Meet The 2015 WSOP Main Event Champ Joe McKeehen

This week, Joe McKeehen took down the most prestigious prize in the whole of tournament poker, the WSOP Main Event. On his way to victory the Pennsylvania pro had to first best a field of 6,420 players over 10 days to claim the tournament’s gold bracelet, as well as its top prize worth a staggering $7,683,346.
Despite now being thrust onto the world poker stage, the 24 year-old mathematics graduate has maintained his air of modesty, and continues to describe himself as just an “Average Joe”. His appearance would certainly seem to support his claim, too, as he could easily pass for any suburban, nerdy America 20+ year-old, and even his online poker screen name, “dude904” suggests his being just another guy amongst many.
On greater scrutiny, however, Joe McKeehen is anything but ordinary and before taking down the 2015 WSOP Main Event, he had previously won another world games title, becoming the World Risk Champion in 2010. Giving a little insight into his approach to games in general, McKeehen explained:
“Maybe my mom encouraging me at an early age helped shape me in that direction but anything in life, I always try to find the best possible route and in poker it’s just the same way. I’m trying to find the best possible route to win all the chips. I’m trying to find the best possible route in this hand to play it the best way I know how.”
Joe McKeehen also proved his consistency and talent for poker, even before winning the Main Event, and went into the tournament having already amassed $1,995,070 in live tournament earnings, as well as a further $1,173,693 playing online. During his four month November Nine break, McKeehen even managed to win the $1,500 Wynn Fall Classic for $90,125, and now boasts $9,772,256 in live earnings, placing him at number 39 on poker’s ‘All Time Money List’. Needless to say, Joe is anything but an ordinary poker player in a discipline where only the top 1% are believed to make a living from the game.
Congratulations to McKeehen on securing himself a place in poker’s history books, and becoming the latest world ambassador for the game. Together with his other achievements, whilst managing to mostly fly under the radar, we salute you as anything but an average Joe.