The Massachusetts poker grinder added another big achievement to his growing list
Rick Ziegler, a 61-year-old poker enthusiast from Stoughton, Massachusetts, took down the 2025 Eastern Poker Open Championship yesterday, earning a $10,000 top prize. The two-day event brought together regional winners, monthly qualifiers, and wild cards in a 90-player field, all aiming for a share of the $34,000 prize pool. After twelve hours of play on Day 2, Ziegler emerged victorious.
Ziegler qualified for the event through the Eastern Poker Tour’s bar league, a circuit he’s been a part of since 2007. He secured his spot by finishing in the top eight on a monthly leaderboard. Though not a full-time player, he’s been a familiar face at local poker charity events and recently played in the Moneymaker Tour stop in Aruba.
The road to the title wasn’t easy. Saturday’s opening flights saw 291 entrants, but only 16 survived to Day 2. They were joined by dozens of others, forming a competitive field. Ziegler started strong and stayed consistent, eliminating Shaun White early at the final table with pocket tens against ace-ten.
From there, players fell in quick succession. John Germano, winner of the 2024 Bar Poker Open in Florida, couldn’t survive a coin flip against Slade Edmonds. Linda Rodrigues, the last woman standing, exited shortly after when her pocket jacks lost to a rivered set.
Ziegler’s key moment came three-handed when his pocket eights held against Edmonds’ all-in move with ace-deuce. That hand gave him a big lead heading into heads-up play against John Rebollo. The final hand saw Rebollo shove after hitting bottom pair, but Ziegler had the better hand with middle pair and made the call to secure the win.
Ziegler now looks ahead to a summer cruise with his granddaughter, celebrating her graduation with a $10,000 victory in his pocket.
