From Freshwater to Felt: Professional Bass Fisherman Joshua Butler Ships RGPS Grand Prix Tunica Main Event
Joshua Butler is quite familiar with collecting prize money and participating in winner’s interviews - but not when it comes to poker. The Alabama native is an accomplished professional bass fisherman who, until today, had only competed in two other live tournaments in his life. He got his first taste of glory on the felt by defeating Hamid Izadi heads-up to take down the RunGood Poker Series Grand Prix Tunica Main Event, earning $49,282 and the coveted RGPS ring.
The two-day event featured a $600 buy-in and attracted 627 entries, with only 76 players returning to Horseshoe Tunica here along the banks of the Mississippi River for the final day of action. Butler captured the lion’s share of the $326,040 prize pool, which crushed the $200,000 guarantee that was advertised.
When asked how he was feeling following his biggest poker score, Butler mentioned, "Ecstatic, very tired. It went 14 hours or so today, however long it was. It was a grind - I just tried to put myself in the best spot I could and, you know, hopefully run good."
2025 RGPS Grand Prix Tunica Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Butler | United States | $49,282* |
| 2 | Hamid Izadi | United States | $40,000* |
| 3 | Chris Kennedy | United States | $40,000* |
| 4 | Jamie Kizer | United States | $21,897 |
| 5 | Nathan Morton | United States | $16,497 |
| 6 | Cody Stanford | United States | $12,577 |
| 7 | Brian Durr | United States | $9,704 |
| 8 | Dylan Crawford | United States | $7,579 |
| 9 | Teresa Lammie | United States | $5,992 |
*Denotes a three-way deal
Similarities Between Poker and Bass Fishing
Butler mentioned after his win that he was comfortable competing when the stakes were high, indicating that he has been a professional bass fisherman for a number of years. He was asked about the parallels between fishing and poker and whether or not his background in the water may have helped him on the felt.
"I mean, for sure. I mean just keeping a level head, you're never out of it. Same way with fishing, you're one bite away from having your whole day swing the right way. Same way in poker, you're one big hand away from no telling what happens. So, there's a lot of parallels to it. You just got to keep the level head and keep grinding."
Celebrating Victory with Wife By His Side
As the tournament wound down, Butler was cheered on for several hours at the final table by his wife and friends, who supported him from the rail en route to victory. He was asked what it meant to have his spouse present to share such a special moment.
"It means everything. I mean, actually I'm really new at this. This is only my third live tournament ever to play, so to have her here, I mean, it's incredible. We get to share it together and it's something we'll definitely never forget."
When asked about his upcoming plans with the money, Butler replied "I don't know, we might go on the road and try a couple more events and see where it leads."
That wraps up coverage of the $600 Main Event here at the RGPS Grand Prix Tunica. Be sure to follow PokerNews for future events all around the globe.