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Martin Jacobson is a Swedish professional poker player, born in 1987, who won the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event. He beat a field of 6,683 entries and took the $10,000,000 first prize, becoming the first player from Sweden to win the event. [2][3] Before poker he trained and worked as a chef, including 11 months cooking for the crew of a Swedish Royal Navy ship. [4]
Martin Jacobson: key facts
| Full name | Per Martin Jacobson [2] |
|---|---|
| Country | Sweden [1] |
| Born | 1987 [6] |
| Grew up | Lidingö, near Stockholm [4] |
| Lives in | London [6] |
| Known for | 2014 WSOP Main Event champion |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 (2014 Main Event) [2] |
| Other major title | UKIPT London Main Event 2022 [8] |
| Live tournament earnings | $18,490,452 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life: from the kitchen to the Navy
Jacobson grew up on Lidingö, a small island close to Stockholm. At 15, tired of studying behind a desk, he followed his mother’s suggestion and entered a culinary high school where half of the programme was cooking. His grades improved, he found a passion for food, and in the same period he started playing poker as a hobby. [4]
After a first job cooking seafood in a Stockholm restaurant, he left at 18 for military service. He spent 11 months as a chef in the Swedish Royal Navy, stationed on a stealth ship as one of two chefs feeding a crew of 40. Back in Stockholm he worked in a restaurant for another 18 months, playing poker online in internet cafes because he did not own a laptop. [4]
Beginning in poker
In 2008 Jacobson won an online satellite for the WSOP Main Event and had to choose between $12,000 in cash and the seat. On his mother’s advice he took the seat and flew to Las Vegas alone, three days after turning 21. [4] He lasted three hands. Instead of being discouraged, he later said, he “got a sense of revenge”. [5]
Back home he quit his restaurant job while waiting to hear about a chef position in Barcelona that never came through, and played more online. In August 2008 he finished second in the PokerStars Sunday Million for $89,000, entering with the last $200 in his account. Satellite wins then took him to the European Poker Tour, and a third place at EPT Budapest the same year convinced him he could keep playing. [5]
Over the next years he came close to a major title several times. He was runner-up at WPT Venice in 2009, and in the 2010/11 EPT season he reached three Main Event final tables, finishing second in Vilamoura and Deauville and fourth in Berlin. [2][5] In 2013 he finished sixth of 166 entries in the $111,111 One Drop High Roller at the WSOP for $807,427. [2] Before the 2014 Aussie Millions he was burned out and drafted a business plan for a healthy fast food chain, but returned to the tables and, in his words, “fell in love with the game again”. [7]
Playing style and preparation
Jacobson is a No-Limit Hold’em tournament specialist known for structured study. After reaching the 2014 November Nine, he asked around 35 friends to help him prepare. They simulated the final table online about 20 times, with friends copying the styles of his real opponents, and he estimated the work at about 500 hours of study and practice. [7] Card Player’s interviewer noted after the win that some players were calling it “the best final table performance in a decade”. [7]
He has linked his composure to his years as a chef: “It gave me focus to perform in high-stress situations.” [5]
Greatest achievements
The 2014 WSOP Main Event
Jacobson finished Day 1a as chip leader. [1] He started the November Nine final table eighth of nine in chips, with 37 big blinds. [6] On the first night he eliminated William Tonking in fourth place with pocket tens, and on the second day he called Jorryt van Hoof’s all-in with ace-ten against ace-five to send him out in third. He began heads-up play against Norway’s Felix Stephensen with 142 million chips to 58.5 million. On Hand #328 his pocket tens held against Stephensen’s ace-nine of hearts after a ten on the flop, and he won the title and $10,000,000. [3]
Jacobson later recalled that Stephensen’s supporters shouted “Ace, Ace, Ace!” while his own rail answered “Ten for Ten”, a reference to the $10 million first prize. [6] PokerNews described the payout as the second-largest prize the Main Event had awarded up to then. [4] At the final table he wore a patch for Raising for Effective Giving (REG), a charity initiative started by his friends Philipp Gruissem and Igor Kurganov. [7]
Selected tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | WSOP $10,000 Main Event (6,683 entries) | 1st | $10,000,000 | [2] |
| 2013 | WSOP $111,111 One Drop High Roller (166 entries) | 6th | $807,427 | [2] |
