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2011 MO-KAN-NEB CIRCUIT HEADS TO KANSAS CITY |
The final 3 events of the 2010-11 Mo-Kan-Neb Tri-State Poker
Grand Championship are all scheduled for the Greater Kansas City Area.
"As of the finish of the Kansas Texas Holdem event, the field is still
wide open" said Tournament Director Stewart "Chicago Mike" Bishop. "Last
year at this time only 5 players had a realistic shot at the Tri-State
Title because they had finished very high in qualifying tournaments
earlier in the season."
The Kansas City Texas Holdem and K.C.
Lowball Championships will be held on the same day in late July and the
State of Missouri Championship will follow in August. |
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Kansas City K.C. Lowball Championship July 2011 |
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Kansas City Texas Holdem Championship July 2011 |
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Missouri State Holdem Championship Aug 2011 |
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JOAN SCHOONOVER TAKES KANSAS HOLDEM TITLE |
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BREAKING NEWS (June 20). Kansas Poker News has just learned that
Joan Schoonover captured the 2011 Kansas State Texas Holdem
Championship. She earned the title bracelet after more than 13 hours of
no-limit poker. Kansas Poker News will have additional details of this
historic event and an interview with the champion as they become
available.
Until then, a full pictorial of the championship is available here. |
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TOM SIGVALDSON WINS NO-LIMIT MIXED GAMES |
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In the world of poker tournaments, there are tough events and
then there are very tough events. There's no more challenging format
than the Kansas State No-Limit Mixed Games tournament. Participants must
play 4 different types of poker, all no-limit, in a double-elimination
format.
The Mixed Games Championship includes No-Limit Texas
Holdem, Omaha, 5-Card Stud, and Kansas City Deuce to Seven Lowball.
Players have two full opportunities because they can enter the
tournament and re-enter once if they bust out. "The double elimination
format effectively means the champion must beat everyone twice at 4
different types of no-limit poker", said Tournament Director Stewart
"Chicago Mike" Bishop. "If there's a better way to identify the true
No-Limit Poker Champion I don't know what it is".
Tom Sigvaldson
of Baldwin, Kansas outlasted a brilliant final table to claim the
championship title bracelet. "Tom played amazing poker", said Bishop,
"He was able to quickly adapt as the games changed and that plus a
little luck probably made the difference today".
For a full pictorial of the championship, visit this link. |
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ALAN STEVENS CAPTURES MANHATTAN TITLE |
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Three rooms were packed to capacity at
the 2011 Manhattan No-Limit Texas Holdem Championship held on April 6th.
This is the most prestigious event in Central Kansas, drawing players
from 3 States for a shot at the title. "I think it's the fact that
there's such a mixture of players in Manhattan that makes it such a
tough tournament", said Tournament Director Stew "Chicago Mike" Bishop.
"There's rural players, city players, soldiers, students, and anyone
else you can think of. It's probably as close to the old days of Abilene
and Hays saloon poker as you can find in the country".
When the
smoke cleared, Alan Stevens had outlasted one of the toughest final
tables in Mo-Kan-Neb history to claim the championship bracelet. "There
were 3 bracelet winners at the final table", said Bishop. "When I saw
who was at the table I knew it would take talent, patience, and some
right cards to win this one".
Stevens joins his brother,
CSP Hall of Famer Tony "River-T" Stevens as the only brother duo to
win championship title bracelets in the history of Tri-State Poker.
For a complete pictorial of this
event, click here. |
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BRIAN TURNER WINS LAWRENCE CHAMPIONSHIP |
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"Chicago Mike" Bishop
awards the Poker Title Bracelet to Brian Turner |
Brian Turner of St. Joseph, Missouri
won the 2010-11 Lawrence No-Limit Texas Holdem Championship, defeating
over 90 of the areas best players in the process. "Brian played great
and kept his composure at the final table", said Tournament Director
Stew Bishop.
Turner needed composure at a final table which
featured the likes of veterans Ed Boos and Robin Reitmeyer, John Horton,
and 2009 Mo-Kan-Neb Grand Champion Tony "River T" Stevens.
"This
puts Brian in the early lead for the Tri-State Championship but there's
still alot of poker to be played between now and then", said Bishop.
