Steve Albini is a whopping $106,000 better off after winning his first World Series of Poker tournament (WSOP) in Las Vegas on Saturday night (16 June).
Yep, you read that right: the producer behind Pixies’ Surfer Rosa and Nirvana’s In Utero and frontman of Shellac and Big Black is something of a rounder (that’s an expert player who travels to seek out high-stakes games, for all you novices out there).
Event #31 winner @electricalWSOP pockets $105,629 and a bracelet soon after returning from a European tour with his band, Shellac of North America. https://t.co/TfLv3OvLkh pic.twitter.com/fVCzPiyojN
— WSOP (@WSOP) June 17, 2018
"I am ecstatic that a player as mediocre as me can outlast all of these better players and end up with a bracelet. There's still hope for everybody," Albini told WSOP after cleaning up at the tournament.
He continued: “This year the stud event occurred simultaneously with the Seniors Event, and simultaneously with the $50K [Poker Players Championship]. So the field for the stud tournament, I think, was kind of historically weak, which allowed a sucker like me to make it to the final table. With some prescient coaching from my friends and a good run of cards – I ran pretty fucking good as well. I hit a lot of hands early in the final table."
Albini also thanked his wife for her support. After all, we doubt that she’d have been too thrilled if he’d gambled their home away.
“I also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my wife, Heather,” he said. “There was a lot of complicated stuff going on at home and she was gracious enough to say it would be okay if I came out here for this. I really appreciate her indulging me in my... hobby.”
Who’d-a thunk that Albini was such a poker enthusiast? According to his WSOP biography, the celebrated sound engineer "began playing poker in 1969 when he was taught by his great-grandmother.”
A man true to his principles, he won this year’s World Series of Poker Tournament wearing a Cocaine Piss t-shirt. As you do.
Photo Credit: Albert Olive/Epa/REX/Shutterstock
