Near the border with Kentucky at the Tropicana Evansville, the Mid-States Poker Tour Indiana State Poker Championship 2016 played out this past weekend. Despite the tournament attracted some of the Midwest’s best poker players, it was Earl Potter who kept the title on home turf. In total, the tournament attracted 340 entries.
The 49- year-old automobile worker at Toyota said the following after taking home an $82,450 first- place prize.
“I’m feeling awesome. These guys are quite a bit better than me, but you’ve got to get lucky sometimes. Make good decisions. I got lucky a few times”.
Father of Two is Recreational Poker Player
Although it wouldn’t be until 2006 that he would learn no-limit Texas Hold’em, Potter began playing poker with his grandmother at the age of 10. He upped his game by playing on the MSPT earlier this year, after mainly playing recreationally over the last decade.
His first documented cash prize was won in January at the MSPT Tropicana Evansville Regional for $744, where he finished 27th.
“I had a big stack going into the regional and donked them off early. I played too conservative. I made the money, but I didn’t go real deep, so I played a little more aggressive here. That was the plan, I did it, and it worked out”.
As a father of two, his wife Crystal, grown son and daughter were watching his plan play out well via the online live stream.
When Potter was asked what he plans to do with the prize money he said with a laugh:
“My wife wants me to pay off her car so I guess I don’t have much of a choice but to do that”.
Pay Out
Of the returning players for Day Two, 36 of the 65 players got paid. With his third consecutive cash in MSPT Tropicana Evansville Main Events, Ricky Stinson finished 24th for $2,638. Runner-up Ron Kruk was also included by finishing 31st for $2,078. John Sun cashed as well by finishin 21st for $2,638. Besides the former MSPT Iowa State Poker Champ, did Day 1a chip leader Joseph Bommarito and Day 1b chip leader Jason Ramos cash as well for respectively $6,266 (11th) and $3,298 (17th).
Since Mike O’Neill, the reigning Indiana State Poker Champ, doubled into the chip lead on the second hand of the final table, it seemed like he would defend his title when the final table was reached. But he finished sixth place after all.
The final table results were as following:
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Earl Potter (Vincennes, IN)- $82,450
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Tom Gliva (Newark, OH)- $49,470
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Adam Thomas (Morganfield, KY)- $32,090
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Troy Weber (West Terre Haute, IN)- $22,426
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Jason Simon (O Fallon, MO)- $16,820
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Michael O’Neill (Royal Oak, MI)- $13,195
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Jordan Miller (Louisville, KY)- $11,213
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Carter Myers (Breckenridge, MI)- $9,234
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Jeremy Brown (Bloomington, IN)- $7,915
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Chris Cornell (Clarksville, TN)- $6,266
Click here for more info on the MSPT. The Grand Falls Casino just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakote, will be the next destination.
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