Losing hand

Denmark’s Peter Eastgate hardly looks the part of a card-playing superstar | Mark Bergin

Associated Press/Photo by Isaac Brekken

His cap backwards, his face little yet acquainted with razors, Denmark's Peter Eastgate hardly looks the part of a card-playing superstar. But his $9.1 million purse from a first-place finish at the World Series of Poker main event this month confirms otherwise. The 22-year-old is the youngest player ever to capture that title and indicative of the game's emerging champion prototype—young, aggressive, fearless, and unknown.

Unlike open tournaments a decade ago, when final tables teemed with names from a static pool of recognized stars, today's contests invariably elevate an unheralded mix of new players with varying degrees of talent and luck. Seven years have passed since an established superstar has filled a seat at the WSOP's Final Table. Most analysts of the game don't anticipate that trend will change, given the propensity of many amateur players to target big names for early showdowns.