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Peter Eastgate
Peter Eastgate
Peter Eastgate
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Peter Nicolas Eastgate (born 13 December 1985)[1] is a poker player from Denmark, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2008 World Series of Poker. At the time, he became the youngest player ever to win the event.[1] He was subsequently surpassed by Joe Cada in 2009.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Eastgate was raised to English parents in Dalum, a suburb of Odense, Denmark. He went to Sct. Canute's Gymnasium, where he was introduced to poker by his classmates as he stated in season 5 of the show High Stakes Poker. He attended Aarhus University to study economics, but dropped out to play poker full-time.

Poker career

[edit]

World Series of Poker

[edit]

Eastgate qualified for the Main Event via the Ladbrokes Poker website, and travelled to Las Vegas as part of Team Ladbrokes.[2] Eastgate reached the final table with 18,375,000 in starting chips, the fourth largest stack behind Scott Montgomery (19,690,000), Ivan Demidov (24,400,000) and Dennis Phillips (26,295,000).[3] Eastgate and Demidov reached the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) heads-up stage. At the final hand, Eastgate had 120.4 million in chips, and Demidov went all in with 16.5 million chips. Eastgate beat Demidov at 2:33 AM local time, after a two-day final table consisting of 274 hands that took 15 hours and 28 minutes to play.[3] Eastgate won the first place prize of $9,152,416.[1][4][5]

By winning the Main Event at age 22, he became the then youngest WSOP Main Event champion, surpassing Phil Hellmuth, who was 24 when he won in 1989. He was surpassed as the youngest winner of the WSOP by Joseph Cada the following year at age 21[1]

In 2009, Eastgate defended his Main Event title until day 6. He was eliminated in 78th place as a result of a rivered flush. He was the last remaining Main Event Champion at the time of his elimination.[6]

World Series of Poker bracelets
Year Tournament Prize (US$)
2008 $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em Main Event $9,119,517

Other events

[edit]

Prior to the WSOP, Eastgate's live tournament results included a money finish in the 2008 European Poker Tour event in Copenhagen and a final table finish at the 2007 Irish Poker Open.[7][8] Eastgate's previous biggest win was $46,714 at the 2007 Paddy Power Irish Open. After his WSOP Main Event victory, Eastgate took to the tournament trail and quickly found success. He cashed in the European Poker Tour (EPT) PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event and then won the $5,000 side event for $343,000.[9] Eastgate came second in the 2009 London EPT, winning £530,000.[10][11] In 2010, Eastgate finished 5th in the NBC National Heads-Up Championship in Las Vegas for $75,000.[12]

As of 2014, his total live tournament winnings exceed $11,200,000.[13]

Hiatus

[edit]

In July 2010, Eastgate announced that he was taking a break from poker in a statement through his sponsor PokerStars.com, saying, "When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player. My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP main event in 2008. The period following has taken me on a worldwide tour, where I have seen some amazing places and met many new people; it has been a great experience."[14]

“In the 20 months following my WSOP win, I feel that I have lost my motivation for playing high-level poker along the way, and I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life. What this will be, I do not yet know. I have decided to take a break from live tournament poker, and try to focus on Peter Eastgate, the person. I want to thank PokerStars, my friends and family for their support over the last 20 months, and for their support in my decision to take a break from poker."[14]

PokerStars said of Eastgate's decision: “We know that poker will miss this world-class player and world-class role model, but PokerStars has only the deepest respect for Peter’s decision. Poker is about determination and excitement, and if Peter lacks this in his game, the right decision is to take a break. Peter has played amongst world champions and he has carried his title in the most admirable fashion.”[14] In November 2010, Eastgate put his main event bracelet up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $16,000. It eventually sold for $147,500 [15][16] and this money was donated to UNICEF.[17]

In February 2011, Eastgate announced that he would be ending his eight-month break to return to poker.[18] However, he has not played in any major tournament since 2013.[19][20][21][22]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Peter Eastgate

