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From the Rocky Mountains and vast peaks in the west to the great plains in the east, Montana draws travelers from far and wide to enjoy the wonders of the Big Sky State. For the next three days, another attraction awaits for one lucky player: the champion bracelet of the $635 Montana State Poker Championship.
Montana’s premier poker festival kicks off today at 2 p.m. local time inside the Billings Hotel & Convention Center. The prize pool is expected to be at least $200,000 as hundreds of players will gather over the weekend to chase the title. Day 1a is the first of two starting flights before the winner is determined on Sunday, May 3. Players on each starting flight begin with a 60,000 starting stack. Levels will be 40 minutes throughout the tournament.
Late registration is open until the beginning of Level 13. Per Montana gaming regulations, players are allowed a maximum of three entries across both starting flights. Day 1 will conclude at the end of Level 15 or when 15 percent of the field remains, whichever comes first. Day 2 then picks up on the earliest finishing time from one of the starting flights.
2025 Montana State Poker Championship Final Table results
| 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 |
Hometown hero Dan Burcham is the defending champion, conquering a field of 283 entries last year to earn $29,000 after a heads-up deal with Andrew Hilleren. Others to make a deep run included Shane Broesder, Nicholas Hammarstrom, and John Schroer.
PokerNews will be following the action the entire way, so stay tuned for all the action.