By Matt Clark
David Larson’s path to winning the WPT Rolling Thunder event almost never took the first step. The outdoor sporting equipment salesman is a familiar face in the Thunder Valley Casino Resort poker room. Larson took his shot at playing satellites starting at $100 in the hope of qualifying for the WPT event at his home casino.
The San Jose, California, local came breathtakingly close to winning a seat in a satellite only to have it taken away at the last moment.
A total of 23 players earned a seat and Larson was 24th. The “bubble boy.” He took home $2,000 but was one spot short in his quest to play in a World Poker Tour event.
Larson calls the bubble the “best thing that ever happened to me hindsight.”
Perseverance paid off for Larson as he is the newest member of the WPT Champions Club.
“It was a whole comedy of things that went wrong,” Larson recalled. “We were a couple from the money and I had quite a few chips. It was devastating, no doubt about it. It bothered me. I wanted to get the seat, I’m not made of money. It was hard to take. At the last minute, I went to the ATM and grabbed the money and bought in.”
The $3,500 entry fee to play WPT Rolling Thunder is the largest buy-in ever played by Larson. December 2017’s $2,500 WPTDeepStacks Championship was the last shot for Larson and he ended up cashing in the event.
Larson credits a fearless playing style that was on display at the live streamed final table. Starting as the short stack with six left, Larson was content with the $56,417 he had locked up. Everything managed to fall into place for Larson, though, and he is $295,128 richer for his victory.
The final table included pros D.J. Alexander, Joe McKeehen, and Ian Steinman. Larson says he’s learned from the top players who he’s played with and the observations paid off.
“On Day 1, I had Brian Altman on my left but I ran well against him,” Larson told WPT.com. “I’ve gotten better at the game by being more aggressive. I learn by watching the pros. They’re at the final table for a reason. They’re there because they’re doing what they’re supposed to do. It’s not just because they’re catching cards.”
Larson played well and caught a few cards on his way to victory.
Larson doubled up against McKeehen on the second hand of the final table and continued to climb from there. One of the pros that Larson had to face wound up falling against him. Alexander’s elimination in sixth place confirmed Larson was a contender to be reckoned with.
While other players fell around him, Larson stayed out of trouble and made his move three-handed. Larson doubled up against and then eliminated McKeehen in third place. With only Steinman left to face, Larson liked his chances in heads-up play.
“I’m glad me and Ian got it over quick,” Larson said.
The recreational player says the “sky’s the limit” for what comes next in his career.
“I’ll continue to play the $1,100s, the $1,675s, and buy-in into the occasional $5,000 tournament,” Larson added. “I’m ready for the next step.”
Season XVI’s trend of players emerging from relative obscurity to take down the most prestigious titles in poker continues with Larson. Coming into the WPT Rolling Thunder event, Larson owned a modest $30,000 in earnings.
Now, Larson gets another chance to play against the best at the WPT Tournament of Champions at ARIA in May.
For more on Larson’s victory, check out the final table recap for WPT Rolling Thunder.
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