In 2009, Joe Cada eliminated Darvin Moon with pocket nines to win the WSOP Main Event.
Last night the former Main Event champion won his second bracelet - and $670k - with pocket queens.
With his victory Cada became the first World Champion since Carlos Mortensen to win a bracelet after winning the Main Event.
Joining Mortensen, Cada said, is more significant than being the youngest Main Event champion.
“It’s hard to win two bracelets. I don’t know if age is anything, I mean, I guess I got lucky my first time out,” Cada said.
“I guess it’s harder to win two then just go out and win the first right away.”
"You Need a Lot of Things to Go Right"
Cada joins Mortensen as only ME winner to win second bracelet.
Mortensen took down the Main Event in 2001 for $1.5 million after defeating a field of 613 players. Two years later, Mortensen beat 142 players in a $5,000 Limit Hold’em event to win $251,680.
Cada faced a few more players for both his bracelets. In 2009, the Main Event drew 6,494 players and Cada won $8.5 million for taking it down.
Yesterday Cada won $670,041 for taking down the $10,000 NLHE 6-Max. While the 264-player field was significantly smaller than the Main Event field it drew several of the top six-max players in the world.
The final table alone consisted of Cada, former November Niners Jeremy Ausmus and JC Tran, British pro Max Silver, former Full Tilt pro Erick Lindgren and Italian Dario Sammartino.
“I mean, there are so many players in these tournaments so it’s tough to win.
"It’s tough to go deep and it’s tough to get to the final table and you need a lot of things to go right,” Cada said.
“I just focus on making every decision how I think is best so I don’t really let that stuff bother me.”
"Everyone Will Think I Run a Little Bit Better Now"
While even Cada agrees that he lucky during the 2009 Main Event he says this bracelet isn’t validation of his play. He’s been playing online for years and proved himself to anyone who’s taken the time to watch.
"I’ve been playing poker forever now."
“A lot of poker players know me. ca and I was always successful online before then,” Cada said. “I had a lot of good results before [the 2009 Main Event] in tournaments and cash games.
“I don’t think it validates me anymore. Everyone will think I run a little bit better now."
Despite already feeling validated, the hopes of a second bracelet have been on Cada’s mind for awhile.
Since his Main Event win Cada has cashed in the WSOP eight times and made three final tables, including one runner-up finish in 2012.
“I’m trying to win a bracelet every time I enter one of these things so it’s frustrating. It’s always on your mind when you get close it’s like ‘Ahh, I was that close.'
“I had a lot of chances, it’s a little frustrating but at the same time you’re happy that you go really deep and, I don’t know, it’s a really good feeling I guess.”
“This is What I’ve Been Doing My Whole Life"
"I want to be remembered as a good guy."
Now that the former Main Event champion has a bracelet for each wrist, he doesn’t plan to change his game much.
Cada is currently playing in the $1,500 PLO event but won’t play higher stakes PLO because he doesn’t feel he has an edge.
Cada will stick to his stakes, to his game, and being a good guy.
“[I want to be remembered] as a good guy,” Cada said.
“This is what I’ve been doing my whole life, be a good poker player.”
