From left to right: tournament winner Jim Mathieson, third-place finisher Arianne Shawes and runner-up Todd Staley. (USMTS Photo)
Mathieson conquers “USMTS All Star Poker Challenge”
<B>ONAWA, Iowa --</B> Twelve of the best (in their minds) poker players gathered at the felt Saturday for the first-ever “USMTS All Star Poker Challenge” at CasinOmaha in Onawa, Iowa.
As part of the CasinOmaha “Double Down” Showdown at the Blackbird Bend Speedway adjacent to CasinOmaha, the No Limit Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament featured the top-5 drivers in the O’Reilly USMTS national points and five randomly-selected drivers from Friday's race, along with O’Reilly USMTS promoter Todd Staley and Arianne Shawes, who won her seat by holding the winning ticket drawn from the fans in Friday night’s jam-packed grandstands.
Mike Hejna, who was the first alternate from the randomly-selected drivers, got his seat from O’Reilly USMTS points leader Mark Noble, who gave up his tournament seat as he was busy counting his feature race winnings from the night before.
The first hand of the match proved to be an omen of things to come. Three players were “all in” as Hejna held pocket Aces while Jason Friesen showed a pair of Queens for his hole cards. Mathieson, holding a dismal 3-4, flopped a miracle set (three-of-a-kind) of 3’s and eliminated both Hejna and Friesen before their seats had a chance to get warm.
After Brad McEwan was eliminated in fourth place, Mathieson held the chip lead with Staley and Shawes neck-and-neck in chip count for the three money-earning spots in the tourney. Soon after, it was Mathieson and Staley playing heads-up for the title, with Mathieson getting the better of Staley and walking away with the bulk of the cash.
In addition to the $500 first-place prize, Mathieson also collected $100 for having the high hand of the tournament, as well as an additional $100 for the honor of knocking Staley out of the game -- a payday of $700 for the racer from nearby Sioux City, Iowa.
<B>FINAL RESULTS:</B>
1. Jim Mathieson ($700)
2. Todd Staley ($300)
3. Arianne Shawes ($200)
4. Brad McEwan
5. Matt Bonine
6. Jon Tesch
7. Ryan Ruter
8. Mike Wedelstadt
9. Kelly Shryock
10. Jay Noteboom
11. (tie) Mike Hejna and Jason Friesen