For a full pictorial on this historic tournament please visit this link. |
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2010-11 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
July 31, 2010: Topeka Texas Holdem Championship
Aug. 22, 2010: Lawrence Texas Holdem Championship
December, 2010: Wichita
Texas Holdem Championship
December, 2010: Joplin-Pittsburg
Mo-Kan Southern Championship
December, 2010: Omaha Texas Holdem Championship
April 6, 2011: Manhattan Texas Holdem Championship
May 22,
2011: Kansas State Mixed
Games Championship
June 19, 2011,
12noon:
Kansas State Texas Holdem
Championship, Round One, open to all players
June 19, 2011 430pm: Ks State Holdem Championship, Final
Round
July 2011: Kansas City K.C.
Lowball & Texas Holdem Championship
July
2011: Missouri State Texas Holdem
Championship
August 2011: Nebraska State Texas Holdem
Championship
August 2011: Mo-Kan-Neb Grand Championship
K. C.
NATIVE STRIKES GOLD IN TOPEKA
Next Up: Lawrence Championship, Sun. Aug. 22nd |
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Topeka
Champ Mike
Sturgeon (l) & KPN Editor "Chicago Mike" Bishop |
| BREAKING NEWS (Aug. 3). In May, Topeka
resident Tom Simpkins travelled to Kansas City and returned with the K.C.
Texas Holdem Championship and the Mo-Kan-Neb Grand Championship (see
story below). On July 31st Mike Sturgeon returned the favor, travelling
from Overland Park to Topeka to claim the 2010 Topeka No-Limit Holdem
Championship Bracelet. The Topeka
tournament pitted 70 of the regions top players in a battle for the
first Championship Title of the 2010 Season. It did not disappoint.
After nearly 9 hours of competition, Sturgeon was the last player
standing. Kansas Poker News publisher Stew "Chicago Mike" Bishop
observed the action and complemented Sturgeon on his tremendous
achievement: "...Mike had a tough road to victory. He was
short-stacked at the beginning of the final table and with 6 players
left it looked like he might be heading for the exits... When other
players may have been a bit complacent, Mike shifted gears and start
dictating the action. When luck broke his way the chips followed..."
Originally a single-table player, Sturgeon
has been competing in tournaments for over 5 years and has found his
favorite game to be No-limit Texas Holdem. Mike described his keys
to the Topeka victory as: 1) Being patient; 2) Waiting for the cards to
come then betting right; 3) Not going on tilt when he makes a mistake or
his cards don't come. "... I played tight at first", he said, "I
didn't overbet unmade hands". As for a memorable hand that made a
big difference, Sturgeon recalled: "... I was all-in with a pair
of 8's vs. 2's. My opponent hit trip deuces on the flop but I made
runner-runner to hit a flush. There were 7 players left and that chipped
me up a bit. Then I started catching some hands..."
"Mike faced a great final table", commented
Bishop, "they really made him earn it". Ed Boos was runner up,
Randy Speakman finished 3rd, and Topeka veteran Timm Thacker was 4th.
Rounding out the final table were: Cheryl Reitmeyer, Dallas Huzarevich,
Kyle Stueven, Craig Matthews, Lori Brese, and 2008 Kansas Mixed Games
Grand Champion Tony "River T" Stevens.
A pictorial of the 2010 Topeka Poker Championship
can be found at this link.
Next up in the 2010 Mo-Kan-Neb Championship Poker Series is the Lawrence
Texas Holdem Championship on Sunday, Aug. 22nd. Full information is
available here.
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2010
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON KICKS OFF JULY 31 |
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10
City & State Title Bracelets to be Awarded in Series |
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Topeka Championship Jul 31 -
Lawrence Championship Aug 22 |
BREAKING NEWS (June 11): The 2010
Mo-Kan-Neb Tri-State Poker Championship Series will officially
kickoff in Topeka on Saturday, July 31st.
The Topeka No-Limit Texas Holdem Championship will be the first title bracelet awarded in this
years championship series.
The Lawrence No-Limit Texas Holdem Championship is the next
event in the series, scheduled for Sunday, August 22nd.
Events will be scheduled at major
locations throughout the region. Players should check here regularly
for calendar updates. The schedule and complete details are also be
posted at
http://poker.meetup.com/1682/calendar/13726847/ Players may visit that site for
more information & RSVP.
