Joseph Osterbauer Makes Dad Proud at RPT Jackpot Junction Minnesota Debut
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After three days of action on the felt here in Morton, Minnesota the Roughrider Poker Tour Jackpot Junction Main Event has officially come to an end with Joseph Osterbauer claiming victory to capture his career-best score of $38,000 along with the custom RPT bracelet.
The inaugural edition of the event marked the Minnesota poker debut for the RPT, and it proved to be a huge success. The tournament had an amazing turnout, attracting 474 entries and generating a prize pool of $255,960. Osterbauer defeated Chandra Kontham in a back-and-forth heads-up match to win the title, with his dad cheering him on from the rail.
When asked what it meant to have his father by his side to witness such a special moment, Osterbauer mentioned, "It's everything, man. He got me started when I was really young. He's been playing forever."
2025 RPT Jackpot Junction Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Osterbauer | Burnsville, MN | $38,000* |
| 2 | Chandra Kontham | Eden Prairie, MN | $29,500* |
| 3 | Michael Dehen | Brainerd, MN | $29,500* |
| 4 | Rodney Colson | Excelsior, MN | $18,000 |
| 5 | Stephen Peppin | Willmar, MN | $13,000 |
| 6 | Taylor Maas | Eden Prairie, MN | $10,000 |
| 7 | Tony Uhlir | Grand Forks, ND | $7,500 |
| 8 | Chueyee Yang | New Brighton, MN | $6,000 |
| 9 | Anthony Lazar | St Michael, MN | $4,800 |
| 10 | Matthew Alexander | Minneapolis, MN | $3,800 |
* Denotes three-way deal
Shared Love for the Game
Osterbauer continued to talk about the significant impact his dad has had on his poker playing journey and vice versa.
"Right when I was 18, I started going with him to the casino. It's kind of just been me and him playing. It's like our father-son bonding. It's just kind of what we do. So we go out to these tournaments, it's not just to play poker, it's kind of, you know, you're with your father, and it's really a cool thing. So it's awesome, I've always loved doing it.”
Not only do the father and son duo share a passion for the game of poker, but they also share the same name. Joseph Osterbauer Sr, who also played in the event, expressed to PokerNews how proud he was of his son following the big win.
"He finally binked one. He's really, really, really good, and he studies really hard. Great kid, going to law school, great grades, works his ass off. I don't know how he does it. It comes easy to him."
Battling For the Bracelet on Home Turf
Once play got down to three-handed, the clock was paused to discuss the possibility of an ICM chop based on chip stacks. The numbers were crunched and a deal was eventually reached, where Osterbauer agreed to take home $38,000, while Kontham and Michael Dehen walked away with $29,500 each. The trio decided to continue to play out the remainder of the tournament with the RPT bracelet at stake, something that meant a lot to each player.
When asked what winning the bracelet meant to Osterbauer, he responded, "Yeah, it's pretty cool. I mean, this series is awesome. Honestly, I had never heard about it before, but about three weeks ago I heard it was coming to town, and I saw the structure, and I heard it was a great series."
He continued, "So yeah, it meant a lot to get the first bracelet because I'm expecting it to be here a lot, and for me to show up and a lot more people to show up, you know, the next time it comes around."
Given that the final three players were all Minnesota natives, Osterbauer was asked whether or not winning it held any additional significance, being close to home.
"Yeah, I think so. We were making jokes about that all day. We were like, oh, a Minnesota guy has to win it because we can't have someone from one of the Dakotas come in and just own the tournament, you know. It's in Minnesota, it's the first time, it's got to be a Minnesota guy. So we were joking about it a little bit, but there is probably something deep down subconscious about that."
Birthday and Future Plans
After the deal was made during three-handed play, Osterbauer mentioned to his fellow competitors that it was going to be his birthday after midnight.
Regarding how he was going to celebrate, he explained, "I don't know, I'll probably just drive home, go to sleep, go to work, and then have a fun weekend, have a fun week. Yeah, it's a pretty good birthday present turning 22."
When asked about his upcoming plans, Osterbauer replied "Probably just still grinding the mid-stakes in Minnesota, maybe traveling a little bit to some of the other stops that are in the Midwest, but yeah, mostly just grinding at Canterbury and Aces. I'm going back to school for my senior year at the University of St. Thomas, and then studying for the LSAT, trying to go to law school. So yeah, just same old, same old, I guess."
