Espen Uhlen Jørstad is a Norwegian professional poker player who won the 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event for $10 million, becoming the first Norwegian to claim the title. He entered that tournament via a $1,050 satellite, a detail that reflects where he came from: a career built primarily around online cash games, not a live tournament résumé. His personal finances beyond that headline prize are not publicly disclosed, and all estimates in this article are based on publicly available information.
Who Is Espen Jørstad?
For most of his career, Jørstad operated as an online cash game specialist, known by his aliases "Hymn2ninkasi" and "COVFEFE-19" on major poker platforms. Live tournament poker was secondary to that, which makes his 2022 WSOP summer an unusual chapter in the record books. He won two bracelets in the same series: the Tag Team event alongside British pro Patrick Leonard, then the Main Event itself less than two weeks later.
He turned professional in 2017, with an online poker sponsorship and a Twitch presence, helping cover his early years as a full-time player. A sixth-place finish in the 2021 WSOP Online Main Event, worth $603,058, was the result that pointed toward his 2022 breakthrough.
Since the championship, he has focused on the super high roller circuit, competing in $100,000 and $200,000 buy-in events at Triton and EPT. He is ranked first on Norway's all-time money list with over $19 million in recorded live earnings.
Espen Jørstad Net Worth (Estimated)
Jørstad's net worth is generally estimated in the $5 million to $12 million range, though he has not publicly confirmed any figure.
The gap between that estimate and his $10 million prize reflects something he discussed openly in a 2024 podcast: collecting the money took six months. The IRS rejected his initial UK residency documentation, which meant accepting a 30% withholding tax (roughly $3 million) if he collected immediately. He waited, obtained the correct certificate, and eventually received the full amount. He noted the delay alone cost him approximately $200,000 in foregone interest at prevailing rates.
Weeks before the Main Event win, he had lost over $1 million in the Terra/LUNA cryptocurrency collapse of May 2022. On Instagram at the time, he wrote that his "net worth is now significantly lower." The sequence matters: his financial position going into the biggest win of his career was considerably lower than most observers assumed.
Tournament Winnings Breakdown
Jørstad entered the 2022 WSOP Main Event via a $1,050 online satellite (poker term for a lower buy-in qualifier that awards a seat in a higher buy-in event), and that result alone accounts for roughly 51% of his total live earnings, which exceeded $19 million as of late 2025.
| Year | Event | Finish | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | WSOP Main Event | 1st | $10,000,000 |
| 2023 | Triton Longon $200k NLH 8-handed | 3rd | $2,766,191 |
| 2024 | Triton Monte Carlo $200k Special Invitational | 3rd | $2,255,000 |
| 2023 | Triton London $40k Mystery Bounty | 1st | $639,000 |
| 2025 | EPT Barcelona €97k Super High Roller | 4th | €524,400 |
| 2021 | WSOP Online Main Event | 6th | $603,058 |
The six results in the table represent the documented high points of a broader career. Jørstad's online cash game activity never appears in live databases, and his overall live poker tournaments volume is relatively selective compared to players who grind circuits full-time.
Your 2022 WSOP Main Event Champion is Norway's Espen Jorstad! Jorstad ultimately topped a field of 8,663 players claim the grand prize of $10,000,000 and his second gold bracelet of the series.
📸 @hayleyochohttps://t.co/A4PqWvKJEL pic.twitter.com/kdOAYi63Ia— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 17, 2022
His post-2022 shift toward super high rollers significantly changes the cost picture. Buy-ins at Triton events run from $40,000 to $200,000 per entry, and two of the three results in the Triton column above came from $200,000 buy-in fields. The EPT €97,000 Super High Roller buy-in carries the same logic: the gross payout is meaningful, but the cost of entry isn't trivial.
The figures in the table are gross payouts:
- Pre-tax
- Before travel and accommodation
- Before the entry fees that funded the results
They document competitive performance. What Jørstad retained from each result depends on variables no public database tracks.
Other Income: Sponsorships, Backing, and Professional Deals
Jørstad's most visible income source beyond tournaments is his role as a GTO Wizard ambassador – the platform is widely used for GTO poker study at every level of the game. He has produced educational content for the platform, appeared at their 2024 Tokyo launch event, and holds the designation of their first "PRO" ambassador. He has described GTO Wizard as "the main tool I use myself."
Prior to this, he held an online poker operator sponsorship from around 2017 through his championship years. He has also been listed as a Run It Once coach. Financial terms for all of these arrangements have not been publicly disclosed.
Cash games account for a meaningful portion of his professional activity, but no public database records them. His regular play under known aliases on major online platforms constitutes a private revenue stream with undisclosed figures.
Public Profile, Lifestyle, and Privacy
Jørstad maintains a selective public profile and has kept personal financial details largely out of public discussion. He skipped the entire 2025 WSOP in Las Vegas, the first clear step back from poker since his championship, citing mental health, fitness, and time with people close to him. In a 2024 podcast with Daniel Cates, he spoke openly about the IRS situation and the LUNA losses, while keeping specific figures private.
FAQ – Espen Jørstad Net Worth
Is Espen Jørstad a millionaire?
With gross live earnings exceeding $19 million, yes. What he has retained after taxes, buy-ins, and documented losses is a different figure, but the scale of the 2022 prize makes millionaire status a reasonable working assumption.
What is Espen Jørstad best known for in poker?
The 2022 WSOP Main Event, which he won for $10 million, to become the first Norwegian world champion. He is also recognised as a cash game specialist who entered the world's biggest tournament on a $1,050 satellite.
Do tournament winnings equal net worth?
No. In Jørstad's case, his $10 million prize was effectively on hold for 6 months due to issues with IRS residency documentation. Winning, collecting, and retaining are three different events, and his situation illustrates all three.
Does Espen Jørstad earn income outside poker tournaments?
Yes. He is a confirmed GTO Wizard ambassador, previously held an online poker operator sponsorship, and has been listed as a Run It Once coach. Cash game results are not publicly tracked.
Why are net worth estimates for poker champions often ranges?
Prize money is the only figure that enters the public record. Jørstad's LUNA losses weeks before his Main Event win are a clear reminder that financial positions can shift substantially outside what any database tracks.
