Insta-Millionaire: Nic Manion Lives Large after 4th Place Finish in WSOP Main Event

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What would you do with your share of the money for making the World Series of Poker Main Event final table? If you’re anything like Nic Manion, 4th place finisher at the 2018 WSOP, you’d head straight to the car dealership and buy your dream automobile. Two of them, actually.

Nic Manion 2018 WSOP
2018 WSOP Main Event 4th place finisher Nic Manion shows off the new Corvette he purchased with his $2.85 million winnings. (Image: detroitnews.com)

Manion, 35, told his hometown Detroit News that he had never made more than $30,000 a year before coming oh-so-close to winning poker’s world championship event last month. But when the wire transfer from the WSOP went through to his bank account — your account balance is now two million, eight hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars — he was understandably excited to start shopping for material possessions he previously couldn’t afford.

The almost world champion who held the chip lead heading into the final table shared with the News a few of his early major purchases.

Hopefully, he won’t be broke before I finish writing this article.

When Average Joe Strikes it Rich

Manion bought two automobiles – a 2019 Corvette Z06 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado Duramax LTZ truck – valued at $126,195 combined, according to the MSRP. His other purchase, a 2019 Cherokee Wolf Pack Hauler Trailer, costs an estimated $39,000.

The unselfish poker player thought of his family when making those purchases.

“We’ve always went to the [Upper Peninsula] camping and stuff,” he told The Detroit News. “And my parents can now travel and use this stuff whenever, and my sister, her husband and their 2-year-old. So, it’s not just for me, but a family investment thing.”

Manion, who had just $16,000 in lifetime tournament winnings prior to the Main Event, made more in one tournament than he had his entire life, but he isn’t yet as rich as some might think.

Out of the $2.85 million he won, Manion owes 50 percent to his friend and backer, Jeremy Martin, and 3.5 percent total to two other small investors. Subtract taxes from his winnings along with his recent major purchases and while he’s most certainly better off financially than a month ago, he likely can’t retire comfortably quite yet.

Manion was one of two Michiganders at the final table. The other, Joe Cada, is used to huge paydays. The former world champion and four-time WSOP bracelet winner won $8.5 million in the 2009 Main Event and scooped another $2.15 million this year for finishing in 5th place.

 Life-Changing Money

Manion’s run to near poker glory included winning one of the most memorable hands in Main Event history on the final table bubble. With 10 players remaining, he picked up pocket aces in a dream situation.

The Michigan native got all his chips in the middle pre-flop against two players, Antoine Labat and Yueqi Zhu, both holding pocket kings, a dominating position that held up. Zhu was eliminated in 10th place ($850,052) and Manion moved into the chip lead heading into the final table while Labat was crippled and eventually busted in 9th place ($1 million)

Despite his chip position as the final table began, Manion’s rungood did eventually come to an end. But he was still able to coast to an impressive 4th place finish — winning almost enough money to set himself up for life … or at least buy some pretty cool toys.



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