The series will conclude in late December /
January with the State Grand Championships. The player with the best
overall performance in all tournaments will be crowned the 2010
Mo-Kan-Neb Poker Grand Champion and will be considered for induction
to the Central States Poker Hall of Fame. All tournaments are
conducted double-elimination style giving all players two full
opportunities to win each championship title bracelet.
In addition to the Championship Title
Bracelet Trophy Case to the winner, the top 10% of finishers will
receive a generous cash payout. Players reaching a final table will
qualify for Round 2 of the State Championships. Each event carries
points towards the 2010 Mo-Kan-Neb Tri-State Poker Grand Champion
title and towards the 2010-11 Player of the Decade Tournament. 100%
of net proceeds benefit the Arthritis Foundation and the Salvation
Army. |
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2009
MO-KAN-NEB SERIES CONCLUDES |
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WITH
ODDS-DEFYING FINISH IN KANSAS CITY |
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Tom Simpkins, 2009 MoKanNeb Tri-State Poker Grand
Champion |
| BREAKING NEWS (Apr 26). The Kansas City
Texas Holdem Grand Championship was the scene of one of this year's most
improbable tournament finishes. Heading into the event, 4 players were
realistically in the race for Grand Champion honors: Chris Goodrow, Tom
Simpkins, C.J. Burch, and Jeff Berroth.
Tournament Manager Stew "Chicago Mike"
Bishop summarized the odds: "With a first, second, and 8th place
finish, Chris was clearly in the lead. Jeff and C.J. would need to win
the Kansas City event to win the Grand Championship. Tom was in slightly
better position with a 1st and 6th place finish. If Tom finished in 3rd
at Kansas City, Chris would win it, if Tom finished in 1st, he would
win. The problem was what to do if Tom finished in 2nd. I had decided to
award a Co-Grand Championship because it would just be too close. The
bottom line is that Simpkins had less than a 1 in 60 shot of winning the
Grand Championship outright."
As poker proves over and over, it's a game
where the improbable happens and when the smoke cleared on Saturday,
Simpkins had defeated 61 of the best players in the Midwest to capture
the Kansas City Title. He had a roller coaster ride to the title,
however: " I was down to just 800 in chips near the break, barely
enough for a few blinds and couldn't catch a hand. During the break,
Jeff (Berroth) reminded me that it would just take a few double-ups to
get back in the race and thankfully that's what happened", said
Simpkins.
Among many critical hands, Tom won a major
double-up from 3rd-place finisher Gary Jones to move towards the top of
the stacks and he didn't look back from there.
Reflecting on a memorable 2009-10 Tournament
season, Bishop commented: "This just shows how tough the
competition in the Midwest is. From the kick-off in Topeka, to the
finish in Kansas City it was one great tournament after the other. You
can't find better action anywhere in the country."
Kansas Poker News has learned that the
Central States Poker Hall of Fame will be considering a new inductee
from the 2009 Season. We'll report on any such development as it is
announced. |
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2009 KANSAS
STATE POKER CHAMPIONS CROWNED |
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TITLE BRACELETS
AWARDED AT STATE FINALS |
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Tri-State Grand
Champion to be Decided in K.C. Apr 25 |
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7
New Players Qualify for Player of the Decade Event |
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Tom Simpkins, 2009 Kansas State NL Poker Mixed
Games Champion |
Chris Goodrow, 2009 Kansas State NL Texas Holdem
Champion |
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BREAKING NEWS (Dec. 20):
Tom Simpkins and Chris Goodrow won the 2009 Kansas
State Poker Championships this weekend in Topeka.
They had to survive the state's toughest field and
"beat everyone twice" to claim the title bracelets
in Mixed Games and Texas Holdem respectively.
In Simpkins' case it was
more like beat everyone three times."It's
the toughest tournament in the Series", said
Tournament Director Stew "Chicago Mike" Bishop.
"In
fact it's probably the toughest tournament anywhere
in the world. I don't know of any other Championship
where you
have to play 4 types of poker all no limit against
the best players in a
triple-elimination format. It sets the standard
for difficulty."
