Blake Ellinghaus Triumphs at WPT bestbet Scramble Main Event

Blake Ellinghaus made history by winning the 2026 WPT bestbet Scramble main event, held at bestbet Jacksonville. The event attracted a total of 294 entries, culminating in a prize pool of $1,337,700. Ellinghaus' victory earned him $294,900 and his first major tournament title.

Ellinghaus, a resident of Plainfield, Illinois, topped a tough final table to secure his win. His previous top score was a win in a $400 event at the Daytona Beach Poker Open for just over $34,000. This victory also came with 912 Card Player Player of the Year points, bringing him within reach of the top 400 in the 2026 POY standings presented by CoinPoker.

Other notable players who made deep runs include Ray Qartomy, Andrew Ostapchenko, Jessica Cai, and Justin Zaki. Kelly Slay and Edward Mroczkowski finished 9th and 8th respectively, while Raminder Singh was eliminated in seventh place. Hugh Membrino was eliminated in sixth place, and Michael Macchia finished in fifth place. Skyler Dennis finished in fourth place, and Bryan Paris finished in third place. Jared Reinstein finished as the runner-up, earning $184,000.