John Cynn, the 2018 WSOP Main Event champion, returned to the money in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Low Card Draw Championship after a four-year hiatus, ending his long-term drought of live tournament winnings.
Former world champion John Cynn ended a four-year drought without live tournament prize money at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on Wednesday.
The Chicago-area local made it into the money after Day 2 dinner break in the #17:$10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Low Card Draw Championship, with Jon Shoreman finishing in 31st place to become the bubble boy. This secured the 2018 WSOP Main Event champion his first cash in any tournament (not just the WSOP) since July 2022.
Cynn, who defeated Tony Miles in one of the most memorable and longest heads-up matches in Main Event history, spoke to PokerNews about his first win in a while.
"Yes, it definitely feels great. This is my first tournament in a long time, you know, I forgot how tough it could be. It really feels good," Cynn said.
Will the poker champion return?
Cynn didn't play in the Main Event last year, winning $8.8 million after a heads-up match against Miles. However, in the eight years since his victory, his total live tournament winnings have been less than $500,000. And don't expect another big win anytime soon.
"I'll probably only play in one other tournament this summer, which is the main event," he said.
Cynn has occasionally appeared on Los Angeles-based cash game livestreams "Live at the Bike" and "Hustler Casino Live." His most recent appearance on "LATB" was in January 2023.
Although tournament poker is no longer a significant part of Cynn's life, he still fondly remembers the world's biggest tournament, which he won eight years ago.
“The main event itself is very special,” Cynn said. “I try to get excited about it every year.”
In recent years, Cynn has not only faded out of the tournament world, but has also reduced his involvement in cash games.
“I’ve been playing some cash games,” Cynn said when asked what he’d been up to lately. “Not as much as I used to. But I’m still playing quite a bit, though, yes, mostly cash games.”
At the time of writing, Cynn is still vying for his second gold bracelet (and his first since 2018). The $10k No-Limit 2-7 Low Card Draw Championship will crown a champion on Thursday, who will receive $428,923, a prize that will nearly double Cynn's live tournament winnings since winning the Main Event. Phil Hellmuth, Shaun Deeb, and Ren Lin are also among those who have made it into the money.
Prior to receiving this latest prize, Cynn's total live tournament winnings on The Hendon Mob amounted to approximately $10.2 million.
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