A WSOP Main Event package may have helped push the attendance level to a new high
The Roughrider Poker Tour Casino State Championship made history this weekend by drawing the largest poker field ever seen in North Dakota. A total of 1,655 entries packed the Spirit Lake Casino & Resort for the $250 buy-in event, setting a new benchmark for the state’s live tournament scene.
When the final cards were dealt, it was Preston Dean who stood on top once again. Dean outlasted the massive field to claim $49,300, the championship belt, and a seat in the upcoming WSOP Main Event. The win puts him back in a familiar place after more than a decade away from the state title spotlight.
Dean first won the North Dakota State Championship in 2014, a victory that once made him the biggest poker winner in state history. While others passed that mark in recent years, this latest triumph allowed him to reclaim that distinction in front of a record crowd. He sealed the win heads-up against Steve Kelly by rivering a full house.
Day 2 began with 165 players returning from six starting flights. Several well-known names hit the rail early, including past champions and Hall of Fame members. As the field thinned, the action moved quickly, and the final table came together late in the evening.
Kelly entered the final table with momentum and scored multiple knockouts, but Dean kept pace. The turning point came when Dean’s pocket aces eliminated two players in a single hand, pushing him into the lead and setting up the final duel.
For Dean, a longtime recreational player from Minot, the victory carried extra meaning. Along with the cash and title, the WSOP Main Event package marks a milestone he has been chasing for years.