Goodrow did double duty
over the weekend, adding a 2nd place finish at Mixed
Games to his victory at Texas Holdem, pushing him
towards the top of a crowded field of players
competing for the 2009 MoKanNeb Tri-State Grand
Championship. A special lead crystal vase trophy has
been commissioned to commemorate the Championship
along with the Tri-State Title Bracelet. The
curators of the
Central States Poker Hall of Fame have announced
they will also consider the 2009 Tri-State Champion
for induction to the Hall of Fame.
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Tournament
Director Tiffany Dominguez
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holds
the dazzling 2009 MoKanNeb Tri-State
Crystal Trophy |
The race for the Tri-State Title now focuses
on the re-scheduled Kansas City Texas Holdem
Championship to be held in early 2010. "It's still too close to
call", said Bishop. "Anyone can win it in Kansas City.... I guess
that's the way it should be, a great championship to
be decided in a great city".
Thanks to their outstanding
play over the weekend, several new players qualified for the
2010 Player of the Decade Tournament including:
Chuck Bartley, Todd Emerson, Victor Jerome, Chris
Morgan, Kevin Moten, Adrian Rickert, and Stan Stitz.
The MoKanNeb Series is a
non-profit charitable event. 100% of net proceeds
benefit the Arthritis Foundation and the Salvation
Army. Complete photo
coverage will be published shortly. |
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Click here for tournament
details and FAQ sheet |
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KS STATE POKER
CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEKEND ! |
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Players from across the country are gearing up for
the
Kansas State Texas Holdem and
Mixed Game Championships Dec. 18 & 19th in
Topeka. These are two of the most prestigious
tournaments of the MoKanNeb Championship Series.
Two State Championship Title Bracelets will be
awarded.
On Saturday, the
Texas Holdem Grand Championship will be
conducted in two rounds: Round One is a
qualifying tournament open to all players. Round
Two is the Final Round, open to the qualifying
players of Round One and players reaching the
Final Table of other statewide events this year
and last. It is the toughest field of Texas
Holdem Players in the Tri-State area. Because
this is a double elimination tournament, all
players will have "two chances to win" and to
claim the Title Bracelet the Champion must "beat
everyone twice", a tremendous accomplishment
given the skill level in this event.
But perhaps even more challenging is Friday
nights'
Mixed Games Championship. In this tournament
four varieties of poker will be played, all
no-limit: Texas Holdem, Omaha High, 5-Card Stud,
and Kansas City Lowball. This is a grueling
tournament recognized by veterans across the
country as "the toughest tournament in the
Midwest". Last year's winner, Tony "River-T"
Stevens of Manhattan, managed to win it without
using his re-entry option and for his
accomplishment was awarded with induction to the
Central States Poker Hall of Fame.
100% of net
proceeds of these tournaments benefit the
Arthritis Foundation and the Salvation Army. In
this holiday season, don't miss the opportunity
to enjoy some great poker competition and help
these worthy causes in their time of need. |
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JEFF BERROTH
WINS MANHATTAN TITLE BRACELET |
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GENE KIMBER:
KANSAS CITY K.C. LOWBALL CHAMPION |
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Jeff Berroth, 2009 Manhattan No-limit Texas
Holdem Champion |
"Mean Gene" Kimber, 2009 Kansas City K.C. Lowball
Grand Champion |
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Click here for tournament
details and FAQ sheet |
NEXT WEEK: MANHATTAN &
TWO K.C. CHAMPIONSHIPS
Three Title Bracelets are
on the line as poker players from around the country focus
on three of the most popular tournaments in the MoKanNeb
Grand Championship Series:
Thurs., Dec. 10: Manhattan Texas Holdem Championship
Fri., Dec. 11: Kansas City K.C. Lowball Championship
Sun., Dec. 13: Kansas City No-Limit Texas Holdem
Championship
Last year's events were
extremely competitive and produced some of the region's most
successful players. 2008 Kansas State Holdem Champ Jason
"Batman" Barrett, a Kansas City native, reached the final
table of the K.C. Texas Holdem event prior to winning the
title bracelet at the 2008 State Main Event. Sara Blatt was
runner up at Kansas City Texas Holdem and again made the
final table at the 2008 State Championship.
