Registration is now closed and we have the prize pool distribution. We are paying 26 spots, with first place earning $17,980! We had 206 entries for this event, a sign of big fields to come over the next three weeks.
Latest Events
Event #8 - $300 NLH Closer
Event #7 - $600 NLH Series Title Event - Final DayEvent #7 - $600 NLH Series Title Event - Day 1D TurboEvent #7 - $600 NLH Series Title Event - Day 1CEvent #7 - $600 NLH Series Title Event - Day 1B
125 Entries$30,625 Prize Pool$7,976 for First
583 Entries$286,500 Prize Pool$46,565 for First
85 Entries— Prize Pool— for First
172 Entries— Prize Pool— for First
172 Entries— Prize Pool— for First
Live Reporting
We're a few hours into event #1 and we have our first photo gallery. Our photographer loves the lighting in this room, claiming that it's the best poker room he's ever shot in. And by the quality of these photos, we understand why. Great stuff and good-looking folks here in Texas!
Faces Of TCH
Scott Dulaney, known in the poker world as "Fireman Scott," hails from The Woodlands, Texas. He has been playing poker for 20 years, driven by a lifelong ambition to embody the spirit of a "gambling cowboy." Dulaney's most significant achievement in poker came in 2023 when he won a WSOP bracelet in the Round of Each event.
Before dedicating himself fully to poker, Dulaney worked for the Houston Fire Department, which inspired his nickname. He now creates poker content and serves as the Chief Ambassador for the Texas Card House. Additionally, he is the face of HIJACK Poker, using his platform to promote the game with his unique promo code, Fireman99.
Dulaney is one of the most well known players in Texas, remembered not just for his cowboy hat, or his significant poker achievements, but for his friendly disposition. Everybody knows Fireman Scott!
We've got tables, dealers, and cards spread on the tables ready for event #1 here at Texas Card House in Houston. We've been to a lot of card rooms and this is one of the best in the country. The staff are fantastic, the dealers are efficient and friendly, the snacks are cheap, the action is fantastic, and they have cold brew coffee on tap (we love cold brew)!
Today's event is the $400 Kick Off with a $75,000 guarantee and an excellent structure. The tournament staff is ready to rock, led by Justin Hammer, who is one of the best in the business. And PokerAtlas handles all the tournament functions so well that staff can focus on creating a great player experience.
We'll be here for three straight weeks reporting on this monster series and loving every minute of it. This is also a great experience to show what our reporting software can do and we're looking forward to crushing it.
It's almost time.... Shuffle up and deal!
We've reached the final table with a rowdy roster and some wildly different chip stacks. A stack as large as the 1.7 million in front of John Avelino, fresh off a second place finish just two days ago, is rare at our events. And Carolyn Patterson's 31,000 might be the smallest stack that has ever squeaked on to the final table at a CSOP event.
Payouts
1st - $2,500
2nd - $1,500
3rd - $1,000
4th - CSOP Celebrity Cash Game Seat + $1,000 Wakebusters Gift Certificate
5th - Las Vegas ATV Tour For Two + $1,000 Wakebusters Gift Certificate
6th - 10th - $300 CSOP Seat
Final Table Competitors
Seat 1: Donny Ruiz (242k)
Donny Ruiz works in gaming at The Venetian and hates interviews.
Seat 2: John Avelino (1,700,000)
John Avelino, hailing from Las Vegas, NV, has been playing poker for 27 years. He was introduced to No Limit Texas Holdem by a friend named Ace when he was 15 years old, shortly after the Moneymaker Boom. Avelino's poker journey began with casual $5 buy-in games, but over time, he immersed himself in the game, mastering strategy and participating in low-stakes cash games.
Avelino's most significant achievement came at the CSOP 97, where he won $2,050, marking his best result in a live tournament. Outside of tournaments, Avelino works in a poker room and is known for his fondness for 7 Card Stud and gambling.
Seat 3: Carolyn Patterson (31k)
Carolyn Patterson, originally from Seattle and now residing in Las Vegas, has been playing poker for ten years. Her introduction to the game came through a personal connection, as she met someone who played poker. Her most notable poker moment was eliminating her husband, tow-time bracelet winner Tyler Patterson, from a tournament. Outside of poker, Carolyn works in the tech industry, describing her occupation as "computer stuff." She is also known by the nickname "Dumb Ram's Wife" and loves the CSOP.
Seat 4: Travis Cochran (210k)
Travis Cochran, originally from Henderson, Nevada, has been playing poker for 20 years. He began his poker journey in home games, where he earned the nickname "El Tiburon" during high school for his winning streaks against friends and their families. His most notable poker achievement to date is finishing 26th in the 2021 Millionaire Maker, earning him $28,000. Outside of poker, Travis works as an AI Engineer.
Seat 5: Brian Kip (504k)
Brian Kip hails from Las Vegas and has been playing poker for 23 years, primarily in home and live games. His poker journey includes hitting a bad beat jackpot at Santa Fe Station and multiple cashes at the World Series of Poker. Although he once played poker full time, Brian transitioned to focus on his career as a marketing expert, founding his own marketing agency, SKC Group, in 2014. He has been one of the most valuable additions to the CSOP, and currently serves as the organizations vice president.
