RGPS Mississippi State Poker Championship: Amy Batson wins inaugural title after a seven-handed deal, Michael Holland takes the top prize.

On September 21, 2026, PokerNews reported that the inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship $400 Main Event had officially concluded. This tournament, held at the Horseshoe Tunica Casino in the United States, ultimately determined its winner in a manner different from traditional championship matches.

The final seven players reached an ICM prize agreement, with Michael Holland taking home the highest prize of $17,570. However, instead of determining the champion's trophy based on the number of chips, the seven agreed to a flip to decide who would take home the belt buckle trophy, the symbol of the champion's honor.

Ultimately, Amy Batson, who had only been playing poker for a little over a year, won the Flip, becoming the inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship Main Event champion.

According to the previously agreed ICM agreement, Batson actually received $9,394, while the top prize went to Holland.

After the seven-man ICM Deal, Amy Batson won the championship trophy.

The buy-in for this Main Event is $400.

When the competition reached its final seven players, the contestants decided to discuss a prize money agreement. Although a deal had been proposed when the Final Table was first formed, no consensus had been reached at that time.

It wasn't until Jesse Lott was eliminated in 8th place that the remaining seven officially agreed to distribute the prize money according to the ICM.

ICM (Independent Chip Model) is a model that estimates the prize equity of each player based on the number of chips they have and the remaining prize structure.

Under this agreement, Michael Holland is locked in with a maximum of $17,570, while Amy Batson receives $9,394.

After the prize money was distributed, the seven agreed to use a flip to determine who would win the championship and the trophy.

Batson ultimately won the match, taking home the inaugural belt buckle championship trophy.

Therefore, the winner of the championship trophy and the recipient of the highest prize money in this event are not the same person.

Mississippi State Poker Championship Final Prize Money Results

Note: The prize money for the top seven finishers comes from the ICM agreement. Although Amy Batson was ranked 6th on the official prize list, she won the subsequent Flip that determined the champion, and was therefore awarded the champion belt buckle trophy.

After her son entered university, Amy Batson began to get into poker.

Unlike many professional poker players who have spent years competing in live tournaments, Amy Batson has not been playing poker for very long.

She told PokerNews that she has only been playing poker for a little over a year.

When her son entered university, her family life entered a new phase, and she began to look for activities that could enrich her daily life.

It was during this period that poker entered her life.

Initially, Batson joined a local bar poker league called River Rat Rounders and gradually developed an interest in the game.

As her competition experience increased, she began to step out of her original league and participate in more external tournaments, gradually achieving results in live events.

She now holds the inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship Main Event title.

Batson: What attracts me most about poker is the connection between people.

In a post-match interview, Batson did not focus entirely on his card skills or the championship trophy.

She specifically mentioned that poker allowed her to meet a group of people from different backgrounds.

When she first started learning, other players were willing to patiently help her understand the rules and the game, which gradually helped her develop a sense of belonging to the poker community.

Batson said the group came from different economic backgrounds, professions, and life experiences, but everyone was willing to share their experiences and offer support.

For her, this community connection is a key reason why she continues to be involved in poker.

I admit I'm still learning to read cards, but I'm good at understanding people.

Despite having already won a Main Event title, Batson admitted that he still has a lot of poker knowledge to learn.

She said she is currently working hard to improve her basic abilities, such as reading community cards and judging the possible range of her opponents' hands.

However, she believes she has another advantage:

The ability to understand people and connect with them.

Batson believes he is able to observe others and understand the personalities and reactions of different players.

While she was still accumulating technical experience, she also tried to apply these interpersonal observation skills to the poker table.

Day 2 started with 15 quick eliminations, leaving Joyner in the lead with 27 players remaining.

Looking back at the final day of the Main Event, the elimination rate in the early stages of the competition was quite fast.

By the first break of Day 2, 15 players had been eliminated, including Andrea Hizer and Matt Vaughan, who were in the top ten and had made it to the final day.

Within the first four levels of the competition, the number of players on the field was reduced to 27.

William Joyner was still in the lead and was the only player to break the million-point mark.

Brandon Owens later joined the million-point club.

He faced Parker Williams again, this time holding AA against Williams' QQ. He successfully defended his pocket Aces, giving Owens an important pot.

Four consecutive bets appeared, Jason Simon initially won but then lost.

In the middle of Day 2, a rather rare four-story sequence also appeared.

Jason Simon first completed a quadruple in the game, successfully winning the pot.

But just over an hour later, he encountered four more, this time on the side that lost the pot.

Michael Holland completes the crucial hand:

Four J

Simon was eliminated.

Simon finished the race in 13th place.

In the same phase, Jason "Mayhem" Miller also hit three 10s on the turn, breaking Baruch Biniaminov's pocket Kings and causing the latter to be eliminated in 12th place.

Former chip leader Joyner was eliminated in 11th place, forming a nine-player final table.

As the tournament entered its final two tables, William Joyner, who had been leading Day 2, was unable to maintain his advantage.

He ran into Holland's AK in a crucial hand and was eliminated in 11th place.

Phillip Rix then ranked 10th, officially forming the nine-person Final Table.

From being the only player to break the million-chip mark early on the final day to being just two places away from the final table, Joyner became another player who experienced significant chip count fluctuations that day.

Owens eliminated Graham, Holland traded Lott.

After the nine-person Final Table was formed, the atmosphere of the competition became cautious for a time.

Anthony Graham first lost to Brandon Owens' AA in a crucial match, finishing in 9th place and earning $2,676.

About an hour later, Jesse Lott ran into Michael Holland's gourd again.

Lott ultimately achieved:

8th place, $3,393

With Lott eliminated, seven players remain on the field.

The previously unresolved prize money agreement was brought up again, and this time the seven players successfully reached a consensus.

After that, a special outcome occurred where the prize money was allocated by the ICM and the winner of the championship trophy was decided by a flip.

He competed wearing a crown and ultimately took home the champion's belt buckle.

Batson had another notable feature on Day 2: she wore a crown throughout the entire competition.

She explained that the crown is a way for her to express her confidence and strength.

Unexpectedly, the competition ended with her winning the championship.

From entering the final day wearing the crown to winning the flip that decided the championship, Batson ultimately left Horseshoe Tunica with the inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship belt buckle trophy.

The inaugural Mississippi State Main Event left behind a special champion story.

The final result of this $400 Main Event differed from the traditional method of determining the champion only after the final heads-up.

Michael Holland won $17,570 through a seven-person ICM Deal, becoming the highest-earning winner of the event.

Amy Batson won the Flip after the prize money was distributed, taking home the championship title and the belt buckle trophy.

For Batson, who has only been playing poker for a little over a year, this victory is not only a breakthrough in her individual tournament results, but also an important record in her journey from bar poker leagues to live tours.

The inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship concluded with seven deals, the top prize money, and the championship title going to different players, with Amy Batson becoming the first Main Event champion in the history of the event.

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