Rules
Always Fun Always Free
Poker League
Brainerd, Minn.
Upcoming Events
The LAST GAME of Season 8! Free Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament @ Freddy’s Sports Grill
December 15 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pmEighth Annual Tournament of Champions!
February 21, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Want to learn to play
Texas Hold’em?
Want to play with fun people?
Want to learn and play for FREE?
Come hang out with us every month and hone those skills!
Come hang out with us every month and hone those skills!
Our volunteer Dealers will help you along the way!
Download our app
Check-in, earn prizes, and see upcoming events!
Current 2025 "Tournament of Champions" Qualifiers:
Jonathan Flynn +1 (King of Carnival!)
John Cluever +1
Jennifer Richter +1
Tim (Aquaman) Bosch (D) +2
Jodi (Nodi) Pittman (D) +1
Matt Nelson
Tim Gorecki +1
Jason Thiesse +1
Ryan Churchill
Abe Mrosla +1
Kaitlin Sauer +3
Jack Quaal +1
Shawn Robin
Ron Beattie +1
Scott Larson +1
Falicia Flynn +2
Matt Squires +1
Jim Payne +4
Josh Beltran +3
Christy Tobin (D) +1
Crystal Nuijens (D) +1
Eric Popp
Tom Caughey
Bev Bosch (Queen of Carnival!) +2
Sherman Gibbons
Rick Anderson +5
Tricia Meyer +1
Gerrin Dehn
Chuck Anderson (D)
Lori “Doc” Olson (D) +3
Bobbi Thiesse (D)
Chad Scheer
Kelly “Weiner” Ikola
Brittany Fox +6
Scott Gutierrez (D) +2
Javin (J Money) Burkhalter +1
Shawn Pittman (D)
Mark Vilander
Tadina Ikola (D) +2
Craig Wenstrand +1
Al Wikstrom +2
Kevin Kleinschmidt (D) +2
Harvey Allen +1
Roger Oberg
Jared Klablo +6 (Mille Lacs winner)
Matt Jendro +1
Joanne (Bad Juju) Payne
Randy Pederson +2
Ryan Nelson +1
Beth Peters +1
Mike Ellis +2
Warren Haberman +1
Rick Sutton
Jesse Bosch +1
Jesse Hall
Robert Buersken
John Peters
Korie Britton +1
Tom Lyshoj
Mark Secora
Cheryl Olson (D) +1
Mike Rancour +1
Taylor Thierry
Heidi Erickson
Gregg Stroeing
Roger Britton (D) +1
Trevor Tobin +1
Cory Kaun +2
Cindy Occhino +1
Butch Rhoades +4
Bob Knutson
Joe Tabatt +1
Isaac Dowdey
Lance Zenke
Vickie Zell +1
Caleb Elder
Cindy Davis +2
John Peters
Cody Olson
Perry Erickson
Cole Cameron
Joe Palmer
Eli Olsen +1
Miles Weske
Gary Balsimo
Tracy Fox
Susan Olsen
Josh Ikola +1
Anthony Robinson +1
Kelly Sandberg
Christina Gamboa
Angela Wegener
Holly Kostohryz +1
Joe Palmer
Russ Jensen +1
Bridgette Robinson
Sara Gibbons +1
Sarah Cox
Gabrielle Gibbons
Travis Maras
James “Slim” Kaun
Jeff Elder
Don Williams (D)
Derek Sindelier +1
Duane Helfenstein
Chase Pratt
Amy Jendro +1
Jamers Speier
Mike Pitts
Marsha Johnson
Mary Williams
Patrick Kelly
Marcus “Costco”
John Cluever +1
Jennifer Richter +1
Tim (Aquaman) Bosch (D) +2
Jodi (Nodi) Pittman (D) +1
Matt Nelson
Tim Gorecki +1
Jason Thiesse +1
Ryan Churchill
Abe Mrosla +1
Kaitlin Sauer +3
Jack Quaal +1
Shawn Robin
Ron Beattie +1
Scott Larson +1
Falicia Flynn +2
Matt Squires +1
Jim Payne +4
Josh Beltran +3
Christy Tobin (D) +1
Crystal Nuijens (D) +1
Eric Popp
Tom Caughey
Bev Bosch (Queen of Carnival!) +2
Sherman Gibbons
Rick Anderson +5
Tricia Meyer +1
Gerrin Dehn
Chuck Anderson (D)
Lori “Doc” Olson (D) +3
Bobbi Thiesse (D)
Chad Scheer
Kelly “Weiner” Ikola
Brittany Fox +6
Scott Gutierrez (D) +2
Javin (J Money) Burkhalter +1
Shawn Pittman (D)
Mark Vilander
Tadina Ikola (D) +2
Craig Wenstrand +1
Al Wikstrom +2
Kevin Kleinschmidt (D) +2
Harvey Allen +1
Roger Oberg
Jared Klablo +6 (Mille Lacs winner)
Matt Jendro +1
Joanne (Bad Juju) Payne
Randy Pederson +2
Ryan Nelson +1
Beth Peters +1
Mike Ellis +2
Warren Haberman +1
Rick Sutton
Jesse Bosch +1
Jesse Hall
Robert Buersken
John Peters
Korie Britton +1
Tom Lyshoj
Mark Secora
Cheryl Olson (D) +1
Mike Rancour +1
Taylor Thierry
Heidi Erickson
Gregg Stroeing
Roger Britton (D) +1
Trevor Tobin +1
Cory Kaun +2
Cindy Occhino +1
Butch Rhoades +4
Bob Knutson
Joe Tabatt +1
Isaac Dowdey
Lance Zenke
Vickie Zell +1
Caleb Elder
Cindy Davis +2
John Peters
Cody Olson
Perry Erickson
Cole Cameron
Joe Palmer
Eli Olsen +1
Miles Weske
Gary Balsimo
Tracy Fox
Susan Olsen
Josh Ikola +1
Anthony Robinson +1
Kelly Sandberg
Christina Gamboa
Angela Wegener
Holly Kostohryz +1
Joe Palmer
Russ Jensen +1
Bridgette Robinson
Sara Gibbons +1
Sarah Cox
Gabrielle Gibbons
Travis Maras
James “Slim” Kaun
Jeff Elder
Don Williams (D)
Derek Sindelier +1
Duane Helfenstein
Chase Pratt
Amy Jendro +1
Jamers Speier
Mike Pitts
Marsha Johnson
Mary Williams
Patrick Kelly
Marcus “Costco”
First Out @ TOC 2025:
Matt Pederson
“Charmed” Guests:
Gene Davis
Cole Popp
Legacy (Tattoo):
Tadina Ikola (D)
Holly Rose (D)
Updated December 9, 2025
7th Annual "Tournament of Champions" Winners:
First Place: Ken Linn
Second Place: Sara Gibbons
Third Place: Mark Secora
Fourth Place: Butch Rhoades
Fifth Place: Holly Rose
Sixth Place: Shawn Robin
Seventh Place: Michele Meyers
Bubble to Final Table: Jodi Pittman
Previous "Tournament of Champions" First Place Winners:
Year One: Linnea Ann
Year Two: Don Williams
Year Three: Cole Cameron
Year Four: Ryan Nelson
Year Five: Brent Prueser
Year Six: Kevin Kleinschmidt
Year Seven: Ken Linn
The Creators
Shawn & Jodi Pittman
One Badass.
