At the time this article was published, Blumenthal was third in chips heading into the final table of Event 23 $3,000 6-Max No-Limit Hold’em.
Last year the 26 year old went on a fantastic run at the WSOP, cashing three times including a second- and fourth-place finish.
Blumenthal won over $500k at the 2011 WSOP but it was bittersweet for the Verona, NY, resident as he didn’t win the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.
“I want to win very badly,” he said. “I’m just trying to play poker and not think about it too much.”
Blumenthal is no stranger to success when it comes to competition and gained notoriety in high school as a skilled wrestler.
In his final year at Stoughton High School, Blumenthal won the state championship and went an incredible 54-0.
Despite his dominance, Blumenthal made the decision to not pursue wrestling in college and eventually got involved with poker.
“Poker just fits me really well,” he said. “I can be my own boss and it’s good money.”
Sitting in a chair reading opponents and calculating odds is a far cry from grappling people to the mat but Blumenthal mentioned the discipline he learned in wrestling transferred to poker.
“It’s important to have patience and wait for the right opportunities to make moves,” he said. “Just like in wrestling, if you’re in a real disadvantageous position it doesn’t make sense to go for the kill.”
Blumenthal’s persistence in poker has paid off when last year he came in fourth in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $255,028 and second in the $1,500 6-Max for $334,756.
Once again deep in a Six-Max event, Blumenthal said he loves the format of the action-heavy poker variant.
“It’s a different style of poker,” he said. “It’s more aggressive. For whatever reason I feel like I range hands a little bit better at Six-Max than most people.”
For all the action from the WSOP in Las Vegas click through to our 2012 World Series of Poker Live Coverage section, brought to you by 888poker.com.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com