Go Texas Poker! (In Oklahoma, of Course)

by , Aug 31, 2009 | 2:01 am

photo: @cgowen

Considering that Texas poker players helped build the third-largest friggin’ casino in the world (literally under a tent in Thackerville, OK) we can take some pleasure in knowing a bunch of Texans kicked butt in The River tourney this weekend and will be sending back home some riches made in El Norte.

WinStar reportedly threw in a $580,000 overlay to make their $3 million guarantee. Not sure about the buy-in details — I think they upped it to $2k? — nor overall results. The best “coverage” has come via 2+2 here, mixed in with some Facebook, Twitter, and direct txt msg buzz. (Thanks KevMath and Harris, as always, for the info!)

1,210 players overall.

The winner: Bobby Hempkins, aka “Shooter” in the Dallas poker boom days. (And now your source for residential real estate in the North Texas area.) $710k win. Nice!

5th place finisher Brian @ZBTHorton provided regular updates from the final table, such as:

8 left, these people suck (4pm)

Apparently tax issues may or may not have complicated chop discussions — though sounds to me that the Chickasaw nation is under similar corporate-legal restrictions as the WSOP.

7th place reportedly went to a guy named Lance. Paid $95k. Sounds like a nice prize distribution (at the final table, at least). Not too flat, not too steep.

Blind structure was supposedly relatively fast, however.

Pros who made the trek for this event included: Clonie Gowen, TJ Cloutier, Michael Mizrachi, Eric Mizrachi, Kido Pham, Terrence Chan, Michael Binger, Men the Master, Allen Kessler, and Dmitri Nobles. The real @EskimoClark was also supposedly milling around.


22 Comments to “Go Texas Poker! (In Oklahoma, of Course)”


  1. Ben Matlock
    says:

    Man, the coverage on this thing really sucks (not just you Dan). No info about this anywhere that I could find other than schedule. If anyone has a link about the tourney, please post. Dan, no imbedded Dallas contacts for how the tourney went down? I guess this is more of a Vegas blog now vs. the Dallas beat you used to cover, eh? Congrats to Shooter!!!


  2. DanM
    says:

    Yeah, I wasn’t there. Thanks for noticing.

    In lieu of coverage, please accept this review of the WinStar’s brand-spankin’-new hotel, from Texas poker player Steve Justice:

    Hotel is very nice. compare to a 3 star hotel. Room rates are $99-$199 per night. Casino comp for me was $79. Rooms have 32 inch flat screens with HD programming. Beds are very comfortable. Pool is a little small compared to Choctaws pool. Very nice overall!!!


  3. Alicia
    says:

    Congrats to all our boys that cashed! Lance has now extended his reign as a man of leisure indefinitely.

    I looked Dan, I only have Lance’s name in my phone as Lance, so I can’t help you with a last name


  4. DanM
    says:

    Joan Rivers was right … poker players don’t have last names, LOL.


  5. waldoworld
    says:

    Great job, Shooter and Lance! Good to see some Platinumites taking the money. (Lance Craig, by the way)


  6. waldoworld
    says:

    Michael Binger and Men the Master were also in attendance.


  7. DanM
    says:

    thanks for the info, waldo. did you deal the final table this year?


  8. Lance
    says:

    If someone besides me had to win, I’d elect Shooter. I guess it hasn’t exactly sunk in yet, I’ve said “only $95k” at least a few times in the last 24 hours. lol


  9. WILLIAM S
    says:

    WOW TALK ABOUT A LOW CLASS PLAYER SEAT 3 OF THE FINAL TABLE COMMENTED THESE GUYS SUCK. WELL THERE WAS A LADY PRESENT AND WHAT PLACE DID HE FINISH HMMMMM OH YA 5TH HAVE A NICE DAY BOB NOT

    THE MAN THAT WON THE TOURNAMENT IS AN ESTABLISHED PLAYER AND NEEDED THIS TOURNAMENT WIN TO SOLIDIFY HIS PLACE AS ONE OF THE POKER PLAYERS TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR. WELL DONE


  10. DanM
    says:

    I’m curious who the female final tableist was! Horton had a tweet about wanting to get heads-up with her because he thought she was the worst … but it seems like that tweet has been deleted.


  11. steve
    says:

    The last women finished in 2nd place – she is from FTW and played free tournaments at the Fox and Hound. This was her first live tournament!!! She played solid hands not the 5/9 that Bob played when it was down to 20 players. Shooter fought hard all day and played a very good game. Hip Hip Hooray SHOOTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


  12. plsntvll
    says:

    Awesome job Shooter! Couldn’t have gone to a better guy…


  13. Cal
    says:

    I was watching the tourney on the live stream, it looked like when shooter got it heads up he put the pedal down and played ultra aggressive..he’s been killing the dallas underground games for years so it’s refreshing to see hime win a major…Not sure who Brian was referring to who “sucked at the final table” I hear at least 7 of them were very solid. probably just a dude ticked off when he lost a big hand….pretty classless.


  14. DanM
    says:

    there was a live-stream of this event? that woulda been good to know. where was it on?


  15. Devil
    says:

    Shooter man — congratulations!! Fucking A. Was just telling plsntvll the other day about how of all the players in the underground, can’t think of one I’d rather see take down that kind of prize than you. Best piece of news out of Dallas in months.


  16. Ben Matlock
    says:

    no kidding. where did they (and who the hell is “they”) stream it? I’d like to check that out.


  17. Cal
    says:

    playing it some tvs in poker room, and it was on in the main event room… i saw it the main event area…couldn’t really see so I was watching on the big screens…pretty nice set up-


  18. Lance
    says:

    I heard from someone right after I went out that the woman was a single mom, got in cheap (sats or whatever) and had stated she wanted to win $3k. $370k is an ok result for her inital goal I guess!


  19. plsntvll
    says:

    Devil (James), over on Coding The Wheel, just wrote a short piece on Shooter’s win. Thought y’all would enjoy it.

    http://www.codingthewheel.com


  20. waldoworld
    says:

    I didn’t deal the tourney this year, wanted to stay on nights because my wife is on the same schedule. I like the vampire lifestyle.


  21. Steve Justice
    says:

    Winstar River Results
    http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/2702-2009-the-river/77509/results


  22. DanM
    says:

    Special congrats to Kelli Shields (for playing in her first ever non-amateur tournament; Its Over Jonny for a cash, Men the Master for representin’ the pros, and Keith Carter and Kirk Zumwalt, whom I recognize as former Lodge players.

    Also, you know I hate to give CardPlayer props … but I think they now have the best player profile pages … better than the Hendon Mob, even, I’d contend.