The 2018 world champion secured his first live tournament cash in four years on Wednesday
Former world champion John Cynn ended a notable four-year absence from the live tournament payout window at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The Chicago area native successfully navigated past the money bubble during the secondary stage of the $10,000 buy in No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship. This achievement marks the first official tournament cash for the veteran player across any global poker circuit since July 2022.
The milestone occurred immediately following a scheduled dinner break when player Jon Shoreman fell in 31st place to burst the money bubble. This performance guarantees Cynn a return to the payout sheet after a prolonged competitive hiatus.
Cynn famously earned $8.8 million eight years ago after prevailing in an exceptionally lengthy heads-up battle against Tony Miles. Since that career-defining victory, the champion has accumulated less than $500,000 in total live tournament earnings.
Despite the recent success, the former champion indicated that his tournament schedule will remain highly selective for the remainder of the summer. Cynn stated that his upcoming plans likely only include participation in the flagship Main Event rather than a full schedule of preliminary tournaments. His professional focus has shifted dramatically in recent years toward private cash games alongside occasional appearances on major Los Angeles streaming broadcasts.
The prestigious lowball championship concludes play on Thursday with a top prize of $428,923 awaiting the eventual winner. Prior to this event, Cynn held just over $10.2 million in career live earnings according to historical poker databases. Securing the top spot in this event would nearly double his collective tournament winnings accumulated since his historic world championship run.
