2003 Post-Valentine Poker Championships

Kirk Walton better his 2002 runner-up performance by one place, outlasting Andy Lozier, Chris Baxter, and host Jason Zellmer to win the 2003 Post-Valentines Poker Championships. "I knew I had a shot when I saw Hagel got knocked down to the loser's table," Walton said as he counted his fiftys. Hagel proved his Hold 'Em prowess once again as he took first place at the loser's table.

Tournament Results:

1) Kirk Walton, 2003 Champion
2) Andy Lozier
3) Chris Baxter
4) Jason Zellmer
5) Jeff Rosner
6) Mike Tubman
7) Josh Hagel, loser table winner
8) Mike Biebl
9) Chris Frederick
10) Justin Robinson
11) Nate Peitersen
12) Tom Robinson
13) Dan Hinrichs

Players in the Championships:

Josh "Black Chip" Hagel: Hailing from Brooklyn Park, MN, Hagel was the winner of the 2002 Championships. He earned his nickname at the blackjack tables in the Excalibur, turning his first two days of losing into one huge day of winning and forcing the Excalibur to verify his identity upon cashing out.

Kirk "Cursebreaker" Walton: The last time we saw Kirk, he had that "deer in the headlights" look after Hagel turned over a pair of aces to beat him in the finals. Since then, Kirk has shed the near-miss label by winning his first fantasy football title, following it up with a playoff FFL title. In addition, his Tampa Bay Bucs finally got over the hump, capping an incredible season of football for Walton. Will he be able to get over the top at the tables this year?

Justin "The Judge" Robinson: With the distractions of law school now behind him, Robinson is free to focus on more noble pursuits like poker. A mainstay at the Mystic Lake tables, it remains to be seen whether he will play like the Rounders law student or the judges that he cleans out.

Jason "The Rake" Zellmer: The host of this year's event, Zellmer is looking forward to the field leaving a bit more than empty beer cans and pizza crusts at his house...50 bucks apiece, to be precise. An A-flight golfer at last year's Joe and Angie Classic, Zellmer looks to "bluff the big ringers" like the Rounders golf pro.

Dan "Double Down" Hinrichs: After narrowly losing to eventual champion Hagel in the first round last year, Hinrichs has spent the off-season dragging the occasional pot in the northwoods of Wisconsin. A huge Rounders fan (as if you couldn't already tell), players at his table would be well served to watch for flying Oreo cookies after tough beats.

"Arkansas" Chris Frederick: A newcomer to the tournament, Arkansas is known all through the South for his penchant for spotting a man's tell. Now in the Midwest, he's looking to establish himself as one of the premier card players here as well.

Andy "The Lojz" Lozier: The Lojz is back, looking to improve on his third at the loser table performance of a year ago. Like Double Down, Lojz's roots are in Grantsburg, WI, so one can expect a strong performance out of him.

Mike "The Gamer" Tubman: A true jack-of-all-trades, Tubman's prowess on the card table is only overshadowed by his knowledge of all fantasy sports from football to NASCAR. A newcomer to the tournament, he's looking to disprove the theory that you need to take your lumps first before winning the big one.

Jeff "The Grinder" Rosner: Hailing from the nation's heartland, this Nebraskan will wear you down, wear you down, and the next thing you know, it's 3am and most of your chips are sitting in front of him. By then you don't even care, but there's that twinge of remorse you feel when you see him in downtown Minneapolis wearing a tie that was paid for with your money...that's the Grinder's game.

Mike "Big Pussy" Biebl: After making the top bracket last year, Puss is ready to take the next step and win it all. A big Sopranos fan, taking his money might "earn" you a pair of concrete shoes and a swim in the Mississippi River.

Nate "Dogg" Peitersen: Another of the Richfield contingent, Peitersen will be arriving with Jameson in hand and big money in wallet. A mainstay at local poker nights, Peitersen is making his initial foray into highly competitive poker...

Bip "Cracker" Roberts: Not the type of cracker you're thinking...Bip can crack anyone's hand just by reading your eyes. People notoriously underestimate the Cracker, but soon learn their lesson when they're needing to hit the ATM once again the day after sitting against this guy.

Chris "Bad Road" Baxter: Another newcomer to the tournament, Baxter is a native of sunny California but has called Minnesota home for the past 7 years. A newly-wed, he's hoping that he's not too exhausted from all his recent boot-knocking to stay alert at the tables and clean some people out. A staff member at St. Thomas, he's also hoping the that the good Lord will be looking out for his hole cards.

View the recap of the 2002 Championships by clicking the link.