Wednesday, March 13, 2024 2:58 AM Local Time (about 37 days and 3 hours ago)
Champion is a Champion! The Most Aptly Named Winner Takes Mystery Bounty Title
Event #6: $400 Mystery Bounty Champion Robert 'Mike' Champion
Step aside Chris Moneymaker, because Robert ‘Mike’ Champion has just taken the crown for most appropriately named winner of a WSOP event.
He’s a champion named Champion. It gets no better than that.
Champion earned his first WSOP Circuit ring Tuesday at Hard Rock Tulsa, taking home $10,351 along with $2,700 in bounties and a seat in the 2024 WSOP Tournament of Champions.
“It’s nice to finally live up to that name” joked Champion after his win.
The result is actually not Champion’s best financially in a Mystery Bounty event. He finished third in a 2023 summer series event in Las Vegas for just over $27,000 plus bounties. So what’s his secret to Mystery Bounty success?
“I don’t know what it is, I love ‘em. Pulling the envelope is about as exciting as it gets. I love Mystery Bounties. I just have a knack for them I guess.”
The win gets a WSOP monkey off of Champion’s back after several close calls but no ring to show for his efforts. Asked whether Tuesday’s win was more excitement or relief, Champion the champion replied,
“It’s definitely both. It’s definitely nice to get the first ring. It feels like it’s been a long time coming, and just when you think, ‘Man am I ever going to get one of these things,’ it happens. And the timing’s great. The game’s in a good place and I’m just super humbled and thankful.”
Charles Lowell Claims Biggest Payday in Mystery Bounties
The other big aspect of this tournament was the Mystery Bounties, which came into play once the field reached just 21 remaining players from the original field of 208 entries.
After Charles Lowell pulled the $5,000 bounty early, the drama built right into the final table as the $10,000 bounty still hadn’t been pulled. Lee Walker had claimed the $2,500 bounty and John Heckenkamp drew the $2,000 envelope, but that $10,000 bounty was still in play right until the final break of the day with just five players remaining.
At this point, bounty excitement came to a rather anti-climatic conclusion as the players returned from break with an agreement to chop the remaining five bounties.
The variance-cutting deal ensured that each player would take home $2,300 each, giving Lowell the second-biggest overall payday with $7,300 in bounties to go along with $4,527 for his third-place finish for a total of $11,827.