Martin Jacobson: Sweden’s World Series of Poker Main Event Champion
Martin Jacobson is a Swedish professional poker player born in 1987 in Stockholm. He became the first Swedish winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2014, earning 10.000.000 $ and securing the achievement that defines his place in poker history. His tournament career also includes major European final tables, a UKIPT London title and deep runs in high buy-in WSOP events.
The Hendon Mob snapshot supplied for this profile lists 18.490.450 $ in recorded live tournament earnings. It places Jacobson first on Sweden’s all-time money list and 90th worldwide, with London, England, listed as his residence. His Main Event victory remains his largest recorded cash.
Born in 1987 in Stockholm
Jacobson was born on June 30, 1987. Before becoming established as a professional player, he trained as a chef and worked in kitchens, including aboard a Swedish naval ship. Poker eventually became his main professional pursuit.
That background is a distinctive part of his biography, but his standing in the game rests on a long competitive record. By the time he reached the 2014 Main Event final table, he already had several years of experience against strong international tournament fields.
2008: An Early Breakthrough in Budapest
Jacobson finished third in the 2008 EPT Budapest Main Event for 197.904 €. The result provided an early major European final table and introduced him to a wider tournament audience.
It also establishes an important point about the later world champion: his success did not begin with a single Las Vegas tournament. Budapest was the beginning of a sequence of substantial finishes on different tours before the Main Event title arrived.
A Runner-Up Finish at WPT Venice
In 2009, Jacobson finished second at WPT Venice for 238.840 €. The result added another major heads-up appearance to his early career, this time on the World Poker Tour.
A runner-up finish carries a different historical meaning from a title, and his record should preserve that distinction. Nevertheless, the Venice cash helped establish the broader competitive foundation behind his eventual WSOP breakthrough.
The European Poker Tour Final Tables
Jacobson reached heads-up play in the 2010 EPT Vilamoura Main Event, finishing second for 297.985 €. He followed that with another runner-up finish at EPT Deauville in 2011, collecting 560.000 €.
He also finished fourth in the 2011 EPT Berlin Main Event for 230.000 €. Those results show repeated deep runs in major European fields. They should be described as EPT Main Event final tables rather than EPT Main Event victories.
2013: The One Drop High Roller
At the 2013 WSOP, Jacobson finished sixth in the 111.111 $ One Drop High Roller for 807.427 $. It was a major payout before his world championship and demonstrated that his schedule extended to exceptionally expensive events.
The result is useful context for his arrival at the 2014 Main Event. He was already comfortable competing beyond standard mid-stakes tournament schedules, and his earlier final tables supplied experience of decisions with substantial payout consequences.
2014: The Road to the November Nine
The 2014 WSOP Main Event attracted 6.683 entries. Jacobson finished Day 1a as chip leader and eventually reached the final nine, where he would return in November with the eighth-largest stack.
The delayed final table was an important feature of the era. Rather than playing the championship to its conclusion in July, the remaining players had several months before the televised finish. Jacobson used that interval to prepare for the particular opponents and stack sizes he expected to face.
Preparation Before the Biggest Final Table
Jacobson has explained that he simulated final-table situations with friends taking the roles of his opponents. They recreated the relevant stacks and discussed the decisions that emerged. His preparation focused on the actual tournament situation rather than simply playing more unrelated hands.
He also paid attention to physical conditioning and concentration. His account of that period illustrates how a professional can treat a long poker final as an endurance challenge as well as a technical contest. Preparation could not guarantee a result, but it helped him approach the return with confidence.
Winning the 2014 World Championship
Jacobson completed the comeback by defeating Norway’s Felix Stephensen heads-up. Jorryt van Hoof finished third. The victory brought Jacobson his first WSOP bracelet and the 10.000.000 $ first prize.
In the final hand, his pocket tens defeated Stephensen’s ace-nine after Jacobson flopped a set. The hand supplied the final image of a run that had taken him from a short stack at the start of the November final table to the championship. Sweden now had its first WSOP Main Event winner.
2017: Another One Drop Final Table
Jacobson returned to a major One Drop final table in 2017, again finishing sixth in the 111.111 $ High Roller for One Drop. This time he collected 641.382 $.
The result added a substantial cash after the world championship. His career therefore includes notable tournament performances on both sides of the Main Event victory, even though the 2014 payout remains considerably larger than any other single result in his record.
2022: Winning UKIPT London
In October 2022, Jacobson won the 1.100 £ UKIPT London Main Event for 232.300 £. He defeated Conor Beresford heads-up in a tournament that attracted 1.458 entries.
The victory was a significant addition to his post-championship career. It also highlighted his ability to negotiate a large field at a lower buy-in than the high roller events represented elsewhere in his results. UKIPT London was a separate title within the wider EPT London festival.
2026: Close to a Second WSOP Bracelet
Jacobson reached heads-up play in Event #56, the 3.000 $ Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em tournament at the 2026 WSOP. He finished second to Abhishek Mhatre for 327.370 $ in a field of 1.150 entries.
The finish brought him close to another bracelet twelve years after his Main Event win. Although he did not take the title, the result supplied a current example of his continued ability to reach the final stages of a substantial WSOP field. His verified bracelet count for this profile remains one.
Selected Tournament Milestones
| Year | Event | Finish | Prize |
| 2008 | EPT Budapest Main Event | 3rd | 197.904 € |
| 2009 | WPT Venice | 2nd | 238.840 € |
| 2010 | EPT Vilamoura Main Event | 2nd | 297.985 € |
| 2011 | EPT Deauville Main Event | 2nd | 560.000 € |
| 2011 | EPT Berlin Main Event | 4th | 230.000 € |
| 2013 | WSOP 111.111 $ One Drop High Roller | 6th | 807.427 $ |
| 2014 | WSOP 10.000 $ Main Event | 1st | 10.000.000 $ |
| 2017 | WSOP 111.111 $ High Roller for One Drop | 6th | 641.382 $ |
| 2022 | UKIPT London 1.100 £ Main Event | 1st | 232.300 £ |
| 2026 | WSOP 3.000 $ Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em | 2nd | 327.370 $ |
Career Earnings and Their Meaning
Jacobson’s Main Event prize accounts for more than half of the live tournament earnings shown in the supplied snapshot. That concentration explains the importance of 2014 to his statistical record, while the European final tables, One Drop cashes and later results provide the wider career context.
Recorded tournament earnings are gross payouts, not a statement of net profit. They do not subtract entry fees, re-entries, travel, taxes or backing arrangements. They also exclude private cash-game results and should not be used as a direct estimate of personal wealth.
Martin Jacobson at a Glance
| Category | Detail |
| Name | Martin Jacobson |
| Date of birth | June 30, 1987 |
| Birthplace | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Listed residence | London, England |
| Recorded live tournament earnings | 18.490.450 $ |
| Largest recorded live cash | 10.000.000 $ |
| Worldwide all-time money list | 90th in the supplied snapshot |
| Sweden all-time money list | 1st in the supplied snapshot |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 |
| Defining achievement | 2014 WSOP Main Event champion |
| Other major title | 2022 UKIPT London Main Event |
Career figures checked on October 25, 2026. Recorded live tournament earnings are gross cashes and exclude private cash-game results. Image positions refer to three separately supplied AI-generated illustrations created in October 2026.