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Peter Eastgate (born 13 December 1985) is a Danish former professional poker player renowned for winning the (WSOP) Main Event, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament's history at the time at age 22, and earning $9,152,416 in prize money. Born in Odense, Denmark, Eastgate studied economics at Aarhus University before dropping out to pursue poker full-time after developing an interest in the game during his school years. His breakthrough came in the 2008 WSOP, where he outlasted a field of 6,844 entrants as part of the inaugural "November Nine" final table, defeating Ivan Demidov in a tense heads-up duel lasting approximately four hours. Eastgate's career highlights include second place in the 2009 WSOP Main Event for $1,303,814, second place in the 2009 European Poker Tour (EPT) London Main Event for $843,734, and a victory in the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $5,000 No Limit Hold'em side event for $343,000, bringing his total live tournament earnings to over $11 million as of 2021. Eastgate retired from professional poker in 2010 following significant losses from sports betting, including an estimated $2.2 million during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which he later described as stemming from addictive tendencies that left him emotionally drained. He sold his WSOP bracelet in 2010 for $147,500 to support UNICEF and relocated from London to Denmark in 2013, attempting studies in bio-medicine but failing exams and abandoning the pursuit. By 2018, Eastgate embraced a minimalist lifestyle in Denmark, emphasizing daily walks, social connections, and financial independence from his poker winnings, stating, "I'm thriving. I'm not depressed by any means." As of July 2025, he described himself as "drifting around" without a fixed occupation since 2014, having quit sports betting and occasionally playing low-stakes cash games, including a recent appearance at a WSOP Circuit event in Tbilisi, Georgia, while affirming, "I don’t have any financial worries, so I can’t complain."

Early life

Upbringing in Denmark

Peter Eastgate was born on December 13, 1985, in , , to English parents. He grew up in Dalum, a suburb of , where he spent his early childhood in a typical Danish provincial setting. Eastgate later transitioned to formal education at Sct. Canute's Gymnasium in .

University and poker beginnings

Peter Eastgate completed his secondary education in , , where he was first introduced to poker during high school around 2004 through casual home games with friends, amid the growing popularity of the game at the time. Following high school, Eastgate enrolled in an economics program at in 2004, initially balancing his studies with an emerging interest in poker. He began playing seriously during this period, primarily on platforms like and Ladbrokes, starting with low-stakes games as a while living in a university dormitory. His early online efforts were modest; he broke even over his first two years of play, gradually building experience in No-Limit Hold'em without significant financial gains initially. Eastgate dropped out shortly after the introductory week due to the incompatible demands of coursework and poker, exacerbated by factors such as unreliable at the dorm and a lack of motivation for academics. He continued living in the for about four months under poor conditions before deciding to pursue poker full-time, viewing it as a more viable path after his recent earnings provided an initial financial cushion for play. This transition marked his shift from student to semi-professional, allowing him to relocate back to for better playing conditions. By 2006, Eastgate's play had progressed to mid-stakes levels, where he achieved his first notable success, growing his bankroll to approximately $200,000 through consistent volume and improved skills.

Professional poker career

World Series of Poker achievements

Peter Eastgate entered the (WSOP) Main Event as a 22-year-old online qualifier through , having honed his skills in high-stakes online play as preparation for live tournaments. The event featured 6,844 entrants and a $10,000 buy-in, generating a prize pool of over $64 million, with the winner set to receive more than $9 million. Eastgate navigated the massive field over several days in , advancing to as part of the inaugural "," where play paused until November to build suspense. At the November Nine final table on November 9-10, 2008, Eastgate started with the fourth-largest stack of 18.375 million chips behind leaders Scott Montgomery and Ivan Demidov. He steadily built his stack through aggressive play, taking the chip lead midway when he eliminated Dennis Phillips in sixth place with pocket aces against Phillips' king-queen. Other notable confrontations included a key pot against Ylon Schwartz where Eastgate's rivered straight secured a double-up, and a flush against Demidov during heads-up that extended his advantage to over 100 million chips. Heads-up against Demidov, Eastgate, who began with a significant chip lead, seized control after winning a critical hand with a diamond flush using 7♦4♦ against Demidov's A♣9♠ on a K♦10♦7♣J♦3♠ board. The tournament concluded on November 10, 2008, with Eastgate's victory in the final hand: he held A♦5♠ while had 4♥2♥, and the board ran out K♠3♥2♦4♣7♠, giving Eastgate a wheel straight to beat Demidov's two pair. This win earned Eastgate $9,152,416, the largest prize in WSOP history at the time, and made him the youngest Main Event champion ever at age 22—a record he held until Joe Cada's victory in at age 21. Eastgate returned to the WSOP in subsequent years but did not secure another . In the Main Event, he finished 78th out of 6,494 entrants for $68,979. His most notable later finish came in 2012's Event #56: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, where he placed fourth out of 2,798 players, earning $209,111 after a deep run that included eliminating several opponents at . Across his WSOP , Eastgate amassed total earnings of $9,430,506 from three cashes, all in No-Limit Hold'em events.
YearEventPlaceEntrantsPrize
2008Event #54: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event1st6,844$9,152,416
2009Event #57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event78th6,494$68,979
2012Event #56: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em4th2,798$209,111

