Amy Batson is the inaugural champion of the Mississippi State Poker Championship after one of the most unusual finishes you will see at a final table — a seven-way ICM chop followed by a flip for the belt buckle, which the one-year poker veteran won.
- Amy Batson won the inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship $400 Main Event at Horseshoe Tunica.
- The final seven players struck an ICM chop, then flipped for the title, the belt buckle and the winner's photo.
- Michael Holland banked the biggest payday of the chop at $17,570.
- Batson took $9,394 from the deal — and the champion's honours from the flip.
- She has been playing poker for just over a year, having started in a bar league.
A Chop, Then a Flip for the Buckle
Every title has to be decided somehow, and at Horseshoe Tunica Casino the seven remaining players chose to do it their own way. With the Mississippi State Poker Championship $400 Main Event down to the last table, the group negotiated an ICM chop that carved up the prize pool according to chip counts rather than playing it out to the bitter end.
That deal handed Michael Holland the largest single payday of the tournament, $17,570, with Brandon Owens ($15,162) and Jason Miller ($12,120) next in line. But the money was only half the story. The belt buckle, the champion's title and the winner's photo were not part of the arithmetic — so all seven finalists agreed to settle those with a flip.
Batson won it. Sixth on the official payout sheet by chip count, she walked away as the first name ever engraved on the Mississippi State Poker Championship honour roll.
From Bar League to State Champion in One Year
What makes the story better is how new Batson is to all of this. She picked the game up just over a year ago, after her son left for university, and found her footing in her local bar league, the River Rat Rounders, before stepping up to tournament poker.
"They were super gracious and patient with me. I have found such a beautiful community of super diverse, amazing people from all walks of life."
— Amy Batson
Ask her where her edge comes from and she does not reach for solver charts or preflop ranges. Batson believes her strength is in reading the person across the felt rather than the cards in front of her.
"I see people, and I understand people and the human connection."
— Amy Batson
She also brought a prop to the party. Batson wore a crown throughout Day 2 as a personal symbol of empowerment — and by the end of the day it turned out to be well chosen.
Mississippi State Poker Championship Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Holland | $17,570* |
| 2 | Brandon Owens | $15,162* |
| 3 | Jason Miller | $12,120* |
| 4 | Jeff Manley | $11,305* |
| 5 | Bill Onley | $10,547* |
| 6 | Amy Batson (champion) | $9,394* |
| 7 | Melinda Freeman | $8,777* |
| 8 | Jesse Lott | $3,393 |
| 9 | Anthony Graham | $2,676 |
* Denotes a seven-way ICM chop.
Chop or no chop, the record book only has room for one name — and for the first Mississippi State Poker Championship, that name is Amy Batson.