One Femme Fatale.
We’ll let you decide who’s who.
Don Williams
We can’t decide if he’s a better dealer or player.
Either way he’s a force to be reckoned with.
What a great turnout for our annual TOYS FOR KIDS TOY DRIVE!! Free Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament at Yesterday's Gone Bar and Grill! Over 100 players and over 300 toys will be donated to Toys For Kids Heartland Detachment Brainerd!! Thank you to all our players for being so generous to our community!! And thank you to Yesterday's Gone for opening up just for us!! Here are your winners:
🥇 : Marcus (winning a Minnesota Vikings oversized blanket by Central Minnesota Dermatology!)
🥈 : Warren Haberman (winning a gift certificate to YG’s!)
🥉 : Jesse Bosch (winning a gift certificate to YG’s!)
4th: Jim Payne (winning a gift certificate to YG’s!)
We have ONE GAME LEFT in Season 8! Come on out to our Free Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament at Freddy’s Sports Grill at Grandview Lodge to close out the season!! ... See MoreSee Less
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Looking for a UNIQUE Christmas gift for your Brainerd Lakes Area Poker League player!? We have a VERY limited supply of hats for sale!
💥 Each hat is $30 and available at any of our games until they are gone!
(If you need one before that, please send us a DM!) ... See MoreSee Less
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Come on out this Monday (Dec 8th!) to Yesterday's Gone for our annual TOYS FOR KIDS TOY DRIVE!! Free Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament at Yesterday's Gone Bar and Grill! to help support Toys For Kids Heartland Detachment Brainerd!!
Every UNWRAPPED toy you bring will get you an extra 1000 in chips! (Up to 4000 extra chips!)
BrainerdLakes WomenofToday will also be on hand selling raffles! (Buy a raffle ticket and get a rebuy usable for THIS NIGHT ONLY!)
Let’s make this a great night of taking care of our community!!
www.facebook.com/share/1J7htdhR5V/?mibextid=wwXIfr ... See MoreSee Less
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Argh Matey! Shiver me timbers! 😳
Have you seen this coin floating around at our poker tables?? There’s only ONE way to win it!
Our poker director, Shawn Pittman, rarely plays but when he does, he’s automatically a bounty! Taking him out awards you this pirate coin! ... See MoreSee Less
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What a great night of poker at the Pillager & Area Lion's Club for our Free Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament at Pillager Lions Club!! Eight full tables of great players and even some on the waitlist! (Come early to get those seats!)
As a plot twist, the Poker Director made every dealer a bounty! He coined it “Dealers Demise!” But the joke was on him as Scott G. (One of our beloved dealers) ended up winning the whole tournament, keeping his bounty prize AND collecting on another bounty as well! Here are your winners!
🥇 : Scott Gutierrez (winning two gift cards to Zorbaz on the Lake)!
🥈 : Patrick Kelly (winning two tickets to North of Nashville comedy at Taconite Canteen & Event Center!)
🥉 : Mary Williams (winning two tickets to North of Nashville comedy at Taconite Canteen & Event Center!)
4: Russ Jensen (winning a gift card to Super One Foods!)
5: Kaitlin Sauer (winning a gift card to Bricks!)
6: Marsha Johnson (winning two tickets to the Red Stool Comedy Show- Must Be 21 to Attend on Dec 13th!)
7: Butch Rhoades (winning two tickets to the Red Stool Comedy Show- Must Be 21 to Attend on Dec 13th!)
8: Mike Pitts (winning two tickets to the Red Stool Comedy Show- Must Be 21 to Attend on Dec 13th!)
Quads were hitting the board too! Tim Bosch won with quad queens for a Loco Espress Coffee House and Boutique gift card and Jim Payne won with quad aces to get a gift card donated by TJ Specialty Construction, LLC!
Thanks to all who came out on a cold night to play cards with us!
Join us next Monday for our TOYS FOR KIDS TOY DRIVE!! Free Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament at Yesterday's Gone Bar and Grill!! For Toys For Kids Heartland Detachment Brainerd!! Check out the details to find out how to get extra chips!! ... See MoreSee Less
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