Additional tournament successes

Following his Main Event victory, Eastgate received invitations to prominent international tournaments, where he achieved several significant results that bolstered his reputation on the live circuit. In January 2009, at the (PCA) in , , Eastgate won a $4,800 No-Limit Hold'em side event for $343,000, marking his first major title outside the WSOP. Later in the same festival, he cashed in the $9,700 Main Event, finishing 84th for $17,500. These performances highlighted his versatility in high-stakes fields shortly after his breakout win. Eastgate's most notable non-WSOP finish came in October 2009 at the (EPT) London Main Event, where he placed second in the £5,250 buy-in event for £530,000 (approximately $844,000 USD at the time), falling to Tobias Gustafsson in heads-up play. This runner-up result solidified his status among Europe's top players and contributed substantially to his . In March 2010, Eastgate reached the semifinals of the National Heads-Up Championship in , a $20,000 buy-in invitational event, finishing fifth for $75,000 after a loss to . This deep run in a prestigious heads-up format underscored his skill in short-handed play. Eastgate also notched several other cashes on the EPT and (WPT) circuits between 2008 and 2013, including an 18th-place finish in the 2008 EPT Main Event (£5,200 buy-in) for £16,313 (approximately $28,606), an eighth-place finish in the 2010 EPT Main Event (€5,000 buy-in) for €72,840 (approximately $99,094), and a seventh-place finish in the $25,000 Bounty at the 2010 Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza for $85,000. Additional results included a 22nd-place finish in the 2010 EPT Main Event (DKK 40,000 buy-in) for DKK 85,000 (approximately $14,600) and a 95th-place cash in the 2011 EPT Main Event (€5,000 buy-in) for €10,200 (approximately $14,232), along with scores from Premier League heats in late 2008 totaling approximately $155,000. His final notable live cash came in June 2013 at the International Stadiums Poker Tour (ISPT) , a €3,000 event where he placed 80th for $3,896. Excluding WSOP events, Eastgate's live earnings totaled approximately $1.7 million across these results, contributing to his overall live earnings of $11.1 million as of 2025, with no recorded cashes after 2013. Throughout this period, he continued playing under sponsorship, focusing primarily on live transitions while maintaining an active online presence without disclosed specific .

Career challenges and hiatus

Following his Main Event victory, Peter Eastgate faced significant pressures from sudden fame, intense media scrutiny, and abrupt lifestyle changes, which contributed to burnout as an introvert unaccustomed to . The expectations of defending his title and maintaining a high-profile poker career exacerbated these challenges, leading him to step away from the intense tournament schedule. In July 2010, Eastgate announced an indefinite hiatus from professional poker, citing the need for a break after two years of relentless play on the circuit. He skipped the 2010 WSOP entirely, marking a sharp departure from his prior successes. Later that year, in October 2010, Eastgate auctioned his 2008 WSOP bracelet on , raising $147,500 for , a decision he described as a way to give back while distancing himself from poker symbols. Eastgate briefly returned in February 2011, participating in select events such as the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and the EPT Main Event, where he recorded minor cashes totaling around $14,000 for the year. However, his results declined steadily from 2011 to 2013, with no significant wins; notable appearances included a fourth-place finish in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2012 WSOP for $209,111, but overall earnings dropped sharply. His last major tournament was in 2013, ending with a small cash of $3,896 in the ISPT London. During this period, Eastgate also ventured into high-stakes online , experiencing difficulties that further strained his poker involvement.

