Israeli Finishes Third in World Series of Poker Tournament
Israel native Amir Lehavot finished in third place in the World Series of Poker, taking home about $3.7 million.
Lehavot, 38, who lives in South Florida, was eliminated Tuesday morning. The tournament in Las Vegas started on July 6 with 6,352 competitors who each bought in for $10,000.
He moved to the United States from Israel at 16 and plays under the Israeli flag. Lehavot asked the World Series organizers to play “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, if he won the tournament, the Times of Israel reported.
An engineer, Lehavot began playing poker in 2007 in an effort to take time off and clear his head. He had planned to re-enter the job market a year later, ESPN.com reported.
“I had played poker before, but it was never really anything but a very small hobby,” Lehavot told ESPN.com. “I wanted to do it for fun and nothing else.”
He founded Pokerwit.com, a social website for poker players.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO