Saline Resident Pulls $1M Poker Prize

Jonathan Schiller thought his World Series of Poker run was over.

The Saline resident had been eliminated from the $1,000 Mystery Millions event in Las Vegas, finishing 439th out of more than 22,000 players. That finish earned him $4,150, but in this event, leaving the poker table did not necessarily mean his opportunity was over.

The tournament included mystery bounty prizes, which gave players who eliminated another player a chance to draw for extra money. The prizes were hidden in envelopes, and the largest one was worth $1 million.

Schiller was close to leaving Horseshoe Las Vegas when he checked the tournament app and realized he still had a draw left. By the time he stepped up, there were 11 gold chests remaining.

One of them held $1 million.

Schiller pulled the top prize, turning a trip that started with bowling friends into a story that quickly drew attention from the poker world and back home in Michigan.

The event drew 22,811 entrants across six starting flights, making it the largest-ever $1,000 World Series of Poker event and the fourth-largest World Series of Poker tournament ever held, according to PokerOrg. The tournament included more than $10 million in the regular prize pool and another $6.8 million in bounty prizes.

Schiller, a recreational poker player, was in Nevada with friends for the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in Reno before making the six-hour drive to Las Vegas.

For Schiller, the reality of the win is still sinking in.

“I’m not sure it has yet,” Schiller said. “I think it will probably after I talk to my tax guy to figure out how much we will have for home improvements and investments and to pay off what debt we have and how much we have to set aside.”

After the draw, Schiller said he called his wife.

“I think she was in shock,” he said. “I have done OK on these trips but never won a tournament or had any prize of this magnitude.”

Schiller and his wife moved to Saline eight years ago after returning to Michigan from Florida. He said both of their families are from Michigan, and they chose Saline largely because of the school system.

While the million-dollar draw made for a dramatic poker moment, Schiller said what he hopes people take from it is broader than cards.

“I think what I want people to take from it is to never give up and appreciate things while they are good,” he said. “Life can change quickly in both ways.”

Schiller said he has played daily fantasy sports and poker for several years, but had recently been through the two worst years of his career and had seriously considered giving it up.

Now, the prize gives his family some breathing room after a difficult stretch.

For Schiller, it is not about changing his life as much as easing some pressure and helping his family move forward in the place they chose to call home.

“I hope nothing changes,” Schiller said. “I’m already where I want to be doing what I want to do.”