Big Field Starts the New Year by Chasing Glory at the Roughrider Poker Tour Casino State Championship
Players from across the Midwest will try to ring in the New Year in style when Day 1a of the $250 Roughrider Poker Tour Casino State Championship begins at 9 a.m. local time.
A massive field is expected to descend on the Spirit Lake Casino & Resort along the scenic banks of Devils Lake in St. Michael, North Dakota over the coming days. There are six starting flights, with the first two taking place today. Day 1b follows later in the day at 5 p.m.
Players begin each opening flight with a 30,000 starting stack. Blinds begin at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Levels will be 30 minutes long, with a 15-minute break after every three levels. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 10, with unlimited reentries available. Play will conclude once 12.5 percent of the field remains. The prize pool is expected to be more than $300,000, including a $10,700 WSOP Main Event package to the champion.
Even if a player survives one flight, they still have a chance to enter a subsequent starting day. A player who bags on multiple flights will have their smaller stacks taken out of play and be awarded $710 at the start of Day 2 at 11 a.m. on January 4.
Event schedule
| Date | Flight | Start Time | Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Day 1a | 9 a.m. | 30 minutes |
| January 1 | Day 1b | 5 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| January 2 | Day 1c | 9 a.m. | 30 minutes |
| January 2 | Day 1d | 5 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| January 3 | 1e | 9 a.m. | 30 minutes |
| January 3 | 1f | 5 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| January 4 | Day 2 | 11 a.m. | 40 minutes |
Jon Maras is the defending champion of this event, having beaten out a field of 1,235 entries last year to earn $39,300. With two more starting flights added to the schedule, the field is expected to be much larger this year.
The New Year's celebrations have died down, the fireworks have been lit, and the champagne spilled. All the players who take their shot in the next few days hope another party awaits them at the final table on Sunday. Stay tuned as PokerNews follows all the action from the first big poker tournament of 2026.