Tag Team Trophy
Day 1 Completed
2024 FPN Vegas $100k World Championship
Tag Team Trophy
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2024 FPN Vegas $100k World Championship
Buy-in
$200
Prize Pool
$2,500
Entries
154
Level
20
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Entries
154
Players Left
1
Level 20
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
The 2024 Free Poker Network Tag Team Championship has come to an end and it was the team of Phil Wilburn and Darren Sneed that took home the championship belts and the top prize of $1,500.
Wilburn and Sneed came into the final table with the second smallest chip stack, and they fell to just one big blind before the team rallied back for the win. They outlasted 162 teams on their way to victory.
The pair are followed in second by Mike Yoder and Marla Smith, who did most of the heavy lifting at the final table before bowing out in second. Jamieson Smith and Becky Ogrodny finished third and the team of Eugene and Boyd Brandsrud ran to fourth place, while John Zellich and Jeff Kochersperger rounded out the top five teams.
FPN Tag Team Championships Final Table Results
| Rank | Team | Poker Club | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Wilburn - Darren Sneed | Mr. G's & Joe's Older Than Dirt (KY) | $1,500 |
| 2 | Mike Yoder - Marla Smith | Palet Bar (NE) | $800 |
| 3 | Jamieson Smith - Becky Ogrodny | DC Cobbs & Mugs n' Manor (IL) | $300 |
| 4 | Eugene Brandsrud - Boyd Brandsrud | Woody's (SD) | $200 |
| 5 | John Zellich - Jeff Kochersperger | Mr. G's (KY) | $200 |
| 6 | Chad Holloway - Connor Richards | PokerNews | $200 |
| 7 | Catherine Stuart - Theresa Carlson | Stillins (IL) | $200 |
| 8 | Sam Jacob - Jim Perugini | 6 Paupers (DE) | $200 |
| 9 | Russ Neil - Al Buhr | Across the Trax (NE) | $200 |
“Phil and I met up a few weeks ago and we got in a heads-up game,” Sneed said in a post-win interview. “So we decided to be tag team partners. We told each other to play our game and that’s what we’ve done.”
Sneed and Wilburn are from Louisville where they grind the local bar poker scene.
“We have a ton of fun playing," Sneed continued. "The community is phenomenal, not just in Louisville, but all over. Everyone’s been great. And I’ve got my wife who has been behind me 100%. She’s my lucky charm."
Final Table Highlights
A bumper crop of 162 teams turned out and played down to the final nine, where Team Brandsrud entered with the chip lead and Connor Richards followed close behind in second, representing Chad Holloway and Team PokerNews.
It didn’t take long to get the first final table elimination when Russ Neil shoved his last 37,000 with pocket sevens on behalf of his partner, Al Buhr. Neil found two callers, Zellich and Yoder, and it was Zellich’s pocket queens that held on to eliminate the pair in ninth place.
When the final eight returned from the first break. Yoder surrendered a double to Sneed when he called a shove with the suited queen-jack. Sneed turned over pocket deuces and found another one on the turn to stay alive on the road to victory.
The team of Sam Jacob and Jim Perugini were next to go in eighth place when Jacob shoved with king-nine and Yoder called with king-ten. Jacob danced for good luck but it wasn’t enough to stay in the tournament when the board ran out with no help.
Catherine Stuart and Theresa Carlson were next to go in seventh place when their king-five was no good against Wilburn’s suited ace-six. A few moments later, PokerNews’ own Richards, a fan favorite, saw his chance with a suited king-deuce and Yoder called his shove with king-queen. Holloway looked on as his partner couldn’t catch up to avoid the sixth-place exit.
Zellich and Kochersperger were next in fifth when their pocket sixes ran into Yoder’s pocket tens. Yoder picked up yet another knockout before Team Brandsrud hit the door in fourth place after their queen-ten couldn’t beat the pocket queens of Smith.
The quick pace continued when Smith and Ogrodny were out in third a short time later after their queen-ten lost to Sneed’s suited ace five. The final two teams sat down for heads-up play and Wilburn/Sneed had a significant advantage.
The heads-up battle was short, and although Yoder fought back briefly, the big moment came when he got it in with king-jack. Sneed called with king-seven and found a seven on the turn to take the championship belts.
All nine duos have qualified for Sunday’s Main Event, which will kick off at 10 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom at Golden Nugget. Be sure to return to PokerNews for live coverage of the event throughout the day.
Level 20
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Mike Yoder shoved with the short stack and the team of Phil Wilburn and Darren Sneed called for the win.
Mike Yoder: K♠J♣
Darren Sneed: K♣7♥
The board ran out 10♠2♣4♥7♠4♣ and Team Wilburn turned the seven to win the pot and eliminate Team Yoder in second place for $800.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,600,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 20
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Phil Wilburn shoved from the button and Jamieson Smith called from the big blind with less.
Jamieson Smith: Q♦10♣
Phil Wilburn: A♥5♥
The board ran out K♣3♦3♥6♣7♥ and Wilburn held on with the ace to send the team of Jamieson Smith and "Mean" Becky Ogrodny to the rail in third place for $300.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,200,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 20
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Boyd Brandsrud shoved with under 200,000 and Jamieson Smith called from the button. The blinds folded and action was heads up.
Boyd Brandsrud: Q♠10♦
Jamieson Smith: Q♦Q♥
The board ran out 5♠10♣8♣6♥A♣ and Smith held on with pocket queens to eliminate Team Brandsrud in fourth place for $200.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
900,000
685,000
|
685,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Jeff Kochersperger was all in with a short stack and Mike Yoder was there to go for another knockout.
Jeff Kochersperger: 6♠6♣
Mike Yoder: 10♠10♣
The board ran out 2♦8♠9♦3♦J♦ and Yoder held on with tens to send Kochersperger and John Zellich to the rail in fifth place for $200.
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Jeff Kochersperger shoved his last 50,000 from the button and Mike Yoder went over the top for this whole stack. The big blind folded and action was heads up with Kochersperger at risk.
Jeff Kochersperger: A♠5♥
Mike Yoder: K♦10♠
The board ran out 8♠7♥5♦6♠6♦ and Kochersperger secured the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
240,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
|
170,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
Level: 20
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 50,000
Level 19
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Fan favorite Connor Richards shoved from early position and Mike Yoder called from the cutoff. The button and blinds got out of the way and action was heads up.
Connor Richards: K♥2♥
Mike Yoder: K♦Q♥
The board ran out K♣8♣9♣4♥J♠ and Yoder held on to eliminate Richards and Chad Holloway in 6th place.
Level 19
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Catherine Stuart was all in for her shrinking stack and Phil Wilburn called to put her risk.
Catherine Stuart: K♣5♣
Phil Wilburn: A♥6♥
The board ran out with no help for the team of Stuart and Theresa Carlson and they were out in 7th place for $200.