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Thomas Fuller Returns To Poker, Wins BetMGM Poker Open

Former Teacher From Colorado Tops Field of 1,130 In $1,600 Buy-In Event To Earn $227,074

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Thomas Fuller topped the field in the BetMGM Poker Open main event with an impressive performance on Dec. 16. The final table took place inside the PokerGO studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Fuller was awarded $227,074 to take his career earnings close to $1.7 million. It was also the fourth tournament win for the poker player from Boulder, Colorado, including a Heartland Poker Tour title won in his native state.

“It was incredible, I was really happy with my play, but I made one horrific misclick at the final table. It would have been hard to forgive myself if this wasn’t the result. I’m so grateful … It was great, all cool guys, a terrific atmosphere,” said Fuller to reporters after the win.

When he was asked about leaving poker to become a teacher before returning to poker six months ago, this was Fuller’s reply, “I’ve learned a lot in the last year. This is a magical way to cap my comeback. It’s changed quite a bit in a way that’s beneficial to me. It’s become more academic and measured rather than bravado, which was my weakness. That was a change I didn’t anticipate.”

The $1,600 buy-in no-limit hold’em event attracted a field of 1,130 entries for the tournament to easily pass the $1 million guarantee, and by the start of Day 3 the field had played down to the final table of seven. Fuller was in the chip lead when cards got into the air on the final day of play, and he quickly got to work eliminating opponents.

Edward Dixon was out in seventh place at the hands of Fuller, and then the same fate befell Yaser Al-Keliddar when he exited in sixth place. Fuller scored his third knockout punch in a row by busting Yang Lu in fifth, and kept his red-hot run going strong by sending Hieu Tran home in fourth place.

That was when the final three players decided on a chop, but Fuller, Benjamin Gros, and Michael Estes left $5,000 up top along with the trophy to play for the rest of the way. Gros then scored the only knockout that wasn’t attributed to Fuller at the final table when his AClub SuitKSpade Suit topped the JHeart Suit10Heart Suit held by Estes on a board that brought two more kings.

That gave Gros the momentum he needed to eventually pull even with Fuller, and the two players took turns with the chip lead before the final hand of the tournament played out. The cards eventually got all in on the river of a board reading AClub Suit8Heart Suit4Spade Suit3Heart Suit3Spade Suit. Fuller shoved the river with ADiamond Suit8Spade Suit, and Gros called holding 10Diamond Suit8Diamond Suit. Gros was awarded $190,046 for the runner-up finish, and that doubled his career winnings to just under $380,000.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Place Player Earnings POY Points
1 Thomas Fuller $227,074 960
2 Benjamin Gros $190,046 800
3 Michael Estes $168,269 640
4 Hieu Tran $91,573 480
5 Yang Lu $69,193 400
6 Yaser Al-Keliddar $55,942 320
7 Edward Dixon $46,215 240

Photo Credit: Poker.Org