Soren Turkewitsch, An Unlikely Candidate to Write Poker History at WPT Niagara Falls

Ten years, that’s how much time has gone by since Soren Turkewitsch came out of nowhere to win the first-ever World Poker Tour event in Canada for $1,380,378. It’s also the amount of time that has passed since the auto plant worker quit his job for a life of freedom and opportunity.

There are not many instances where the term ‘life-changing money’ fits better than with Turkewitsch, who bought a house with a part of his winnings two years later, and to date he lives there with his wife and small children.

The now 36 year-old Turkewitsch settled down in Newtonville, a tiny blip on the map 30 minutes from the town where he grew up, Oshawa, Ontario.

In one lifetime a select few people get a chance to win a World Poker Tour event, but tomorrow the man who parlayed a $90 satellite into a seven-figure score finds himself in an unthinkable situation, coming into the final table of the event he won 10 years ago with a real chance to repeat.

“Nobody has ever won the same World Poker Tour event twice,” WPT commentator Mike Sexton said to Turkewitsch before the start of Day 3.

Turkewitsch smiled from ear to ear hearing those words come out of the mouth of the Poker Hall of Fame member, who was there as well for his first win.

“I still have it recorded on my DVR,” Turkewitsch said about the broadcast of his victory, with a smile. “I watched it once with my son, and he’s always asking me – when I go out to play poker – if it’s ‘that poker’ from the TV. So then I always tell him, ‘No, that’s a different poker.’”

Now things are getting eerily close to the poker his son pictures when his dad goes out to play, as today only a few hours passed before 423-player field whittled down to its final six.

“It feels really good, I’m just hoping I can do it one more time,” a delighted Turkewitsch said. “It would be nice to make a little bit of WPT history – and I haven’t done anything major since my last win – and to be able to be the first-ever repeat champion would be something special.”

Poker is a small part of Turkewitsch’s life, as he spends lots of time at home with his small children. From time to time Turkewitsch goes out to play in local tournaments and cash games – but this tournament will forever be marked down on his calendar.

“This is a hometown tournament that I always try to make it out to,” Turkewitsch said, “It changed my life.”

Winning the World Poker Tour North American Poker Championship – as it was called back in 2006 – gave Turkewitsch a type of freedom most people can – and will – only dream of, and he’s reminded of that on a daily basis.

“The trophy still sits in the living room, and I’d like to add to it, because there’s space for another one right next to it,” Turkewitsch smiled.

“At the final table back in 2006 I was pretty fortunate to finish first. I got lucky on a couple of big hands versus Jason – who finished second – and I’d just like to win again, and show everyone that it wasn’t just a fluke, a one-off,” Turkewitsch spoke with pride, as he recorded only five live tournament results since making it big in ’06.

“I still get recognized down here at the casino,” Turkewitsch said, “It’s history down here in Niagara Falls, since it was the first WPT ever in Canada and it just happened that some guy won that nobody knew.”

Turkewitsch will not just be ‘some guy’ who won a big poker tournament if he wins his second WPT title at Fallsview Casino tomorrow, that’s for sure. Not only is there C$383,407 up for grabs, but also a chance for Turkewitsch to enter the select group of two-time champions, and become the first player in the history of the World Poker Tour to win the same event twice.

Game on, Soren. A place in poker history is yours for the taking.