Rich Alsup might not be a household name in the poker world, but his list of poker accomplishments would be the envy of most poker players.
The Minnesota native has more than $2.4 million in lifetime earnings according to the Hendon Mob, won the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #82: $800 NLH Deep Stack for $272,065 and a gold bracelet, and is a legend on the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT).
Seriously, not only did he win the 2015 MSPT Meskwaki for $101,229 and finish as the Season 6 Player of the Year, he is the tour’s all-time money leader with $963,973 in cashes, is fourth for all-time MSPT Main Event cashes with 52, and has made a MSPT final table 15 times! He is also a MSPT Hall of Famer and sits second on the tour’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT) rankings.
However, the one thing Alsup doesn’t have – a World Poker Tour (WPT) title.
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Alsup attempted to change that by making his way to Playground for what was his third-ever visit to the venue.
“My first time here was in 2018. The property was developing but not what it is today,” Alsup told PokerNews. “I was here earlier this year for the WSOP Circuit and came back. The spot just checks all the boxes for me. Montreal is amazing. The people are very kind. The food is 10 out of 10, wherever you go. I love five-card PLO. So, the cash games are amazing and everything is great about it.”
Alsup even talked his good friend and fellow Minnesotan, Rob Wazwaz, to try Playground for the first time.
“I talked him into it and now he said it's his favorite spot along with Seminole Hard Rock,” Alsup said of Wazwaz, a WSOP bracelet winner from 2022 as well – he won Event #25: $800 NLH Deepstack for $358,346 – and the man ahead of him on the aforementioned MSPT GOAT leaderboard.
Not only that, they randomly came across another Minnesota poker legend and MSPT Hall of Famer in Umut Ozturk, who unbeknownst to them had made the trip over to Playground.
“It's a quick flight,” Alsup added. “It's like just over two hours and simple.”
Both players made Day 2 of the WPT Playground Championship, but unfortunately, both fell short of the money.
“Just a lot of tough spots. I’d get ace-queen, it'd be three-bet, and I'd have to fold. I felt like it wasn't meant to be. Just like weird spots and didn't catch any traction.”
Alsup can’t complain too much about his luck as he is fresh off a major score. From October 17-20, Minnesota’s Canterbury Park hosted its annual Fall Poker Classic $1,100 Championship Main Event, which blew away its $200K guarantee as 773 entrants generated a $742,080 prize pool.
The Minnesota poker community is a strong one (they even have their own Poker Hall of Fame), and the Fall Poker Classic has a long history dating back to 2001. So when it comes to regional pride, it’s a tournament all Gopher State players want to win, and Alsup did.
“We actually did a three-way chop and then we played out for $30,000. So, that's how it played out,” he said with a smile. “The stars aligned and it was pretty cool because I grew up playing there. To ship the most prestigious hometown title was nice.”
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rich Alsup | $117,775* |
| 2 | Sam Desilva | $93,624* |
| 3 | Dustin Nelson | $84,688* |
| 4 | Kou Vang | $49,645 |
| 5 | Jordan Hiben | $37,846 |
| 6 | Matthew Dodd | $28,941 |
| 7 | Zach Cheatum | $22,262 |
| 8 | Joe Barnard | $17,068 |
| 9 | Sandeep Cherukuri | $13,357 |
*Denotes three-way deal.
After busting the WPT Playground Championship, Alsup made his way over to the cash game area. So, that’s the short-term plan. However, when it comes to the big picture he has one major goal – to win a World Poker Tour title.
“That's really the main thing left on the bucket list,” he admitted. “I love the WPT. Just everything about it. My next goal is to ship a WPT.”
The closest Alsup has come to etching his name on the Mike Sexton Champion’s Cup was finishing 11th for $111,035 in the 2021 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. It’s a venue he plans to return to for their upcoming $3,500 WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship from November 29—December 4.
“I'm going to play Seminole. I'm going to play the WPT Prime in Las Vegas most likely, and yeah, I'll play the WPT World Championship, can’t miss that.”
PokerNewswill be on-site at the WPT Playground offering content throughout, so be sure to check back daily as we bring you updates and stories straight from the tournament floor.
*Photos courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
