On his 36th birthday, Craig Varnell stormed back from 3.5 big blinds to score his first World Poker Tour title. The victory came in the 577-entry Season XVII WPT Choctaw Main Event and was worth a career-best $379,990.

“It feels great,” Varnell said about getting the victory on his birthday. “When I found out [the final table] was on my birthday, I said ‘well that’s good.’ The day didn’t start out too well, and I was down to three or four big blinds. Then, I didn’t know what happened. I won a couple of all ins and all of a sudden I was back in it. It’s crazy. I had a big support group here, people watching from everywhere, it’s pretty crazy. Best birthday present you can ask for.”

On Hand #42 of the final table, Varnell flopped top and bottom pair on the board in a hand against Nick Pupillo. After Varnell checked with the in his hand, Pupillo bet 180,000. Varnell check-raised to 530,000, and Pupillo made the call to see the hit the turn. Varnell moved all in for 2.405 million, and Pupillo quickly called with the better . The river was the to give Pupillo the double up and knock Varnell all the way down to 210,000. At the time, that was only 3.5 big blinds.

Varnell doubled up through Trung Pham on the next deal of the cards, then doubled again a few hands later. The second double came through Stacey Jones. Immediately after that, Varnell doubled again through Pham and all of a sudden he was back up to 3.12 million in chips.

Varnell took that momentum and rode it to victory, ultimately defeating Will Berry in heads-up play.

Final Table Payouts

1. Craig Varnell – $379,990
2. Will Berry – $243,330
3. Nick Pupillo – $179,430
4. Trung Pham – $133,770
5. Stacey Jones – $100,850
6. Austin Lewis – $76,890

This wasn’t the first time Varnell had made a WPT final table, and it wasn’t the first time he made the WPT Choctaw final table. In Season XV, Varnell took third in WPT Choctaw for $306,346. Earlier this season, Season XVII, Varnell took fourth in the WPT Gardens Poker Festival for $201,615. Although he did win a WPT500 title back in 2015, Varnell was still looking for that redemption after coming ever so close in WPT Main Tour events before.

“It feels really good,” Varnell said of being able to close this WPT Main Tour final table out with a win. “I made a really bad call when I was three handed, and I was pretty upset with myself for a while, but after I got short and then doubled up I think I played really well.”

Varnell had a roller coaster ride at the final table, but he said everyone experienced the same thing, with the chip lead changing multiple times and different players being at the bottom at various times, as well. Varnell also made sure to point out that everyone else at the table player very well.

Austin Lewis was eliminated first when his couldn’t hold up against the for Jones. Jones fell next when he ran pocket kings into the pocket aces of Pham. After that, it was Pham out in fourth and then Pupillo out i third to set up a Varnell-versus-Berry heads-up bout.

Varnell entered heads-up play with almost a 2-1 chip lead. Berry quickly pulled back into the lead, but then Varnell stretched a lead back out. On the final hand, the two got all the money in with Varnell holding the to Berry’s . Varnell flopped a ten and held from there to eliminate Berry in second place.

“I try to follow my instincts, which a lot of players don’t do anymore,” Varnell said of the style and speed of his play. “It’s all math and game theory. That’s a part of the game a lot of people don’t have. They’re always on their phone on Twitter, they’re always doing something. I look at people and I try to pick up on things and pay attention a lot, and that’s why I have success. I don’t study, I don’t do all of this stuff. These kids have no lives. They’re either on the computer or playing poker all the time. I don’t want to live my life like that. I love playing poker, but I’m not going to just play all the time. I’ve got family, friends, a girlfriend. I can’t just be studying all the time.”

Varnell can now add his WPT title to his trophy case that already includes a World Series of Poker gold bracelet, in addition to the aforementioned WPT500 crown. Varnell’s WSOP bracelet came just last summer when he won the $565 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $181,790.

“Never would I have thought I’d have a WPT title and a bracelet,” Varnell said. “It’s crazy to just think about all of that. Now I get to play with all of the best tomorrow [in the Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions] with all of the added money. I like being challenged.”

Next up for Varnell will be the season-ending Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions on Saturday, June 1, when he’ll face off against only fellow WPT Champions Club members in the rake-free $15,000 buy-in event.