Multi-Satellite Loser to Tournament of Champions: David Larson Looks for Another Big Score

By Sean Chaffin

It wasn’t an easy route for David Larson to take his seat at today’s WPT Tournament of Champions at the Aria. At Thunder Valley in March, he’d been trying to satellite his way into the property’s Rolling Thunder event.

He shelled out $400 for one. No luck. Then another. No luck. Altogether, Larson spent $1,600 to play four satellites in the days preceding the tournament – all with no luck.

It looked promising in the last satellite, but the 52-year-old recreational player from San Jose, Calif., went out on the bubble. Despite the bustouts, he had accumulated $2,000 in winnings in those satellites.

A sales rep for an industrial supply company, Larson’s cell phone has become his office and allows him to play some tournaments here and there – usually in the $1,100 range. With his satellite winnings in hand, he ultimately gave the WPT Rolling Thunder a shot – a big step up for his game

“Finally at the last second I decided to just get the money and buy in,” he says. “That was actually my biggest buy-in everr, $3,500, and I hope to compete in a few more of those moving forward.”

It turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Larson has been playing for 25 years and used some of those accumulated skills to good use. He advanced to the TV final table of six, but found himself last place in chips. The final table included Joe McKeehen, who finished third in the Bobby Baldwin Classic here at the Aria yesterday.

The 52-year-old part-time player rallied and went on to beat Ian Steinman heads-up for the title and $295,128.

“It was a big deal,” he says. “I couldn’t sleep for six days afterwards because it wears you down, and I’m not getting any younger.”

Along with the cash, the win motivated Larson in other areas of his life.

“I’ve lost about 30 pounds since then,” he says. “I’ve been getting into shape because poker is so physically and mentally taxing.”

After the win, Larson’s increased bankroll has allowed him to play even more. His lifetime live tournament poker winnings are $343,129 and he hopes to play as many as 30 tournaments this year of varying buy-ins.

As a roaming salesman who is single, Larson says life is good playing the game he loves.

“It’s just me a couple cats,” he laughs.

With his six-figure score, Larson has been frugal. His only purchase? A $10,000 watch.

“That’s it,” he says. “I haven’t done anything with it yet. I’m kind of saving for the summer, and going to spend quite a bit at the WSOP. I’m going to play probably 10 or 11 events.”

After a big summer of poker, Larson does have a few overseas vacations planned. Beyond the money, his Thunder Valley win also assured him a free entry into today’s Tournament of Champions. Despite the number of big-name pros in the field, Larson was ready for action.

“I’m excited,” he says. “It’s a big day and I’m just going to take it all in and let the chips fall where they may. No pressure. No strategy. I sit down and just let the game come to me. I have no aggressive or tight strategy, it all just kinds of depends who’s at my table.

“No fear. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

If you’re interested in becoming a WPT champion, you can play for your chance on ClubWPT.com. ClubWPT is where eligible VIP members can play for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, including seats to WPT events. No purchase is necessary for the ClubWPT sweepstakes and the service is void in states where prohibited. See terms and conditions at ClubWPT.com.