Thayer "THAY3R" Rasmussen is hardly a slouch. Since entering the game back in 2006 he's traveled, worked, and won. His resume is testimony to that fact. He's reached WPT final tables, scored 26 WSOP cashes, as well as countless others across the United States.

For him it's about being professional, putting the work in and making the game pay. And yet somehow an online title has eluded him. That all changed during WCOOP this year, when Rasmussen, now exiled to Mexico from his native Florida, won Event #40, a 6-max shootout, for $69,825.

Thayer "THAY3R" Rasmussen

"It was pretty cool! I've had some nice scores in the past but no real significant wins, so winning my 1st bracelet was pretty awesome."

Rasmussen, 31, took a standard approach to WCOOP. Play lots, play well, and get serious when it mattered.

"I usually play in multiple tournaments but as I went deeper in this tournament and at the FT I one-tabled the tourney for the most part. WCOOP has some pretty big tournaments with a lot at stake, so I tend to play less tables than usual and focus on making more player/table specific decisions. This was a very dynamic tournament as it was a shorthanded tourney where until the final table all that mattered was beating everyone at your table."

Rasmussen's preparations were simple. He took a walk on the beach, lifted a few weights, took a swim and tried to clear his mind. "I think doing physical things outside is a great way to mentally focus."

The tournament itself presented several key moment. He was slow rolled with the nuts when he attempted a river bluff in his first match (he got revenge soon after). But in turn he benefitted by the fact that some matches went short-handed very quickly, which meant a lot of chips in play, which suited Rasmussen.

Then came another moment early in the final table.

I felt very confident at the FT especially after getting off to a quick start. Not in the "These guys are terrible I'm going to crush!" sense, but I felt very comfortable making my decisions.

"I made a successful three street bluff that gave me the chip lead and put me in a great position to apply pressure to the rest of the table and that really helped me get to heads-up.

What followed as a place in WCOOP history books, a first bracelet and a first major title.

I had a lot of friends and family watching/following and they were all very excited to see me win, which was very cool!" said Rasmussen, although there is always another event to plan for. "Nothing too big since Sundays were next morning".