$640 Main Event
Day 1a Started
$640 Main Event
Day 1a Started
The Roughrider Poker Tour is known as the premier poker tour across the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. This weekend, the RPT makes its way to Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel from August 1-3 for the highly anticipated Minnesota poker debut. The inaugural tournament, held in the town of Morton, will feature a $640 buy-in with an estimated $200,000 prize pool.
Flight A begins today at 2:00 p.m. local time and Flight B will commence on Saturday, August 2, also at 2:00 p.m. Players who advance from each flight will combine and return for the Championship Day on Sunday, August 3, where a winner will be awarded the top prize, a custom RPT bracelet, and a $600 Tri-State Poker Championship Main Event seat.
This will be the second RPT event that PokerNews has had the pleasure of live reporting on this year, with the 2025 Montana State Poker Championship taking place just a few months back in April. The ninth edition of the tournament proved to be a big success, attracting 283 entries and generating a prize pool of $148,575. Dan Burcham defeated Andrew Hilleren in a back-and-forth heads-up match to take home $29,000 and the RPT bracelet.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Burcham | United States | $29,000* |
| 2 | Andrew Hilleren | United States | $27,000* |
| 3 | Richard Bennett (MT) | United States | $14,000 |
| 4 | Austin Gates | United States | $10,075 |
| 5 | John Majdic | United States | $8,000 |
| 6 | Shane Broesder | United States | $6,000 |
| 7 | Pat Brunelle | United States | $4,500 |
| 8 | Will Anderson | United States | $3,700 |
| 9 | Rob Hium | United States | $3,000 |
| 10 | Aaron Fanuzzi | United States | $2,400 |
* Denotes heads-up deal
Players will begin each starting flight with 60,000 in chips and blinds will begin at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Blinds will increase every 40 minutes, with late registration and re-entries permitted through level 12 at around midnight. A 15-minute break will occur at the end of every three levels and a 75-minute dinner break will take place at the conclusion of level 6 at approximately 6:15 p.m.
Play for Day 1 flights will conclude once 15% of the field (rounded up) remains and those who bag will be in the money. Day 2 will then start at the earliest blind level of the two flights on Sunday, August 3, where the event will play down until a champion is crowned.
| Day | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| First Super Satellite | August 1 | 11:00 a.m. |
| Flight A | August 1 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Second Super Satellite | August 2 | 11:00 a.m. |
| Flight B | August 2 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Championship Day | August 3 | 11:00 a.m. |
| Second Chance Tournament | August 3 | 12:00 p.m. |
The Second Chance Tournament will feature a $250 buy-in and will be open to anyone.
Be sure to follow PokerNews all weekend long for coverage and updates of the RPT Jackpot Junction.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 200
Cards are in the air in Flight A of the RPT Jackpot Junction.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
Action went three-ways to the turn on a board of 6♥J♠5♥10♥ and it checked over to Michael Taylor on the button who bet 6,000. The player in the big blind folded and the under-the-gun Eric Witkowski made the call.
On the J♣ river, Witkowski checked again and Taylor fired out bet of 10,500. Witkowski quickly called, tabling A♥2♥ for the nut flush, besting the J♥3♦ of Taylor to scoop an early pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
80,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
42,000 |
Robert Schoonover raised to 600 in the cutoff, the player on the button called, and Robert Van Syckle three-bet to 2,200 in the big blind. Both of his opponents came along for the ride.
The flop came 8♥7♦6♠ and Van Syckle continued with a bet of 3,000. Schoonover folded as did the player on the button and the pot was pushed Van Syckle's way.
Van Syckle tabled A♦A♥ before stacking up his chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
65,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
|
63,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
Action went six-ways to a flop of 5♠J♣2♥ after Zachary Schlueter made it 1,200 to go from under the gun.
Schlueter continued with a bet of 6,000 and only Keith Doering made the call in the hijack.
The turn landed the K♣ and Schlueter didn't slow down, tossing out a bet of 10,000. Doering tossed his cards into the muck and Schlueter showed K♠J♠ for two pair, kings and jacks as he scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
56,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
|
56,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
The player in middle position raised to 700, Chad Nieland flatted on the button, and the player in the small blind called.
The flop of A♦6♥Q♣ checked through to the 8♣ turn. The small blind checked, middle position bet 1,000, Nieland called, as did the small blind.
On the 8♥ river, it checked over to Nieland who bet 3,500, resulting in folds from both of his opponents.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
64,000
64,000
|
64,000 |