2021 Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series

$600 Grand Poker Series Championship No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info

2021 Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j9
Prize
$100,266
Event Info
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$565,536
Entries
1,096
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
75,000 / 150,000
Ante
150,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
9
Players Left
1

John Gardner Wins Golden Nugget's 2021 Grand Poker Series Championship Event ($100,266)

Level 30 : 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

John Gardner has claimed victory in Event #22: $600 Championship No-Limit Hold’em $500,000 Guarantee, the Main Event of The Grand Poker Series at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas.

Three Day 1 flights attracted 1,096 combined entries for a total prize pool of $565,536. Of those, 138 players made it into the money for Day 2. The second day ended with only nine players left, and a final table was set for a third and final day. The final table lasted just under three hours and Gardner, who came into the day second in chips, ended up playing heads-up with Mark Harraka, who was the final table chip leader.

2021 Grand Poker Series Championship Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1John GardnerUnited States$100,266
2Mark HarrakaUnited States$66,570
3Danny DagostinoUnited States$44,325
4Ken HuynhUnited States$31,025
5Jason BartholomewUnited States$22,515
6Jesse JaurigueUnited States$17,095
7Benjamin JacobsUnited States$13,615
8Phillip LatimerUnited States$12,390
9Greg KoutelidakisUnited States$9,545

Final Table Action

Action at the final table started quickly, and only a few hands into the day, Jason Bartholomew knocked out Greg Koutelidakis after completing his nut flush draw on the turn against Koutelidakis’ flopped two pair.

Three shorter stacks were soon gone in quick succession, with Phillip Latimer getting knocked out in eighth, Benjamin Jacobs falling in seventh, and Jesse Jaurigue gone in sixth.

After a short break, Gardner stared down and called down Bartholomew with second-top pair while Bartholomew could only show ace-high in a huge pot that helped propel Gardner to eventual victory. Ken Huynh was next to go when he ran his sevens into the eights of Danny Dagostino, who then fell in third when his cowboys were cracked by Gardner’s flopped straight.

That set up a heads-up battle between Gardner and Harraka, with the former starting with a chip advantage of almost three times the latter's stack. The first all-in and call came on a nine-eight-seven flop and Gardner’s jack-nine was in a great position against Harraka’s jack-eight. The board ran out blanks and Gardner was officially the champion of the championship event.

Gardner, who is from Eagle Mountain, Utah and describes himself as “just a recreational” with a wife and three kids, said he was into poker when he was younger but only recently got back into it within the last couple of years. His previous biggest cash before this was for under a thousand dollars.

He added, “Thanks to the casino and the tournament directors and the dealers. They were all great. It was a good tournament and a lot of fun.”

Congratulations to John Gardner, winner of the Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series Event #22: $600 Championship!

While the 2021 Grand Poker Series Championship is in the books, the series continues through October 18. That includes the popular invite-only Bar Poker Open Championship, which will see players from across the country descend upon the Golden Nugget. Click here for a look at the remaining Grand Poker Series schedule.

Here's a look at all those who've captured titles thus far at the 2021 Grand Poker Series:

DateTournamentGTDEntriesPrize PoolWinnerHometownPrize       
28-SepEvent #1: $250 Omaha 8 or Better$5,00095$18,990Jose LeonBellflower, CA$3,480       
28-SepEvent #2: $150 Daily NLH$5,00041$5,000Mary CampbellSpring, TX$1,535       
28-SepEvent #3: $250 Big-ON/A70$10,640Eric PlunkettSolvan, CA$3,370       
28-SepEvent #4: $120 Nightly NLH$3,00047$4,089Daryl OppeltBrookings, SD$1,324       
29-SepEvent #5: GNLV Poker Room Invitational$100,00099$100,000Michael BrewerOxford, NC$9,100       
29-SepEvent #6: $150 Daily NLH$5,00072$7,920Adam MirlissPrescott, AZ$2,460       
29-SepEvent #7: $100 Pot-Limit Omaha Fire Till You're TiredN/A48$9,470David WorthamMurrieta, GA$2,376       
29-SepEvent #8: $120 Nightly NLH$3,00036$3,132Matthew MaddoxToulumne, CA$1,034       
30-SepEvent #9: $250 HORSE$5,00087$17,400Kathy ChangValencia, CA$3,765       
30-SepEvent #10: $200 NLH Ultimate Re-Entry$100,0002,076$315,552Justin HaganRoseville, CA$28,402       
3-OctEvent #11: $250 Omaha 8/Stud 8$10,000178$35,600Darlene SpringmanLas Vegas, NV$5,387       
3-OctEvent #12: $150 Daily NLH$10,000155$17,050June JenkinsHamilton, Ontario, Canada$3,580       
3-OctEvent #13: $120 Nightly NLH$5,000101$8,787Michael JamesWest Allis, WI$1,000       
4-OctEvent #14: $250 Mixed PLO/8, Omaha 8/B, Big-O$10,000186$37,200Derek BuggPuyallup, WA$7,240       
4-OctEvent #15: $150 Daily NLH$10,000219$24,090Qijon TroyHonolulu, HI$3,035       
4-OctEvent #16: $200 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball LimitN/A108$16,416Joe KonstanSt. Paul, MN$4,796       
4-OctEvent #17: $120 Nightly NLH$5,00075$6,525Eric KendallCarmel, IN$840       
5-OctEvent #18: $250 Big-O$10,000109$21,800Michael HowellLas Vegas, NV$5,965       
5-OctEvent #19: $200 NLH $100K GTD$100,0001,905$289,560Jenyue ChiangMesa, AZ$23,550       
6-OctEvent #20: $250 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed$10,000141$28,200Luis AlvarezSouth Houston, TX$7,070       
7-OctEvent #21: $250 8-Game Mix$5,000102$20,400Jacob NaumannLargo, FL$5,200       
7-OctEvent #22: $600 Championship NLH$500,0001,096$565,536John GardnerEagle Mountain, UT$100,266       
7-OctEvent #23: $150 Daily NLH$10,000123$13,530Norsavanh PhousithWoonsocket, RI$1,370       
7-OctEvent #24: $120 Nightly NLH$5,00050$5,000Gregory RobbinsFresno, CA$1,700       
8-OctEvent #25: $150 Daily NLH$10,000108$11,880Braxton LakeJersey City, NJ$2,420       
8-OctEvent #26: $200 Night HORSEN/A91$13,832Michael OrnelasLos Angeles, CA$3,972       
8-OctEvent #27: $120 Nightly NLH$5,00042$5,000Yette SilvermanJensen Beach, FL$1,700