This year’s event drew 327 entries and generated a prize pool of $1,487,850
The WPT Bestbet Scramble Championship made a strong return to Jacksonville, easily surpassing its $1 million guarantee and reaffirming the venue’s reputation as one of Florida’s premier tournament stops. This year’s event drew 327 entries at $5,000 each, generating a prize pool of $1,487,850 after two opening flights and several days of play. When the final hand fell, Tallahassee’s Connor Rash captured the title, earning $315,350 and securing a $10,400 seat to December’s WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
For Rash, the victory also delivered a valuable push in the Player of the Year race, adding 960 POY points to his season tally. Prior to this win, his largest score came at the 2024 World Series of Poker, where he placed eighth in the $10,000 six-max event for $78,455. The Bestbet triumph pushed his lifetime earnings past the $1 million mark, giving him a new career high.
The final table began with six players, with Rash holding the chip lead. Early setbacks included losing races against Byron Kaverman and later falling behind after Dylan Smith rivered a full house against his pocket queens. Smith then surged into the lead, eliminating Jessica Dawley in sixth and Matthew Ahern in fifth with back-to-back strong pocket pairs.
Rash regained momentum in four-handed play after winning a major pot against Smith with a wheel straight. The two continued to clash, and Rash later completed a heart flush on the river to pull far ahead, climbing to 137 big blinds. The next elimination came when Rash’s straight sent Russell Dizer out in fourth place for $112,000.
Three-handed play narrowed the field to Rash and Smith after Rash’s pair of fives held against Kaverman’s ace-king, knocking the 2015 WSOP champion out in third for $150,000. Rash held a dominant chip advantage going into heads-up play, although Smith managed an early double.
The comeback effort didn’t last. In the final hand, Rash hit an open-ended straight on the turn, while Smith held two pair. Their chips went in, and the river brought no help for Smith, giving Rash the championship and ending a dramatic final table. Smith earned $200,000 for second place and pushed his career earnings over $5.1 million.
