WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2008 News WWW.KANSAN.COM THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
9
ALUMNUS
Graduate wins big in World Series of Poker
BY DEEPA SAMPAT
dsampat@kansan.com
It was with four tens that Grant Hinkle won Event No. 2 of the World Series of Poker and $831,462 in Las Vegas on June 4.
Hinkle, 2002 graduate and a businessman living with his wife in Kansas City, Mo., had been playing poker for about five years semiprofessionally.
"Even though it wasn't my main day job, I still played about 20 hours a week." Hinkle said.
Hinkle entered the event, a $1,500 buy-in of No Limit Texas Holdem, along with 3,929 other players. By the end of day one, the competition had been whittled down to about 450 competitors. Hinkle emerged from the day as a top-10 chip holder.
"That's when I started thinking I have a chance to actually win this thing," Hinkle said.
But winning didn't come easily. In his quest for the title, Hinkle had to play against well-known and experienced poker players, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson and Theo Tran.
Eventually, Hinkle was one of two left at the table. He competed one-on-one for two hours against James
"It was really exciting as a fan of poker," Hinkle said. "Watching it on TV, you see these guys and idolize them. To have them at the table was an exciting and unique experience. That's the great thing about poker; as long as you have money to enter you can play with the best professionals in the game."
Akenhead, a professional poker player from the United Kingdom, before emerging victoriously.
Though the cards were dealt out of luck, he said the strategy that preceded the hand was deliberate and thought out. Akenhead had been betting a lot in the previous hands, and at the break Hinkle received advice from his younger brother, Blair, a professional poker player.
Hinkle bet all his money holding the ten of diamonds and four of diamonds in his hands. The next four cards: ten of hearts, four of hearts, ten of spades, the last ten. Four of a kind is one of the best hands in the game.
"The whole place was going bonkers." Hinkle said. "It was totally euphoria."
Grant Hinkle, 2002 graduate, contemplates his next move during a high-stakes game of poker. Hinkle won more that $800,000 at the World Series of Poker Event No. 2 in Las Vegas.
In his cheering section sat his mother, Lynn Hinkle, who had flown out to Las Vegas the night before to watch her son. After he won, Lynn sent a text message to Grant's wife, Kim, who had been awake all night in their home watching the game online. Kim said the text message read, "HE WON" with about 20 exclamation points. Soon after, at about 6:30 a.m. central time, Lynn called Kim.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Kim said that she could hear the excitement in the background,
"It was kind of a dream state," Kim said. "I was really in shock. I saw the picture pop up with Grant and all the money. I had seen it happen to other players before but didn't ever really imagine it happening to him. It was surreal."
because her mother-in-law was speechless.
"I immediately burst into tears on ESPN," Lynn said. "They had a microphone and a camera on me to watch my reaction. It was such a relief because it was a miracle he got the hand he did."
Hinkle said that he would invest and save most of the prize money. He said he and his wife had been saving up for a new house, which would be his first large purchase with the prize money.
"The first thing my wife did was go house shopping online to see what was out there," Hinkle said.
Hinkle said he planned to use $10,000 of his winnings to participate in the World Series of Poker main event on July 3.
His mother, Lynn, said she wasn't pleased when her sons decided to get into poker playing.
"Poker has such a stigma attached to it," she said.
Lynn said she changed her mind after she watched Blair play in a tournament and finish in sixth place.
"I was amazed at the skill, knowledge, poise, and ability necessary to play at that level," she said. "It's more of a business environment than a gambling environment. Now, seeing
them so good at this business, I am totally supportive."
The tournament that Hinkle won will air July 29 on ESPN.
Edited by Mandy Earles