Thursday, June 12, 2008
It was with four tens that Grant Hinkle won Event No. 2 of the World Series of Poker and $831,462 in Las Vegas last week.
Hinkle, 2002 graduate and a businessman living with his wife in Kansas City, Mo., had been playing poker for about five years semi-professionally.
“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 Hold’em, 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.
“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.”
Eventually, Hinkle was one of two left at the table. He competed one-on-one for two hours against James 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.”
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.
“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.”
Kim said that she could hear the excitement in the background, 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
You gotta know when to hold 'em
Don’t sit there and play Solitaire all by yourself—call up some friends ...
Graduate strikes it rich on poker tables
Omaha native wins more than $58,000 at World Series of Poker
Local poker club offers opportunities
Lawrence poker enthusiasts play for keeps in club
Back to the tables
Why some poker players are leaving their computers
The Secret Lives of the Professors
Women in power cope with gender bias
Some campus leaders feel they aren't always treated the same as men.
Former player finds many successes despite rampant ...
Poker catches on at Lawrence bars
The unsettled life of Sarah Bregman
How one student's tumultuous past gave her a chance for a better ...
Degrees of success: athletes after college
College athletes' payment is their degree. But what if they never get ...
A question of identity
The Comanche Nation informed KU that a professor who claims he's Comanche ...
Abnormal arms, but ample ability
How one student aims to transform disability's definition.
For the love of the game
Several one-time KU basketball players have missed out on the riches of ...
Students go ‘all in’ for community poker
Lawrence-based entertainment company, Poker Pub Inc., plays host to no limit Texas ...
Student defined trust
Coach sets bar high for freshman
Coach Ritch Price travel frequently to Reno, Nev. in 2006 to win ...
Leaving a lasting legacy
As Hemenway prepares to retire, he and others look back at how ...
Chancellor Hemenway reflects on decade of goals
‘Jewish Jordan’ talks faith, basketball
Jewish Division 1 player who never played on holy days speaks tonight ...
Lawrence's landlord: a developer's story
Doug Compton, owner of First Management, has helped guide Lawrence's development for ...
William Elliot Whitmore
The musician with roots in Kansas is coming to Lawrence on Friday, ...
Unlicensed: A T-Shirt Tale
Meet Larry Sinks, the man behind JoeCollege.com and its controversial T-shirts.
A matter of interpretation: Advocate
For deaf students at KU, Kim is the greatest support to ensure ...
A matter of interpretation: Mimic and freelancer
Kim Bates, KU's interpreter coordinator, spends a significant amount of her time ...
C.J. Henry steps from brother’s shadow
C.J. Henry is looking to prove he’s more than just Xavier Henry’s ...
Shaffer remembered for his charisma
Students and colleagues recall the former professor’s stories and passionate character.
Dance company returns member to his roots
Jun Kuribayashi, a Lawrence native and member of the dance company Pilobolus, ...
Between the ears: Colleges tackle concussions in ...
Growing awareness about the injury is beginning to counter the threat it ...
Sayers recognized for lifetime achievement
Lew Perkins and Brandon Rush also received awards from the Kansas City ...
Coach starts small to dream big
Coach Ritch Price reflects on his experiences throughout the years that led ...
The man behind the mic
Eric Danielson, Lawrence native, announces the basketball games this season and feels ...
A strong foundation: Campus architect builds legacy
After a 63-year career, Warren Corman, University Architect, will retire on Thursday.
Simien makes move to minister
Former Kansas basketball player Wayne Simien has turned from NBA to sports ...
Input on fees sought
Fan, age 92, tells of love, basketball
Margaret Shirk, 1939 graduate, and her husband have been longtime followers of ...
College basketball referee at the top of ...
Welmer’s lenient refereeing style has some players and coaches thankful, and others ...
Final Four attendees breathe in New Orleans’ ...
Excitement builds in New Orleans as fans await the Final Four.
Business goes on despite blizzard
On-campus eateries continue quietly during the snow day.
Cancer takes Lawrence resident on a bumpy ...
Jeff Young was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, and the subsequent changes ...
'A Long Story,' but told so well
Announcer Max Falkenstien was courtstidefor 60 of Kansas basketball's 110 years.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID