Side Event Recap: Chad Holloway Wins Inaugural Poker Industry Championship
Leading into the RGPS Hard Rock Tulsa stop was the inaugural Poker Industry Championship. On Tuesday,, PokerNews' own Chad Holloway bested a small field of 15 entrants to take down the inaugural $330 buy-in Poker Industry Championship title, which was hosted by the RunGood Poker Series here at Hard Rock Tulsa. Holloway, co-host of the LFG Podcast as well as PokerNews Head of Live Reporting North America, also claimed a custom Signature Ring, and a cash prize of $2,250.
It marked the second "industry" title for Holloway. Back in 2013, he topped a field of 898 runners to win the World Series of Poker Event #1: $500 Casino Employees for nearly $85,000 and a gold bracelet.
"It feels good to be the first winner of the Poker Industry Championship," Holloway said after the win. "It was fun to battle it out with folks I usually work either with or alongside, and I want to thank RunGood and Hard Rock Tulsa for putting it on. I look forward to trying to defend in next year's event."
Holloway arrived late, chipped up early, and didn't hit a rough patch until after the money bubble had burst. Among those to compete in the tournament were photographer Katerina Lukina, poker veteran Johnny "Wuads" Wenzel, tournament director Bill Bruce, and PokerNews contributor Bernard Lee, who hosts The Bernard Lee Poker Show.
When three-handed play began, runner-up Thomas Bowler went on a run, winning pot after pot, knocking out third-place finisher [Removed:309], and amassing a significant chip lead. When heads-up play began, Holloway was at a nearly 4:1 chip disadvantage.
However, Holloway consistently held the best hand by the river in heads-up play and battled into the lead before finishing it off flopping top pair to Bowler's middle pair. Bowler was equal to Holloway's skill and desire, but at the end of the match, the run good was clearly in Holloway's favor.
Poker Industry Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad Holloway | $2,250 |
| 2 | Thomas Bowler | $1,350 |
| 3 | [Removed:309] | $900 |