Vance Fitzgerald Triumphs At 2015 Arizona State Poker Championship

Vance Fitzgerald has won the 2015 Arizona State Poker Championship, after overcoming a field of 1,580 players over five days on his way to capturing the title, and walking away with its $253,600 first place prize. The annual event has been running for 11 year, and has increased in popularity since its inception, with last year’s winner Robert Tanita besting 1,460 fellow competitors to claim the tournaments top prize. Hosted at the Talking Stick Resort’s ARENA Poker Room in Scottsdale, Arizona, this year prize pool swelled to an impressive $620,150, and commenting on the competition, the poker room’s director Tom Young, said:
“The 11th Annual Arizona State Poker Championship was a huge success. We were pleased to see an increase in interest in the tournament this year surpassing last year’s competitor count. And although we had several pros battling it out for the title, it truly was anyone’s game from beginning to end.”
The $1,000 Main Event attracted a number of pros, including Dennis Phillips, Karina Jett and Kenna James. The final table subsequently featured a number of talented pros, including 2015 WSOP bracelet winner Matthew Elsby, and 2012 November Niner Jacob Balsiger. Eventually, Vance Fitzgerald would progress all the way through to heads-up play where he defeated Chad Mizner to take home the only tournament cash of his career, according to the Hendon Mob. In addition to his $253,600 in prize money, Vance Fitzgerald also received a Presidential Rolex watch, and a winners trophy.
Final Table Results:
1 Vance Fitzgerald $253,600
2 Chad Mizner $189,600
3 Jake Balsiger $134,300
4 Matt Schultz $98,750
5 Gail Getzwiller $90,850
6 Hooman Nikzul $75,050
7 Matt Elsby $59,250
8 A.T. Gruzak $43,450
9 Alex Shelton $27,650