Life has changed for Jason Senti since winning $1.3 million in the World Series of Poker two months ago.
The big difference for the graduate of Grand Forks Red River and UND is that he and his wife bought a house in the Twin Cities suburb of Eagan that is several times bigger than their previous residence.
However, they didn't pay cash. Taxes are "pushing 50 percent" for the self-employed on earnings of that amount, he said. However, they were able to make a healthy down payment, as they had planned, "so that day came quicker than we expected."
Bruce Senti, his father who lives in Grand Forks, said it's like being with a rock star when they're in public.
"It's not that girls are chasing him down the street and trying to tear his shirt off," Bruce said. "But he gets stopped pretty much everywhere he goes. When he was home for Christmas, we stopped at Southgate and it was pretty much a steady stream all night."
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It's comforting, he said, to see that his son's family has some financial security.
More financial security will come when Jason Senti picks from his endorsement offers. While pro athletes in the higher-profile sports endorse everything from soft drinks to vehicles to clothing, successful professional poker players land contracts for touting online poker sites. While PokerStars.net is sponsoring him this weekend in a tournament in The Bahamas, he's still mulling several offers for a more permanent arrangement.
Despite his winnings for finishing seventh in the WSOP's main event of Texas Hold 'Em, The Bahamas trip is a rare tournament appearance for the 28-year-old. Since leaving his engineering job several years ago, he mostly has earned his living as an online player.
The Bahamas event will be just his third tournament since the WSOP in Las Vegas in early November. He placed first in the second one, a 140-player event at Canterbury Park in the Twin Cities.
Although the $40,000 first prize paled in comparison with the $1.3 million, he said it was a meaningful win.
"Not that I thought I had to prove something to myself, but that win showed right there that the World Series was not a fluke," he said.
Although ESPN shows replays of the main event's final table several times a week, Senti has watched it only once.
"While I'm still very happy about how I did, I don't want to relive myself busting out," he said. "As grateful as I am, I'm competitive and it was painful to see. There's no need to see it again."
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Besides, he said, he's been busy furnishing the new house.
Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send e-mail to rbakken@gfherald.com .
