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AP PhotoShelby Township's Joe Cada celebrates his World Series of Poker main event victory Tuesday. He won $8.5 million and is the youngest main event champion in WSOP history.
LAS VEGAS -- Poker has a new world champion and the title is coming back to Michigan.

Joe Cada, a 21-year-old from Shelby Township, captured the World Series of Poker main event championship Tuesday morning by defeating 46-year-old Maryland logger Darvin Moon at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.

Cada is now the youngest WSOP champion in history, besting the record of 2008 winner Peter Eastgate by 340 days. Cada will receive $8.5 million for the victory.

"I never thought this was possible. It was one of those dreams I had and I can't believe it came true," Cada said. "I hope I can help poker grow and I'll do my best to represent it.

"I've put a lot of time into poker. Poker's been my life for a while. To win it the first year out, I got really lucky and I'm very fortunate. I definitely plan on playing all of the big tournaments and traveling."

Grand Rapids native Tom McEvoy, now a poker pro and accomplished author, won the 1983 WSOP main event.

"This is probably the greatest thing that's going to happen in his life," said McEvoy, who was on hand for Cada's win. "For the next year, he's the face of poker. He just kept his cool at the table."

After two semesters at Macomb Community College, Cada turned to poker full time.

By 19, he purchased his first house in cash. Before coming to the WSOP, he had amassed more than $500,000 in online tournament winnings.

And now eight days before his 22nd birthday, Cada has his first WSOP bracelet.

"I told Darvin I play a lot of heads up, and he was one of my toughest opponents," Cada said. "Darvin was playing some great poker. He put me in some tough spots. I was just hoping to climb back in."

On the final hand of the longest WSOP main event final table in history, Cada was holding pocket nines and Moon had a queen and a jack. All of the money went in the middle before the flop.

Moon's had didn't improve, and Cada's celebration began after 88 hands of heads-up play and 364 hands overall at the final table.

Cada handed out 150 tickets to supporters who packed the Penn & Teller theater for more than 20 hours of poker over the past three days.

"They meant everything to me. They cheered me on when I had no chips. I was down to 2 million (Saturday) and they were cheering," Cada said. "Momentum's a big thing in poker and a lot of these guys took off school and work to come out here and support me and I'm grateful for that."

Now a multi-millionaire and a world champion, what's left for Cada to accomplish?

"Back to back," he said with a smile.