Rockland Man Owes World Series Poker Win to Wife

A sweater, a new set of golf clubs, maybe a tie. These are typical gifts a man may get from his wife on his birthday. But not Nanuet resident Jason Cohen. 

For his 40th birthday, his wife gave him the chance to win $60 million. She bought him a flight, hotel room and enrolled him in the recent 2013 World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas to compete with 6,324 players. 

“I have played in tournaments before but never the World Series of Poker and never for such a large buy-in ($10,000),” said Cohen.

Cohen, the COO of NJ Lenders Corp. mortgage company, placed 111th, won $51,000, was chips leader and was featured by ESPN and pokersnews.com.

“The emotional roller coaster of the tournament was nothing like I have ever experienced,” said Cohen, who grew up in New City.  “The elation of winning a large hand and moving on to the crushing blow of defeat that inevitably took me out."

Cohen said he looks forward to participating in some large tournaments in the future and will compete in a World Poker Tour event in Atlantic City in September. 

“I would not have traded the experience for anything," said Cohen. "And I owe a good portion of it to my wonderful wife, Michele. She knew that I had always wanted to play in the WSOP, but I would never want to commit the time (and money) to do so. So she made it happen. She rocks!”