North Dakota Championship Has Surprise Winner
The North Dakota region held its championship event at Westside Bar & Grill in Mandan, ND over Easter weekend with 178 players in attendance. The top 11 players qualified for a seat in the Sin City Showdown national final with the top 5 players earning the bonus of airfare and hotel accommodations to Las Vegas. One additional lucky player qualified unexpectedly - Sheryl Yocom from Minot - when she scratched off 4-of-a-kind in the new "Scratch Poker" game.
The Scratch Poker cards were awarded to the winners of a random hand about half way through the contest. Those players then got a chance to preview the new Scratch Poker game and with an added incentive: instant qualifier by scratching off 4-of-a-kind or better. What happened next was shocking! Unbelievably, Sheryl Yocom (pictured right), who has been a regular in the league going back to the very beginning in 2005, scratched off four tens! She was elated to get the opportunity and continued to play in the tournament and to try to win the additional travel accommodations up for grabs.
A fun "Tag Team" side tournament was held with $200 cash up for grabs. Calvin Mosbrucker and his wife won.
Here are the final 11 players who qualified for Nationals:
- 1st (T) - Shylow Belgarde - Lucky Lanes, Minot
- Bonnie Evenson - Lonsome Dove, Mandan
- Brad Pausch - Wahpeton Vets
- Wade Fossum - Rudy's/The Other Side, Oakes
- Tony Noga - Borrowed Bucks, Fargo
- 6th - Scott White - Liquid Assets, Dickinson
- 7th - Fred Ewoniuk - Champs, Dickinson
- 8th - Tom Gullickson - Bigs Lounge, Beulah
- 9th - Daryl Braun - Tapps Lounge, Jamestown
- 10th - David Hokanson - Williston Legion
- 11th - Ben Rott - Windbreak Saloon, Fargo
Close but no cigar final remaining players from final 2 tables:
- Jeff Dybwad 12th - Bubble Boy prize for Exclusive Last Chance Qualifier Online
- Keith Olson 13th
- Pete Koeplin 14th
- Barb Mickelson 15th
- Mike Mund 16th
- Mike Synstelien 17th
- Dean Liengang 18th
- Quentin Strong 19th
- Iggy Wiegelt 20th
A big thanks goes out to Gina and the staff at Westside Grill and Bar for hosting another championship event for North Dakota. Players and fans all had a great time. The total number of national qualifiers coming from North Dakota is now up to 13 (Rick Mann won the first monthly online championship).
Top 5: (right to left: Wade Fossum, Shylow, Bonnie Evenson, Tony Noga, Brad Pausch
