Sweden's Martin Jacobson defeated Felix Stephensen of Norway to win the World Series of Poker main event. (2:34)

LAS VEGAS -- The Swedish man who got his start playing online poker after late restaurant nights while he trained to be a chef is $10 million richer after winning the top World Series of Poker main event prize Tuesday night.

Martin Jacobson, 27, had three tens to beat Felix Stephensen of Norway and his pair of nines.

"There's no such thing as a 'perfect tournament,' but this was close to perfect, maybe," Jacobson said after the confetti blasts signaled his win had been cemented and friends and family ran to embrace him.

Jacobson would come home late from nights in a restaurant and none of his friends would be awake to chat or hang out, so he started playing online poker, said his mother, Eva.

Martin Jacobson, right, won the final hand at the World Series of Poker's main event with three tens to Felix Stephensen's pair of nines. AP Photo/John Locher

He was the only player of the final nine to have earned more than $1 million in World Series of Poker career earnings at tournaments. But he had never won the top spot, coming in second in some cases, until Tuesday, when he won the most watched contest in the tournament.

"It's his thing," Eva said during Tuesday's head-to-head play.

Jacobson exhibited a calm stillness throughout the two days of poker playing.

He didn't wear sunglasses, a hoodie or a baseball cap like other players to hide tells. He often stared at his opponents across the table, blinking through black-rimmed glasses.

This wasn't his first try at the big win. He traveled to Las Vegas, days after he turned 21, to enter the main event. But he busted out after a few hands, his mother said.

"I think that was good for him," she said in the lobby of the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio while her son amassed more chips on stage inside. He learned it wasn't going to be an easy task, she said.

Stephensen, 24, took home a $5.1 million prize for second place.