Jason Joerling(credit: Heartland Poker Tour)
Jason Joerling was one of 191 players in the Main Event at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama, Iowa the second weekend in November 2008. The economics student at Drake University traveled more than an hour from campus to play in his first-ever No Limit Hold’em tournament. He entered the final table with a slight chip lead and faced former Heartland Poker Tour champion, Mary Jo Belcore-Zogman.
Belcore-Zogman, who became the second woman to take down a HPT tournament in September this year at Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Minnesota, finished sixth in this event. Her husband, Gary, is also a Heartland Poker Tour champion. He won an HPT last year.
Together, the couple has earned more than $300,000 on the Heartland Poker tour combined so far. Belcore-Zogman is currently on top of the HPT leaderboard and, with just one event left in the 2008 season, looks poised to be the first female to Player of the Year on the circuit.
Joerling also faced buddies Blake Bohn and Quan Le at the final table. The duo drove more than four-hours from Minneapolis, MN together. Le finished in fifth place and Bohn made it to heads-up play against the 21 year old poker-playing prodigy. Joerling, who gained some valuable experience online prior to his recent landmark birthday, had his eyes on the prize and thought of “nothing less than first place” as he told event representatives.
On the final hand, his A,2 beat Minnesotan Bohn. Joerling took down the title and more than $82,000 for his efforts. When asked what he was going to use his winnings for, he wisely stated, that he’d “pay off my school and invest the rest.”
Check out the results here:
1) Jason Joerling (Shawnee, KS) - $82,227
2) Blake Bohn (Burnsville, MN) - $41,113
3) John Roth (Cedar Falls, IA) - $24,668
4) Martin Faldet (Calmar, IA) - $19,186
5) Quan Le (Savage, MN) - $16,445
6) Mary Jo Belcore-Zogman - McHenry, IL - $13,704
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