Greg Merson Wins World Series Of Poker After 12 Hour Final Table Marathon [VIDEO]

Last night, after the NBA games got done, I did what I do every night: turn on ESPN and go to sleep. To my pleasant of surprise, the World Series of Poker final table was being played out live. However, exhausted, I fell asleep without catching much of it and with only three players left in the tournament.

This idea, to play out the final table live in October, is a new one, given that the final table was known as the "November Nine," and played to a winner in November up until this World Series.

When I woke up, there were still three players left. In fact, those three competitors lasted for eleven consecutive hours against one another, until one was finally eliminated. Just an hour later, American Greg Merson finished the job and claimed the $8.5 million prize.

As someone who, like many, can barely put together a solid hour of poker, let alone 12, I applaud this man for being, in my opinion, one of the toughest dudes in the world. The mental endurance required to do what he just did is nothing short of staggering, and fully deserving of the $8.5 million prize.

Just don't gamble it all away, Greg.