Series Returns to Tulsa and Crowns First Champion in Six Years
The Oklahoma State Championship of Poker returned to Hard Rock Casino Tulsa for the first time since 2019, rolling out a 21-event trophy schedule and drawing a strong turnout for its headline tournament. The $800 Main Event attracted 417 entries, building a $291,900 prize pool and setting the stage for the series’ first champion in six years.
Kansas City’s Grant Hinkle—already a WSOP Gold Bracelet winner with a WSOP Circuit Main Event title and more than $1.7 million in live tournament earnings—decided to jump in on a whim and ended the weekend with the trophy. He outlasted a dramatic final table to pocket $55,249 after a tense heads-up duel with Terry Harrell and an even longer three-handed battle that also featured Anthony Finley.
Just 32 players returned for Sunday’s finale. By night’s end, Hinkle had all the chips after a final table that ran for more than six hours and produced several wild momentum swings.
$800 Main Event Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant Hinkle | $55,249 |
| 2 | Terry Harrell | $38,167 |
| 3 | Anthony Finley | $27,869 |
| 4 | Rehman Zahid | $20,642 |
| 5 | Sarah Renko | $15,506 |
| 6 | Johnnie Place | $11,820 |
| 7 | John Smith | $9,146 |
| 8 | Eric Salazar | $7,181 |
| 9 | William Berry | $5,726 |
Winner’s Reaction
“I feel relief,” Hinkle admitted shortly after taking down the title, “I had a big chip lead three or four handed and it slipped away.”
“You kind of envision yourself at the end and as soon as you do that, than all of a sudden it starts slipping away and I thought that was happening again,” Hinkle continued, “Just [feel] relief and gratitude that I battled back and was able to take it down.”
Away from the felt, life has been busier in recent years, which made this victory even sweeter.
“It’s mostly kid activities for me. I’ve got a 15-year-old and an 11-year old, so they take up a lot of my time. Although they’re getting to the ages now that I can play a little bit more because as they get to teenage age, they don’t want to hang out with their parents as much,” Hinkle joked with a proud smile.
On how he navigated the swingy final, Hinkle said his approach was tailored to the table dynamics.
“It was mostly opponent specific [his aggression and strategy]. If I can get to showdown often I’ve got a good chance of winning, but if I get blown off it, it’s not a good feeling,” Hinkle explained regarding his postflop decisions.
“You just made sure that you’re still playing your best with the stack you have going forward each hand, and that you’re not going to punt after a tough situation. Just playing one hand at a time, even though it’s a frenzy inside [my head].
He also credited his inner circle for the support that helped carry him through.
“[Thanks to] my wife and kids for letting me go down here. I’m looking forward to spending time with them tomorrow. Thanks to my RunGood family, they were cheering me on in the Telegram chat, so shoutout to them and all my friends.”
The Day’s Action
From a 417-entry starting field, 32 players advanced to Sunday, led by William Scarsdale. The chip leader couldn’t convert, bowing out in 17th place as the pace quickened early with a slew of eliminations. Notables who fell before the final two tables included Brent Gregory, Eric Bunch, John Reynolds, Todd Tucker, and Michael Perrone. Within two hours, the field was trimmed to the final 11.
Final Table Recap
After Jim Wilson departed in 10th, the last nine contenders converged with Anthony Finley on top and Hinkle close behind. Short stacks William Berry and Eric Salazar were first to exit the final table. John Smith followed in seventh, and the final six paused for a dinner break.
Play resumed with the elimination of Johnnie Place in sixth; after defending his big blind, he flopped middle pair against the top pair of Terry Harrell, got his remaining chips in, and couldn’t improve. Nearly an hour later, the last woman standing, Sarah Renko, was knocked out in fifth after an impressive run, and Rehman Zahid fell in fourth shortly thereafter.
Three-handed play stretched out as the chip lead changed hands multiple times. A pivotal three-way all-in nearly ended it all, but Harrell scooped the pot to knock out Finley in third while doubling through Hinkle, setting up a shallow-stacked, cagey heads-up that lasted over an hour.
In the final hand, Hinkle moved in on the button with queen-jack suited, and Harrell called off his last 12 big blinds with ace-five. Hinkle turned a flush to close it out and finally exhaled after a grueling, momentum-swinging finale.
