Tropicana Evansville

Earl Potter Wins 2016 Indiana State Poker Championship for $82,450

The 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour Indiana State Poker Championship at Tropicana Evansville proved to be a record affair. The 340 entries (142 Day 1a; 198 Day 1b) was quite a bit more than the 225 and 251 from 2014 and 2015 respectively. That easily surpassed the $250,000 advertised guarantee by creating a $340,000 total prize pool.

Three of the ten finalists were from the Hoosier State, and much to the delight of the hometown crowd one of them, 49-year-old Earl Potter, managed to keep the title on home soil.

"I'm feeling awesome," Potter said after the win. "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."

Potter's only other documented cash came back in January when he finished 27^th in the MSPT Tropicana Evansville Regional for $744. Needless to say, he wasn't content with that amount.

"I had a big stack going into the regional and donked them off early," he explained. "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."

Potter, who works at the nearby Toyota factory, has been playing poker since he was 10 years old, though it wasn't until around 2006 that he took up hold'em. He's a father of two – son Rick, 30, and daughter Megan, 24 – and was cheered on from afar by his wife, Crystal Potter, who was watching the live stream from home.

"My wife wants me to pay off her car so I guess I don't have much of a choice but to do that," Potter said with a laugh when asked what he plans to do with the prize money.

Day 2 saw 65 players (27 Day 1a survivors; 38 Day 1b survivors) return to action, but with just 36 of them getting paid, 29 would leave empty handed. Among them were Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis champ Cory Bogert, MSPT Season 4 Player of the Year Patrick Steele, and bubble boy John Thomas Lynn.

Once the bubble burst, the in the money finishes came quick. Among those to earn a payday were MSPT FireKeepers runner-up Ron Kruk (31^st - $2,078); Ricky Stinson (24^th - $2,638), who notched his third consecutive cash in MSPT Tropicana Evansville Main Events; MSPT Iowa State Poker Champ John Sun (21^st - $2,638); Day 1b chip leader Jason Ramos (17^th - $3,298); and Day 1a chip leader Joseph Bommarito (11^th - $6,266).

The big stories at the final table were the appearances of Mike O'Neill and Adam Thomas. The former was the defending Indiana State Poker Champion and the latter the winner the aforementioned MSPT Tropicana Evansville Regional, a tournament that attracted 416 entries and awarded a $30,674 first-place prize.

It seemed a title defense was in the cards when O'Neill doubled into the chip lead on the second hand of the final table, but his momentum slowed before he busted in sixth place for $13,195. Thomas fared better grinding a short stack all the way to third place for $32,090.

In the end, it came down to Potter and Ohio's Tom Gliva, who at one point at the final table was down to a single big blind. While the two started heads-up play even in chips and the structure was kind, they opted to play loose and fast with Gliva shoving king-four and Potter calling with ace-five. An ace on the flop ultimately led to his victory and Gliva had to settle for runner-up and a $49,470 consolation prize.

The MSPT now heads to Grand Falls Casino just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For more information on that event click here. Join us next weekend right here as we bring you all the action from that $1,100 buy-in, $150,000 guarantee Main Event.

Tom Gliva Eliminated in 2nd Place ($49,470)

Despite the chips being even in heads-up play, a didn’t take long for a winner to emerge.

Tom Gliva fell behind early and opted to open-ship for 2.2 million, which Earl Potter called after contemplating the decision for 10 seconds.

Potter:
Gliva:

Potter was ahead and he took a hammer lock on the hand when the flop paired his ace. The turn left Gliva drawing dead, and he had to settle for runner-up after the river made his elimination official.

Tom Gliva Eliminated in 2nd Place ($49,470)

Heads-Up Chip Counts

Earl Potter - 3.41 million
Tom Gliva - 3.35 million

Adam Thomas Eliminated in 3rd Place ($32,090)

Adam Thomas, who back in January won the MSPT Tropicana Evansville Regional for $30,674, moved all in for 630,000 from the small blind and Earl Potter called from the big.

Thomas:
Potter:

Thomas was looking to pair his kicker, but it wasn’t meant to be as the board ran out an unhelpful . Thomas will take home $32,090 for his third-place finish in the 2016 Indiana State Poker Championship, which is a bit more than he took home back in January.

Adam Thomas – Eliminated in 3rd Place for $32,090

Troy Weber Eliminated in 4th Place ($22,426)

Tom Gliva raised to 180,000 under the gun only to have Troy Weber three-bet from the button. The blinds folded, Gliva four-bet all in for 1.4 million, and Weber called.

Weber:
Gliva:

Weber had a kicker issue and it didn’t get resolved as the board ran out . Weber was left with just 345,000 after the hand.

A few hand later, Gliva raised to 160,000 under the gun and then called when Weber moved all in for 275,000.

Gliva:
Weber:

The board ran out and Weber was eliminated from the tournament in fourth place.

Tom Gliva - 3.36 million
Troy Weber - Eliminated in 4th Place for $22,426

Jason Simon Eliminated in 5th Place ($16,820)

Adam Thomas opened for 170,000 only to have Earl Potter three-bet to 610,000 from the cutoff. Jason Simon called off for 415,000 from the button, both blinds folded, and Thomas got out of the way.

Simon:
Potter:

Simon was in desperate need of a nine, but he was left wanting as the board ran out .

Earl Potter - 2.79 million
Jason Simon – Eliminated in 5th Place for $16,820

Troy Weber Hits Turn to Double Through Jason Simon

Jason Simon raised to 180,000 from the button and then called when Troy Weber three-bet all in for 785,000 from the big blind.

Simon:
Weber:

Weber needed some major help, and he found a little on the flop. Weber picked up a gutshot to a ten, and he made it when the dealer burned and turned the . The bricked on the river and Weber doubled through Simon.

Troy Weber - 1.7 million
Jason Simon - 555,000

Defending Champ Michael O'Neill Eliminated in 6th Place ($13,195)

There will be a new Indiana State Poker Champion as Mike O’Neill has just been eliminated

It happened when Jason Simon raised to 125,000 under the gun and action folded to O’Neill in big blind. The defending champ moved all in for 770,000 and Simon thought for a bit before making the call.

O’Neill:
Simon:

O’Neill needed to improve to stay alive, but that proved easier said than done as the board ran out a dry .

Justin Simon - 1.595 million
Michael O'Neill – Eliminated in 6th Place for $13,195

Tom Gliva Doubles Through Defending Champ

Tom Gliva raised to 150,000 from the hijack and defending champ Mike O’Neill, who has been playing fairly tight today, moved all in from the big blind. Gliva called off for 840,000 total and O’Neill discovered that he picked a bad time.

Gliva:
O’Neill:

The board ran out and Gliva doubled into the chip lead.

Tom Gliva - 1.735 million
Mike O’Neill - 815,000

Jordan Miller Eliminated in 7th Place ($11,213)

Tom Glavin moved all in for 410,000 from middle position and a short-stacked Jordan Miller called off for 215,000 from the button. Both blinds folded and Miller discovered the bad news.

Miller:
Glavin:

The board ran out and Miller exited the 2016 Indiana State Poker Championship in seventh place.

Tom Glavin - 650,000
Jordan Miller – Eliminated in 7th Place in $11,213