Later years

Retirement from poker

After attempting brief returns to the poker scene in and 2012, including online play where he built and subsequently lost a $50,000 bankroll, Peter Eastgate formally retired from competitive poker by 2013, marking the end of his professional tournament career with his last live cash at the International Stadiums Poker Tour event in that year. The primary catalyst for his permanent departure was a severe addiction to , which escalated during a "degenerate gambler" phase and led to substantial financial losses. Eastgate highlighted heavy wagering during the as a turning point, where he lost around $1.7 million overall in that tournament, including a $500,000 bet that Spain would not win, contributing to total deficits of about $2.2 million from 2009 to 2010. Despite these setbacks, the losses did not fully deplete his career earnings of $11.1 million, allowing him to maintain . Emotionally, the addiction exacted a heavy toll through intense mood swings tied to wins and losses, leaving Eastgate "very fed up with the whole industry" and describing it as "very tiring on your emotional level." He later reflected, "I was an addict, a degenerate gambler, but at some point I just got fed up," underscoring how his well-being had become overly dependent on gambling outcomes. By 2013, Eastgate transitioned away from high-stakes environments, relocating to , , to adopt a low-key, non-poker routine focused on personal stability and minimal overhead, including brief pursuits in bio-medicine studies before failing exams and abandoning the pursuit.

Current life and reflections

Since moving back to from in 2013, Peter Eastgate has embraced a simple, low-key lifestyle in , forgoing ownership of a and relying primarily on for transportation amid the city's bike-friendly environment. His preserved poker winnings have afforded him comfortable , eliminating any concerns about and enabling a modest existence projected to last 70 to 80 years without extravagance. In recent years, Eastgate has limited his involvement in poker to occasional, non-competitive play, such as participating in low-stakes 1/1/2 for leisure. Notably, as of July 2025, he made a surprise appearance at the WSOP Circuit event in , Georgia—his first live tournament in over a decade—though he approached it casually without intent to pursue serious contention, busting from the main event. In a 2025 interview conducted during the event, Eastgate reflected on his decision to step away from poker, admitting, "I was an addict, a degenerate gambler, but I got fed up," and expressing disinterest in the grueling, extended sessions that define professional play. He described a sense of aimlessness in his current routine, despite financial security, and emphasized his search for new interests, warning, "I need to find a passion, otherwise I’ll regret it when I get old." These insights reveal an ongoing quest for fulfillment beyond his past achievements. Eastgate's philanthropic commitments, including his 2010 donation of $147,500 from the sale of his WSOP bracelet to , underscore his charitable mindset, though no specific updates on ongoing impacts or additional initiatives were reported as of 2025.

References

  1. https://upswingpoker.com/what-happened-to-peter-eastgate/
  2. https://www.espn.com/poker/story/_/id/23979504/2018-world-series-poker-peter-eastgate-forgotten-wsop-main-event-champion-why-happy-living-simple-life
  3. https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/peter-eastgate/
  4. https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=74671
  5. https://www.pokerlistings.com/news/eastgate-i-was-an-addict-a-degenerate-gambler-but-i-got-fed-up-52313
  6. https://www.raketherake.com/pt/poker/pro-players/peter-eastgate
  7. https://www.onlinepokernews.in/2013/04/peter-eastgate-18042013/
  8. https://www.partypoker.com/blog/en/peter-eastgate.html
  9. http://www.onlinecasinos.co.uk/online-poker/profiles/eastgate.htm
  10. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/5495-wsop-peter-eastgate-wins-the-2008-main-event
  11. https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/november-nine/final-table/post.83474.htm
  12. https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/november-nine/final-table/post.83670.htm
  13. https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/result/3897/
  14. https://www.wsop.com/players/peter-eastgate
  15. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/55106-peter-eastgate
  16. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/55106-peter-eastgate/results/overall
  17. https://www.pokernews.com/tours/ept/2009-ept-london/main-event/post.123447.htm
  18. https://www.globalpokerindex.com/poker-players/peter-eastgate-74671/
  19. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/3023-2010-nbc-national-heads-up-championship/314032/results
  20. https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=s&n=74671
  21. https://www.pokernews.com/news/2010/12/top-ten-stories-of-2010-4-peter-eastgate-quits-poker-auction-9559.htm
  22. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/10248-peter-eastgate-s-bracelet-auctions-for-147-500
  23. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/10732-peter-eastgate-announces-his-return-to-poker
  24. https://www.facebook.com/peter.eastgate.583/
  25. https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/04/peter-eastgate-2008-wsop-main-event-bracelet-48326.htm
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