Watson is on a red-hot heater that includes five cashes and three final tables for nearly $250,000.
“I don’t think I’ve changed anything in particular,” he said. “I’ve just been playing well lately. I think it was just variance before.”
According to stats compiled before this summer the Toronto resident went an astounding 54 events without cashing at the WSOP in 2011 and 2012. That was more than anyone else in that time period.
“I was pretty negative about the WSOP,” he said. “I started to get to the point where I was thinking ‘Ugh, I gotta go back to Vegas this summer and lose all my money.’”
Watson Makes Huge Scores in Europe at WSOPE, EPT
Despite his misfortune at the Vegas WSOP, Watson is one of the best Canadian poker players in the world with major success on the World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, at the Aussie Millions and even the WSOP Europe.
Watson outlasted a field of 60 to win the WSOPE €50k High Roller in 2012 for $1.3 million.
That’s why the lack of cashes at the WSOP in Las Vegas was perplexing. Watson admitted it did start to play with his head.
“It’s hard to not have it affect you at all,” he said. “You just have to remember that there’s a lot of luck in this game and to keep having confidence in your game.”
Fortunately for Watson, who admits he can be stubborn, he kept coming back.
“I have a lot of belief in myself,” he said. “I’ve had good results in other venues of course. It’s not like I’ve had a miserable couple of years or anything.”
There's a good chance that anyone who's bricked multiple tournaments at the WSOP will be looking to emulate Watson's run this year.
He’s currently leading the race for Bluff Player of the Year, ranked in the top 30 of the WSOP POY and is now ranked fourth on Canada’s all-time money list.
He’s still looking for that first WSOP bracelet, however. Considering how well Canadians have fared at the 2013 WSOP it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see him bink it in the last handful of events this summer.
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