Joe McKeehen Was Honored at a Philadelphia Sixers Game after He Won the WSOP Main Event in an Allen Iverson Jersey.
Twenty-four hours after his historic victory in the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event, Joe McKeehen discussed his win and the new lifestyle he’ll have. From the understated way McKeehen and his family discussed the November Nine, one imagines the change will not be that radical.
Radical is not a word used to describe the 24-year old Joe McKeehen, whom most reporters have described as matter-of-fact. Running up to the WSOP Main Event final table, the Pennsylvania native was anything but understated. Nerves appeared to be getting the better of him or, perhaps better put, the desire to escape nerves was his overriding motivation.
Norman Chad on McKeehen’s Preparation
Norman Chad is the broadcaster who has become synonymous with the WSOP on ESPN broadcasts. Before every November Nine, Chad interviews the competitors. Among all the eccentrics and other characters whom he’s interviewed, Norman Chad described McKeehen as the most aloof. The new champion answered two questions via email and Chad says, combined, he might have written 10 words.
Chad said, “Before Sunday, he declared a media blackout. He wanted to be in a zone, he didn’t want outside distractions.”
Then quoting Churchill, the ESPN broadcaster added, “I think I said in the telecast, ‘He’s a mystery inside of a riddle inside of an enigma.’”
Described WSOP Main Event as “A Blast”
If he did not seem to be having fun, that was not the reality from the insider’s view. Asked about the experience in the waning hours after his victory in the Rio All-Suite Hotel-Casino, McKeehen said, “It’s something you don’t do every day. You don’t go on TV and play a game for way, way, way too much money. I had a blast.”
Of course, why wouldn’t he? The winner never faced any major adversity or challenges during his run to winning the biggest poker tournament all year. Saying the champion might have lost one big pot in the whole tournament, Norman Chad said, “He had no bad luck. Everything was in rhythm. If you have the most chips and you’re running good, it’s almost impossible not to win.”
McKeehen vs Beckley
Even the final hand was a bit anticlimactic. Josh Beckley, the second runner-up in the event, entered the November Nine with the smallest chip stack. Yet there he was, able to survive until the heads-up showdown for 1st place. After his masterful run to secure a spot in the final two, Beckley had shown he had staying power.
And then it was over. Only 30 minutes into the heads-up contest between Josh Beckley and Joe McKeehen, the contest was over. Discussing how easily it all happened, the champion said, “I was like, ‘Wow, this just went really smooth. It’s over. That was really fast.'”
Fans shouldn’t cry for Josh Beckley. For his trouble, the 24-year old won $4.47 million and a lifetime of rebroadcasts on ESPN. Joe McKeehen took $7.68 million, the gold WSOP Main Event bracelet, and a place among the historic names of professional poker as a winner of the sport’s biggest event.
McKeehen Family in Attendance
Yet when the champion discussed the event, he spent much of his time discussing his family’s experience. His parents, Brent and Gina McKeehen, came along with the rest of the family to cheer on their now-famous son. Joe’s 10-year old brother and several family friends joined the entourage, cheering on their favorite to the sound of “Joey Ice Cubes”–his poker nickname.
Joe’s parents had never seen him play poker live. They had seen him on television or live streaming online sitting at home back in Pennsylvania, but those sources never had the sound turned up. Therefore, they found it remarkable that the players engaged in small talk and banter durign the hands.
Impressions of the Poker Game
Brent, Joe’s father, said, “We didn’t know it was friendly banter. Maybe somebody was talking smack about our son. Or trying to get into his head.”
Gina McKeehen echoed the sentiment, “Everybody was wonderful. These people were real gentlemen. We learned a lot about Joe these last few days. We saw a side of him that we’ve never seen before.”
Joe McKeehen indicated the family support was a key part of his focus and calm during the latter stages of the November 9. Of having his family there when through preparation time and the eventually victory celebraton, Joe said, “Initially I didn’t think anything of it, but as the time came, it meant a lot for them to be there.”
Future Plans for Joe McKeehen
When asked what he would do, now that he was the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion, Joe McKeehen did not seem to have much of a plan. There was the hint he would move out of his parent’s home, now that he’s a multi-millionaire. And he said he wanted to play poker as a professional. That sounds like a good life, but Joey Ice Cubes can’t expect to ever have the same smooth run through a tournament. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