The 2008 Manhattan Holdem
Championship discovered Tony "River-T" Stevens who went on
to win the title bracelet at the Kansas State Mixed Games
Grand Championship last year. Both Stevens and Barrett were
later selected for induction to the
Central States Poker Hall of Fame, the first inductees
of the 21st Century. Blatt will join Stevens, Barrett, and a
growing contingent of the regions top players at the
Player of the Decade Championship scheduled for 2010.
New on the calendar this
year is the 2009 Kansas City K.C. Lowball Championship. This
even features the namesake game of Kansas City, the original
deuce-to-seven five card draw lowball. This is Doyle
Brunson's favorite game, and for good reason, it's an action
game that can build monster pots with absolutely no cards on
display. Players must rely on their own cardsense and feel
of where their opponents are at. This game is played with a
small and big blind and is played "open or fold" style and
has one draw only. The 1st Place trophy and title bracelet
for this tournament honor "Murph" Harrold, recognized as the
greatest K.C. Lowball player of all time.
Nov. 30, 2009: BREAKING
NEWS. Please
note a date change. The Manhattan No-Limit Texas Holdem
Grand Championship originally scheduled for Wed., Dec. 9th
will be held Thursday, Dec. 10th.
Please check the event calendar for more information and
directions.
C.J. BURCH WINS 2009 TOPEKA
POKER CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 29, 2009: BREAKING
NEWS. Over
90 of Kansas' top poker players met in the 2009 Topeka
No-Limit Texas Holdem Championship. After nearly 9 hours of
competition, the Title Bracelet was claimed by a 30-year
veteran of the felt table: Topeka's own C.J. Burch. The
Topeka event is the first of 7 tournaments in the MoKanNeb
Grand Championship series. The player with the best overall
performance in the combined series will be crowned the 2009
Tri-State Poker Grand Champion.
"C.J. Burch sets a real
high bar for the competition level in this years series",
remarked Tournament Director Stew "Chicago Mike" Bishop.
"It's hard to describe her style of play exactly but when
she's playing her A game she's an uncanny player... she has
a gift of sensing where the table is at. When we
were down to 3 or 4 tables I noticed that C.J. seemed to be
in the zone and I felt right then she might be the one you'd
have to beat..."
In addition to winning the
Title Bracelet & Trophy, champion's purse, Tri-State Grand
Championship Points, and a qualifying seat at the final
round of the Kansas Holdem Championship, Burch also
qualifies for the elite
2010 Central States Player of the Decade Tournament. Six
more events remain on the
2009 MoKanNeb Grand Championship calendar.
Asked to describe her
tournament strategy, Burch said "... I wanted to
be patient... be willing to throw away alot of rag hands.
But I also had to be willing to push when I sensed weakness.
A few big hands along the way really helped too, and I tried
to make the most of them..."
Other players in order of
finish included: Brenna Muntzert (runner-up), Chuck Bartley
(3rd) Chris Dix (4th) Tim Overbey (5th) Tom Simpkins (6th)
Sheila Gropp (7th) Chris Goodrow (8th) Kelly Mitchell (9th)
David Biswell 10th and Rob Robinson (11th). All earned
points towards the MoKanNeb Grand Championship with their
top 10% finish."The final table was a minefield of
great players", said Bishop, "these are some
of the most recognizable names in Kansas poker... 3 of them
have already qualified for the
Player of the Decade
Championship".
100% of the net proceeds
of this non-profitable charitable event benefit the
Arthritis Foundation and the Salvation Army. Next up on the
Championship Series are the Manhattan Championship on Dec.
10th and the two Kansas City
Tournaments, scheduled for Dec. 11th and 13th.
See the calendar page here for an updated listing.
TRI-STATE POKER
CHAMPIONSHIP KICKS OFF Nov. 28
Nov. 20, 2009: BREAKING
NEWS. The
Salvation Army pantries are in major need of re-stocking for
the holidays! All players attending the following
championships will receive extra starting chips by bringing
3 food items or a $2 extra contribution to the S.A. food
fund. Food items most desperately needed: High-protein
well-preserved items like canned tuna, beans, dry beans, dry
rice, canned meat products like Spam, high protein chili/
stews etc. Spread the word and we'll see you at the Final
Table!
DATES ANNOUNCED FOR
2009 MO-KAN-NEB
NO-LIMIT POKER GRAND
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES!
