Shannon Shorr, a 21 year old poker ace wrapped up his first World Series of Poker appearance this week with a big win at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and now has more than enough cash in the bank to cover his tuition fees at the University of Alabama, where he is studying civil engineering.
With over a million dollars earned playing poker, Shorr’s wondering if school’s his best bet. The poker playing undergraduate says he has some thinking to do after spending eight months as a professional poker player. He started his sideline career by playing online at Party Poker, then globetrotted around the world playing live events in Australia, Austria, Spain and the Bahamas until he turned 21.
Shorr’s latest truimph was at the Bellagio Cup competition in Las Vegas this week, where he was awarded $960 000 dollars. That brings his total 2006 winnings to more than $1.3 million and ranks him third in Cardplayer.com’s Professional Poker Player of the Year Contest, trailing Phil Hellmuth Jr. by only 63 points.
Shorr was planning to return to school after finishing 577th in the World Series of Poker Main Event, which had a starting field of 8 773. Instead, he decided to buy into the Bellagio Championship for $10 000 dollars and is now glad that he did. His quest for the Player Of The Year Title continues.
Shorr joins Jeff Madsen (21) as good examples of the talented young guns reshaping the world of poker today. Madsen finished at four final tables, won two winners bracelets and banked a million and a half dollars in the recently completed World Series of Poker in Vegas.