If he didn't, Tomko would almost certainly win with his pair of aces. The dealer turned over the fourth card, the three of diamonds. Tomko was still in the lead with only one card left. But the last card was the nine, giving Mortensen the king-high straight, sending his fans into a frenzy. Tomko was left shaking his head.
Fate is fate.
Horseshoe owner Becky Binion Behnen presented Mortensen with the championship bracelet. This year's 613-player championship field topped last year's record field of 512 entrants by almost 20 percent.