Topeka Texas Holdem
Grand
Championship, Nov. 28
Manhattan Texas Holdem
Grand Championship, Dec.
10
Kansas City K.C. Lowball Grand Championship, Dec. 11
Kansas City No-Limit Texas Holdem Grand Championship, Dec.
13
Omaha No-Limit Texas
Holdem Grand Championship, Dec. 16
Kansas
State Mixed Games
Poker Championship, Dec. 18
Kansas State Texas Holdem
Championship Open Rd., Dec. 19
Kansas State Texas Holdem
Championship Final Rd., Dec 19
TITLE BRACELETS TO ALL EVENT CHAMPIONS !
(BREAKING NEWS, Nov.
5, 2009). More dates were announced today in the
MoKanNeb Poker Championship Series.
The 2009 Topeka No-Limit Poker Grand
Championship will be held Saturday, Nov. 28th.
The Kansas
State NL Mixed Games Championship is set for Friday, Dec.
18th, and both rounds of the
Kansas State Texas Holdem
Championship will be held Dec. 19th.
Winners of all these
events will receive their respective championship title
bracelets as well as a generous cash payout schedule to the
Top 10% of finishers. All players reaching a final table (or top 10%
whichever is larger) will also qualify for the
2009 Kansas Holdem Championship Final Round and the 2009 MoKanNeb Tri-State
Grand Champion
Title. The Grand Championship will be awarded to the player
with the best overall performance in the series.
These tournaments
benefit the Arthritis Foundation and the Salvation Army.
For more details, click here.
Top-finishing champions
from this series will be considered for induction to the
Central States Poker Hall of Fame, and may be eligible for
invitation to the
2010 Player of the Decade Tournament Series.
For a list of FAQ's, and common rules
for the 2009 Championship Series,
click here.
Check back for more
dates to be announced shortly.
TOP REGIONAL PLAYERS MEET IN
2008 CHAMPIONSHIP
Title Bracelets Awarded in
2 Divisions
Champions Enshrined in KS Poker Hall
of Fame
Player of the Decade Tournament set
for 2010
(Dec. 28). After
nearly 3 months of City Championships and other qualifying
tournaments across the state, 55 of Kansas' top players
met Dec. 13th to decide it all at the 2008 Kansas
No-Limit Poker Championship.
When the final hands were dealt, Tony Stevens and Jason
Barrett claimed top honors, winning the No-Limit Mixed Games and No-Limit
Texas Holdem Title Bracelets.
The tournament lived up to
it's billing with both Championships lasting
nearly ten hours. The Final Tables featured a who's-who of
Kansas poker and all the drama you'd expect from such a
contest.
When the smoke cleared,
Jason Barrett of Kansas City became the first Kansas
No-Limit Texas Holdem Champion of the new millennium.
Afterwards, Barrett reflected on his strategy saying:
"... I honestly started thinking about how to win this at
the break, hours before we even got to the final table. I
realized then that there were quite a few short stacks
developing. Right then I knew that the longer I could
preserve my capital the more valuable it would become..."
"... in the middle of
the tourney I about went into hibernation, becoming very
selective of the hands I played. You could say i was making
money folding... Looking back this was one of the best moves
I made."
Joining Barrett at the
Texas Holdem Final Table in order of finish were: Jerrad Humerickhouse
(2nd, from McLouth), "Mean Gene" Kimber (Olpe), Chris Morgan
(Topeka), Robby Werner (Kansas City), Sheila Gropp (Topeka),
Dan Guth (Manhattan), Kevin Moten (Topeka), and Sara Blatt
(9th, from Shawnee).
The quality of the table is evidenced by the fact that it
featured no less than 7 qualifiers for the Player of the
Decade Championship scheduled for 2010!
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| Final Table, No-Limit
Holdem: clockwise fr front left: Chris Morgan (back
to camera, black jacket), Jason Barrett, Jerrad
Humerickhouse, Robby Werner, Sheila Gropp, Sara
Blatt, Kevin Moten, Dan Guth, "Mean Gene" Kimber
(back to camera). |
To win the 2008
Mixed Games Grand Championship, Tony Stevens had the monumental
task of beating 55 of the State's best players in 4
different types of poker, all played no-limit. Stevens hails
from Manhattan where he manages the poker room at
Bobby T's.
