Winner Named In Long-Awaited Texas Hold' Em Tournament
BOSTON (CBS) -The long-awaited $10 million Hold'Em Poker Tournament was held Saturday night at the TD Garden.
The tournament included 560 lottery players who won a chance to participate in the tournament via bonus drawings offered in conjunction with the scratch ticket game in 2005.
Lottery records obtained by WBZ-TV from earlier this year showed four winners have died during the long wait for the tournament.
In April 2012, the Lottery told WBZ-TV the tournament would happen in the fall but it never did.
In February, the date was finally set.
On Saturday, after three elimination rounds, four people remained in the game - Eugene Condon, Jr. of East Falmouth; Dennis Foster of Everett, who was unable to attend the event and was assigned a Boston Bruins Ice Girl as a stand-in; John Hall of Worcester; and, Dana Weiker of Worcester - each winning $1 million and a chance at claiming the tournament's $10 million grand prize.
Eugene Condon, Jr. of East Falmouth was revealed as the lottery's grand prize winner. Foster, Hall and Weiker each won $1 million.
According to the lottery, Condon can elect to receive the $10 million prize in annual payments of $500,000, less taxes, over 20 years or in a one-time, lump sum payment of $6.5 million, less taxes.
The $1 million prizes are paid $50,000 annually for 20 years, or, if elected, as a one-time cash option payment of $650,000, less taxes.