Martin Jacobson
Martin Jacobson was cooking up meals in the Swedish Navy before his breakthrough in poker. His Poker career started in 2008 when he won an entry into the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. He was given the option of a $1000 buy-in and forego competing, but he decided to compete after being advised to do so by his Mom and was out after only three hands.
Over the next couple of years, he became known as a top competitor but a poker player without any wins; however, in 2014, he managed to win the WOSP Main Event snagging $10 million in prize money.
Jacobsen’s Poker Career
Martin Jacobsen grew up on a small island called Lindingo, not far from Sweden’s capital city of Stockholm. He started playing poker as a hobby whilst developing his culinary skills, and at the age of 18, he was committed to doing military service and got assigned to being a chef in the Swedish Royal Navy stationed on a stealth battleship. Upon completing his stint in the Navy, he returned to Stockholm and worked in a restaurant for 18 months and continued indulging in his hobby-poker.
After a few months, he had success playing satellite step tournaments, and in the build-up to the WOSP, he reached the final satellite stage and was eliminated after three hands. He rose from the ashes six short years later to conquer the poker world and become Main Event Champion
Final Thoughts
Martin Jacobsen ended his partnership with 888poker and has hinted at his next phase being the start of a two-month training course. He may follow the example of Phil Galfond and Doug Polk and open his poker training site, or he may sign another ambassadorship contract with another poker room like GGPoker and partypoker, who are not averse to operating in the Swedish market where he is famous.
