Nicholas Burris walks away a winner after making a last-minute decision to participate
Nicholas Burris wasn’t even planning to play the RunGood Poker Series Tulsa Grand Prix Main Event, but a last-minute change of plans turned into a career highlight. After a canceled trip and a reminder from a friend, Burris made his way to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa and walked away with the title and $65,435 in prize money. The $800 buy-in event attracted 469 entries and built a $328,300 prize pool.
Burris, a father of three, has spent less time grinding tournaments in recent years, choosing instead to focus on family life. He said his oldest son loves poker and will be thrilled to see the championship ring at home. The victory now puts Burris above the $400,000 mark in lifetime tournament earnings.
His run through the final table was anything but easy. A long six-handed stalemate tested everyone’s patience before momentum finally shifted. Burris gained steam after correctly calling a river bluff from Mika Evans, jumping above 3.5 million in chips and never looking back.
He then eliminated Evans in sixth place, followed by Bobby Randolph in fifth, John Heckenkamp in fourth, and Dexter Wise heads-up to secure the win. Burris said that once play moved to four-handed, he felt confident he could close it out.
The path to the final table featured plenty of early Day 2 action, with notable players such as Eric Bunch and Rob Gardner falling short of deep finishes. Randolph, the Day 1b chip leader, continued strong into the late stages, while Wesley Jones entered the final table with the biggest stack. But Jones’ momentum ended when his pocket queens were crushed by Burris, who flopped a full house, a pivotal moment in the tournament.
This marks Burris’ second-largest recorded score, just behind his 2019 RGPS win in Council Bluffs. With this result boosting both his bankroll and motivation, he hinted that more poker may be in his near future. “I have a little more right to go play,” he joked after posing for the winner photos.
