Canadian Buddhist poker player, 67, promises to donate $890,000 winnings

A 67-year-old Halifax man has promised to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars after winning big at a poker tournament.

Scott Wellenbach, a devoted Buddhist who has given all his previous winnings to charity, said he is comfortable enough in life to not need the cash.

He won US$671,000 - about $891,000 - for finishing third in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event in the Bahamas on Wednesday.

Wellenbach beat off competition from poker professionals to win bronze at the globally televised event, despite classing himself as an amateur. He was one of 850 players to enter.

Asked why he is giving every penny of his winnings away, he said: "First of all I can. I have a good job, it takes care of my living needs.

“That gives me a comfortable cushion that allows me to donate my poker winnings. It’s actually quite easy, I really don’t need the money."

Explaining the secret to his success, Wellenbach said the other players misjudged him because of his age.

"I don’t play in a stereotypical fashion for my age. I think a lot of the success I had in the tournament was the other guys or women would have a hard time figuring out how I was playing, what I was doing,” he said.

With files from the Canadian Press