the video interview he did with Sarah Herring:
