Tim Burt Wins 2018 Gulf Coast Poker Championship Main Event For $103,752

The 2018 Gulf Coast Poker Championship was hosted at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. The series kicked off on September 6, with a full schedule of 13 events, and culminated on September 16.

The $1,350 Gulf Coast Poker Championship Main Event was the last tournament of the series and attracted 375 entries which set a tournament and state record and resulted in a total prize pool of $447,375. D’Iberville native Tim Burt (cover image) crushed the field to take away the top prize of $103,752.

The 37-year-old pro had a stellar start to the series finishing second out of 1,738 entries in the Opening Event for $42,563.

“It felt great because I’ve called this my home casino for nine years,”Burt said about his performance. “I told myself I would not chop the Main Event and I would win it outright if I was lucky enough to get to the final table. I really don’t enjoy poker as much as I used to but I really enjoy the end game with all the pressure on the line.”

The top 37 places received payouts in the Main Event and among the top finishers who made it in the money included Ronald Lane (11^th for $4,992), Evan Michelson (14^th for $4,992), Rebecca Campbell (17^th for $4,992), John Enfinger (23^rd for $3,648) and Brandon Valera (31^st for $3,648), while Raymond Curran (10^th for $4,992) bubbled the final table.

Burt squared off against the likes of Frank Alpandinar, Nicholas Laudano, Don Dove, Mack Ham and Warren Sheaves at the final table and ultimately faced Hiep Doan in the heads-up play.

Discussing his poker career, Burt stated, “I started playing quarter-ante poker around the dinner table with my dad and uncles at the age of five. Then I ran a limit game in a local pool hall a few times a week in Grenada at age 17 until I joined the Army. I won the nightly on partypoker when I was 21 for $10,000 and was hooked. Where else could you turn $33 into $10K?”

Since becoming a pro, Burt has won $1,142,528 playing live tournament poker. His biggest cash to date was $460,000 after a three-way deal in the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Main Event. He is presently ranked fifth on the Mississippi, USA All Time Money List.

Talking about the Beau Rivage Casino, Burt said, “I want to thank Beau for all the support and love. Henry Garrison is doing a great job, and he listens to the players.”

Beau Rivage Poker Manager Henry Garrison also stated, “The Gulf Coast Poker Championship continues to draw more players each year. We attribute this year’s record numbers to our exciting new format – the ‘Beau Format’ – where all Day 2 players are guaranteed to be in the money. It’s been very well-received by the poker community. We always seek input and feedback from our players as we strive to make our poker tournaments the best in the region.”

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Tim Burt – $103,752

2. Hiep Doan – $59,784

3. Warren Sheaves – $34,823

4. Mack Ham – $26,758

5. Starr Valdez – $22,918

6. Don Dove – $18,694

7. Nicholas Langford – $14,662

8. Nesrin Can – $9,216

9. Frank Alpandinar – $6,528

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