Recognized as the single-most difficult challenge in
Kansas poker, Stevens managed to win the Grand Championship
without using his re-buy option.
Robby Werner of Shawnee and Sheila Gropp of
Topeka rounded out the top 3 spots.
Tournament Manager Stew
"Chicago Mike" Bishop watched the Final Table and commented:
"... Tony just looked comfortable.... his years of
professional experience paid off tonight... There's no easy
substitute for experience... Managing a poker room
puts him in touch with so many different types of games and
players, and that's what the Grand Championship is all
about. You name the game and he can play it, someone makes a move and he's probably seen it..."
After winning the final
hand, Stevens' summarized his keys to victory saying "... I
could sense when I probably had the best cards.... I played
conservatively until they came. The key for me tonight was
learning the reads on the other players; knowing when to go
in and when to give the hand up..."
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| The 2008 KNLPC Team.
back row l-r: Ivory Mazur (Arthritis Foundation AF),
Ben Heim (Tournament Director), Stew Bishop
(Tournament Manager). front row l-r Patty Duke (AF),
Tiffany Dominguez (Tournament Director), Tyler Goetz
(Washburn U. AMSA), Clint Gates (AMSA).
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For their efforts, both
Stevens and Barrett became the first inductees to the
Central States Poker Hall of Fame in nearly a century, earning a
place in history alongside Luke Short,
"Wild Bill" Hickok, John Wesley Hardin, and other legends of the game. Knowing
he's enshrined with characters named "Bat" and "Doc", Barrett
commented "... I probably should get a nickname...".
How does a Kansas Poker
Champion approach the game? Barrett's opening
strategy is an effort to get to know his opponents as
quickly as possible. He'll play looser early when the blinds
and risk are lower. "Playing loose early gives me
alot of info on the other players and a reputation as a
loose player..."
But he's not necessarily a
loose player by nature, adding "... I try to focus more
on strategy and long-term payoff as opposed to winning as
many pots as possible as often as possible...". Tony
Stevens' approach is not dissimilar, saying simply "...
I'll wait for the right situation..."
While Stevens and Barrett
get well-deserved attention, the quality of the other
players in this tournament cannot be overstated. Bracelet
winners from every corner of the State made sure that
winning the titles wouldn't be easy. Among many
comebacks of the evening, none was more notable than Sheila Gropp's 2nd Runner-Up finish in the Grand Championship. One
of Topeka's most respected veteran players, Gropp was
putting on her coat to leave the qualifying round when
she learned she was the final player to
win a Main Event seat. From there she parlayed the
opportunity into a 6th and 3rd place finish at Texas Holdem
and Mixed Games respectively, earning a seat at the
Player of the Decade tournament. Hers' is one of a long
list of "chip and a chair" stories so typical of this
fantastic tournament series.
Read detailed player's stories at the Final Table page here.
The Kansas No-Limit Poker
Championship is a presentation of Kansas Poker News. It is the most
prestigious and challenging poker event in the State. This
non-profit event benefits the Arthritis Foundation of Kansas which
has led arthritis research for over 60 years. The need is
great as nationwide
over 40 million Americans are afflicted with arthritis
including nearly 500,000 Kansans!
The Washburn
University Chapter of the American Medical Students'
Association (AMSA) volunteered their time to help make the
event tremendously successful. Additional information on the
event can be found at:http://poker.meetup.com/1682
Everyone at Kansas Poker
News feels privileged to have been a part of this tremendous
Championship!
(Dec. 8) BREAKING NEWS:
State Championship Main Event is set for Dec. 13th in
Topeka. Wild Card Rounds set for Dec. 12th and 13th.
Wild Cards are Open to All Players
who have not yet qualified for the Main Event. They are the
final opportunities to qualify for the Main Event.
FOR ALL DETAILS REGARDING THE WILD
CARD AND MAIN EVENT DATES / TIMES / RULES / STRUCTURING/
etc. PLEASE CLICK HERE.
See
archive of past news stories here.
Kansas No-Limit Poker
Championship and "Kansas' toughest poker tournament" are
trademarks of Kansas Poker News. All rights reserved.
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