By Sean Chaffin
After logging in that Saturday in November, Corey Blomdahl (pictured) quickly realized he needed a few more points. A member of ClubWPT for three years, the 62-year-old retired electrician wanted to play in the big qualifier the next day with a shot at playing in a WPT Main Tour event. A sit and go offered his best shot at earning just enough to get in. He registered and won.
A day later, Blomdahl added another win – this time on an even bigger ClubWPT stage. He topped a field of almost 2,000 – parlaying that sit and go victory into an appearance in Day 1B of the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open.
“I had a pretty good run early and was chipping up,” he says. “At the midpoint of the tournament I was chip leader and then I went all the way down. We got to three tables and I was short stacked. I built it up and by the time the final table came around I was short stacked going into it.”
Blomdahl continued working and eventually found himself heads-up for a shot at a WPT entry. Facing a 3-to-1 chip disadvantage, he was able to come back and win – finishing off a massive two-day run at the online tables. A big Packers fan, the team was playing the San Diego Chargers that night and this recreational player had plans to watch the game at a friend’s house.
“I had to get this thing done,” he says. “It was 7 and the game started at 7:30. I had friends calling me and asking, ‘Where are you?’ I was so excited [when I won] I was just shaking. I was home alone and I was still cheering.”
The night didn’t end as well for the Packers. They lost but then went on a 6-1 run to close out the season to win their division and get in the playoffs. Despite the loss, Blomdahl was feeling good with a WPT entry secured.
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Blomdahl is a regular on the tournament scene around his hometown. He enjoys playing online on ClubWPT and figures he came out ahead about $500 in 2019. The site is the WPT’s sweepstakes poker platform and offers more than $100,000 in cash and prizes each month for subscribers.
“It’s just a place to improve your game without having to go to a live game,” he says. “Plus I can play anytime I want. I play pretty much every day on it.”
A recreational player since he was a teenager, Blomdahl has been playing more since retiring. This was his first WPT event but he came close several times on ClubWPT – finishing among the top 15 and top 30 a couple of times. After a friend won a qualifier, there was even more motivation to win a qualifier himself.
When not playing poker, Blomdahl enjoys working on cars and riding his motorcycle. He also likes to hike and be outdoors. But he admits much of his time revolves around playing poker. What’s his outlook and strategy for Day 1B at the Borgata?
“I’m a tight player to start out with so I’ll try to pick and choose spots,” says the father of two grown sons. “I don’t have an exact strategy. I was in Vegas last year and played the [WSOP] Colossus for three bullets. So I have some experience with some of the bigger fields, but never made it very deep.”
The stakes have been raised even more for ClubWPT qualifiers after the site recently announced a $1 million bonus for any qualifier who then also wins that event. He becomes the second player of 2020 with a shot at that cash and hoping for at least a sweat deep in the money.
“I’d like to already have the million bucks, but that doesn’t happen until you get to the end of the tournament,” he says laughing. “It’s a nice dream, but I’d be thrilled to cash.”
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.