Seat 6: Marsela Lee (610k)
Marsela "Sela" Lee hails from Chicago, Illinois, and has been playing poker for just one week. She was introduced to the game by her father. This tournament marks her first foray into competitive play, a nice results for her first time out! Outside of poker, Marsela works as a representative for Progressive Insurance and is a dedicated mother of five.
Seat 7: Ivan Perez (935k)
Ivan Perez, known in the poker community as "PokermanPerez," hails from Los Angeles and has been playing poker for 23 years. He was inspired to start playing during the 2003 Main Event, famously known as the Moneymaker Boom. His most significant poker achievement to date is a cash prize of over $13,000.
Outside of poker, Ivan is the Vice President of Sales for Logistify (LGFY). Earlier this evening he achieved a personal highlight by eliminating Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi and claiming his bounty.
Seat 8: Ryan Riess (530k)
Ryan Riess, known in the poker world as "Riess the Beast," hails from Michigan and has been playing poker professionally for 14 years. He first got into the game by participating in home games with friends during high school.
Riess's most significant achievement came in 2013 when he won the World Series of Poker Main Event. Outside of poker, he is proud to be a "girl dad."
Seat 9: Martin Lowrey (480k)
Martin Lowrey is a detective with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and uses his detective skills to crush poker tournaments.
Seat 10: Connor Richards (610k)
Connor Richards, originally from Utah and now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been playing poker since 2019. He was introduced to poker by his father at a casino in northern Nevada, which sparked an enduring interest in the game. Known by the nickname "Panama Jack" due to his signature Panama Jack rash guard, Connor is a familiar face at WSOP Paradise.
In 2025, Connor achieved his biggest result by finishing 7th in the WSOP Employee Event, earning $8,300. Outside of playing, he works as an editor for PokerNews and hosts a podcast titled "Life Outside Poker."
Final Table Faces
Cheyanne Ivey, originally from New Jersey and now residing in Las Vegas, has been playing poker since she learned 7 card stud at the age of 14 with her brother Phil (you may have heard of him). Her initial exposure to the game came from those home games in Atlantic City.
Ivey balances her poker playing with her career as a Tax and Business Strategist and CEO of Ivey Solutions, one of our presenting sponsors here at The CSOP. Cheyanne is a lot of fun at the poker table, but a negotiating table, when business comes first, she's a shark among sharks. We're just glad she's on our side!
Cheyanne Ivey, originally from New Jersey and now residing in Las Vegas, has been playing poker since she learned 7 card stud at the age of 14 with her brother Phil (you may have heard of him). Her initial exposure to the game came from those home games in Atlantic City.
Ivey balances her poker playing with her career as a Tax and Business Strategist and CEO of Ivey Solutions, one of our presenting sponsors here at The CSOP. Cheyanne is a lot of fun at the poker table, but a negotiating table, when business comes first, she's a shark among sharks. We're just glad she's on our side!
Erin Webster hails from Jupiter, Florida, and has been playing poker for seven years. Her introduction to the game came during an internship with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, where she quickly taught herself the ropes after promising the COO she would learn.
Webster's most notable poker achievement in poker was placing in a Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) event, where she took home $1,000 after a five-way chop. Outside of poker, Erin works as a host and emcee, after a transition from covering poker events at the WSOP to working in the EDM festival scene for the past two years.
Having Erin as both a player and a volunteer MC has been an incredible stroke of luck for the CSOP and we are lucky to have her talents on the mic helping us out.
Nate Gelinas, known as "Board Coverage Nate," hails from Las Vegas, NV. He has been playing poker since 2005, initially getting into the game through high school home games and boxing matches. His most notable achievement in poker is winning a CSOP championship. Outside of poker, Gelinas owns a medical diagnostic facility.
Nate has been a long and frequent CSOP supporter and is one of the happiest and most boisterous players in every event. If everyone at the table is doing shots, Nate was probably involved.
It feels like the whole city of Las Vegas showed up for CSOP 98 tonight at Via Brasil Steakhouse. And they are all having a great time. Many more photos to come later in the evening.
Faces And Aces
We don't just award a trophy to the winner here at The CSOP. The chip leader at the close of registration, and the player with the most rebuys (the real hero), also get trophies and prize packages with gifts from our sponsors.
Reg Close Trophies
Name is the winner of our cup leader trophy with chip count. Name wins prize description.
Name is out rebuy hero with donated amount and rebuys total. We are so grateful for names amazing generosity!
Total entries and rebuys.
Payouts
We have cards in the air and chips in the pot here at CSOP 98. The room is full of celebrities and poker pros including Cheyanne Ivey, Fat Mike from NOFX, Katie Morgan, Rebel Lynn, and poker pros Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, four-time bracelet winner Tyler Patterson, World Champion Ryan Riess, and a late addition to the celebrity bounty roster, poker superstar and reigning World Champion Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi!
A host of representatives from tonight's charity, Communities In Schools of Nevada are also here to play and every seat is full right from the start.
You can read more about CISN and the amazing work they do at cisnevada.org.
