When one looks back on the poker boom era of the World Series of Poker, one of the distinct themes was the changing of the guard from the old school players who became instant television stars in the mid-aughts to the new-age, brash, young internet players who learned the game by grinding out thousands of hands per day online. Jeff Madsen was one of those young players, bursting onto the live tournament scene in 2006, the height of the poker boom pre-UIGEA. In the years since, he certainly hasn’t disappeared – he has still played quite well, racking up 40 total WSOP cashes and 11 final tables – but the magic moments have not come quite as fast and furious as they did during that sensational year. He was back in the spotlight Tuesday night, though, as he won his fourth bracelet, taking the title in the 2015 WSOP $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High-Low Split Championship.
Now, when I say “the magic moments have not come quite as fast and furious as they did during that sensational year,” that’s not a criticism. It would be nearly impossible to do what Madsen did in 2006. Just 21-years old at the time, he had one of the best World Series anyone has ever seen, winning two bracelets and finishing third twice more en route to the WSOP Player of the Year title. He was the youngest player ever to win two bracelets in a single World Series of Poker.
Since then, he has had loads of cashes including a couple other big wins. In 2010, he won the Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship Event for $625,006 and then in 2013, Madsen won his third WSOP bracelet, emerging as the champ of the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event.
After Phil Hellmuth won his 14th bracelet earlier during this WSOP, Madsen’s four might not seem like much, but keep in mind that only 34 players in the history of poker have won four or more bracelets. Madsen has achieved that feat at the age of 30.
For his part, Madsen doesn’t necessarily care about amassing bracelets. He just wants to play poker. “I think the competition is the most important thing to me,” Madsen told the WSOP interviewer after the win. “When I started out, I wasn’t thinking about winning 14 gold bracelets. If I just keep playing my game, I’ll rank up the stats.”
2006, though, still holds a special place in Madsen’s heart. When asked about where this victory ranks with his others, he said, “It’s all about maturity, it affects how you play the game. I’ve always tended to be a streaky player. But as I get older I am trying to be more consistent….As for which (WSOP) win is the best, the first win is better because it gives you money and confidence to keep on playing. So, I would say the first win.”
2015 World Series of Poker Event #31: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better – Final Table Results
1. Jeff Madsen – $301,413
2. Jeanmarc Thomas – $186,548
3. Rami Boukai – $123,976
4. Richard Tucker – $92,003
5. Sun Kwak – $69,044
6. John O’Shea – $52,324
7. Huarong Ma – $40,006
8. David “ODB” Baker – $30,833
9. Spencer Chen – $23,941