| 2017 | WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop (130 entries) | 6th | $641,382 | [2] |
| 2011 | EPT Deauville Main Event (891 entries) | 2nd | €560,000 | [2] |
| 2026 | WSOP Event #56, $3,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em (1,150 entries) | 2nd | $327,370 | [9] |
| 2010 | EPT Vilamoura Main Event (384 entries) | 2nd | €297,985 | [2] |
| 2022 | UKIPT London Main Event, £1,100 (1,458 entries) | 1st | £232,300 | [8] |
| 2009 | WPT Venice (397 entries) | 2nd | €238,840 | [2] |
| 2011 | EPT Berlin Main Event (773 entries) | 4th | €230,000 | [2] |
| 2008 | EPT Budapest Main Event (532 entries) | 3rd | €197,904 | [2] |
| 2010 | WSOP Event #30, $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em (2,394 entries) | 4th | $183,345 | [2] |
| 2018 | WSOP $2,620 The Marathon (1,637 entries) | 5th | $155,062 | [2] |
After the Main Event
Jacobson has said the win left him struggling with motivation for 18 months to two years, until the arrival of solvers and stronger players showed him how much he could still improve. [6] He kept a full tournament schedule and was an 888poker Team Ambassador for a period. [1] In October 2022 he came back from the shortest stack among the last 28 players to win the UKIPT London Main Event at the Hilton Park Lane, beating Conor Beresford heads-up for £232,300. [8] At the 2026 WSOP he reached heads-up in Event #56 and finished second to Abhishek Mhatre for $327,370. [9]
WSOP record and Hall of Fame
His WSOP.com profile lists one bracelet, 144 cashes, 20 final tables and $15,960,802 in earnings, totals that include results from other tours shown on that profile, such as the EPT and WPT. [2] He is not a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. [2]
In his own words
- “You want to win the WSOP Main Event, but you don’t think it’s realistic.” 2019. [5]
- “I wasn’t nervous though, because I realized that whatever nerves and anxiety I was feeling, my opponents were feeling 10 times as much.” On the 2014 final table, November 2014. [7]
- “I lost motivation and questioned my sense of purpose in continuing playing poker.” On the years after his win, 2019. [6]
Martin Jacobson on video
How Pros Think About Poker vs Amateurs
SCOOP Main Event tournament breakdown, part 1
FAQ about Martin Jacobson
How old is Martin Jacobson?
He was born in 1987 and turned 32 during the summer of 2019, which makes him 39 as of October 5, 2026. [6]
Where is Martin Jacobson from?
He is from Sweden and grew up on Lidingö, near Stockholm. [1][4] In 2019 PokerNews reported that he lived in East London. [6]
What is Martin Jacobson’s real name?
His WSOP.com profile lists him as Per Martin Jacobson. [2]
What is Martin Jacobson’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $18,490,452 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. Earnings do not account for buy-ins, staking or taxes. [1]
How much did Martin Jacobson win in the WSOP Main Event?
$10,000,000, for winning the 2014 Main Event from 6,683 entries. [2]
How many WSOP bracelets does Martin Jacobson have?
One, from the 2014 Main Event. His closest attempt at a second came in 2026, when he finished second in Event #56. [2][9]
Who did Martin Jacobson beat heads-up in the Main Event?
Felix Stephensen of Norway. Jacobson’s pocket tens beat Stephensen’s ace-nine of hearts on the final hand. [3]
Was Martin Jacobson a chef?
Yes. He went to culinary school from the age of 15, cooked in Stockholm restaurants and served 11 months as a chef in the Swedish Royal Navy before turning to poker. [4]
Is Martin Jacobson in the Poker Hall of Fame?
No. He has not been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. [2]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about fellow Main Event champions Chris Moneymaker and Phil Hellmuth, and about another Nordic player who reached the top of the game, Patrik Antonius.
Sources
- PokerNews, Martin Jacobson player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Per Martin Jacobson player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, Martin Jacobson Wins 2014 WSOP Main Event for $10 Million, November 12, 2014.
- PokerNews, Before the Game: Martin Jacobson the Chef (Part One), May 30, 2019.
- PokerNews, Before the Game: Martin Jacobson the Chef (Part Two), June 4, 2019.
- PokerNews, Poker Moments: The ‘Scandi Final’ in the WSOP Main Event, December 6, 2019.
- Card Player, Martin Jacobson Discusses His 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event Win, November 22, 2014.
- PokerNews, Martin Jacobson Goes From Short Stack to Champion in UKIPT Main Event (£232,300), October 22, 2022.
- PokerNews, 2026 World Series of Poker, Event #56: $3,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, June 2026.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
