Gil Kamstra DON McDERMOTT / PVT Richard Richie, from Huntington Beach, Calif., won the $110,585 Pahrump Nugget Free Roll No-Limit Hold'em Poker Championship Saturday, earning a payoff of $7,632. In the money The Pahrump Nugget Free Roll No-Limit Texas Hold-em Poker championship tournament, played Saturday. There were 13 players in the money. Entries: 39 Total Chip Count: 259,000. Prize pool: $32,585. Cashing in: 1. Rich Richie, Huntington Beach, Calif., $7,632 2. Gil Kamstra, Salem, Ore. ,$6,474 3. Russ Eleogram, Pahrump, $5,316 4. Richard Deutch, Pahrump, $2,358 5 through 13 received $1,000 each. They were Jim Gianino, Rollie Batayola, Dave Von Alst, Rusty Rivas, Bob Black, Jackie Polansky, Noy Patac, Tony Fisher, and Nicole Nygren. Advertisement

Before the tournament began, Rich Richie was told, "You were the last man in ... you could be the last man standing."

And that forecast became reality six hours later, when the Huntington Beach, Calif., resident won the Pahrump Nugget Free Roll No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship, earning -- after a series of deals among the final 13 players -- $7,632 out of a $32,585 prize pool.

Second was Gil Kamstra, a visitor from Salem, Ore., who pocketed $6,474.

The final hand was a thriller. The blinds were $4,000 and $8,000 with $2,000 antes.

While Richie had pocket queens, Kamstra had 8-9 when he decided to go all in with the rest of his $35,000 in chips.

The flop came 8-9-blank and it appeared the Oregonian had the edge. But a jack fell on the turn and a 10 on the river to give Richie a queen-high straight and the victory.

"Last man in ... last man standing ... it came true," said Richie, who had won the final weekly qualifying tournament April 18. "I've won more playing cash games, but this is the most I've won in a tournament."

Russ Eleogram, a veteran tournament poker player who has cashed in the World Series of Poker and the prestigious Orleans Open, was third and earned $5,316. Fourth was Richard Deutch, a finish worth $2,358.

About 90 minutes before the finish, Deutch was the chip leader with $95,000, while Richie was last at $34,500. An all-in move with his final $18,000 proved fruitful, when he doubled up against Eleogram; Richie was practically unbeatable down the stretch as he claimed the win.

The final table (10 players) included two women -- Nicole Nygren and Jackie Polansky. Each earned $1,000, as did Jim Gianino, Rollie Batayola, Dave Von Alst, Rusty Rivas, Bob Black, Noy Patac and Tony Fisher.

The original top four payoffs were supposed to be $12,000, $9,000, $6,000 and $3,000, but 13 players agreed to split the money so that each would be guaranteed at least $1,000. Those deals affected the actual winnings of the final four players.

The championship tournament concluded a series of 52 weekly qualifiers that paid $1,500 each. Those tournaments boosted the final value of the Nugget-sponsored championship to $110,585.