HISTORY
Career & origins of Espen Jorstad
Espen Jorstad is the Norwegian online poker veteran who won the 2022 WSOP Main Event, claiming $10 million in prize money and becoming one of the most celebrated champions in the tournament's recent history. Known online as "SmurfSCT," he had spent years grinding high-stakes online MTTs before making the leap to Las Vegas and winning the game's biggest prize.
Jorstad's victory was notable for how composed he appeared throughout — a GTO-first player who navigated one of the toughest Main Event fields in history with clarity and confidence. His deep knowledge of modern poker theory, combined with the mental composure to apply it in an ultra-high-pressure live setting, made him a worthy champion.
His story — an online grinder from Norway who came to Las Vegas and won the biggest tournament in the world — captures something essential about modern poker: the game is truly global, and the best players can emerge from anywhere.