image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license  and the GNU Free Documentation License by PokerFace PR

Greg Merson, a 24-year-old Maryland poker professional, won the World Series of Poker 2012 main event, outlasting his final opponents in a exhausting card session of nearly 12 hours for the $8.53 million title.

On the last hand, Merson went all-in with a king high. His opponent Las Vegas card pro Jesse Sylvia after draining thought called with a suited queen-jack.

In the following video interview Lynn Gilmartin talks with Merson about his journey, and his plans for the coming months, before he is crowned champion.