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| Reno Hilton |
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The Reno Hilton's Steve Fierro (center) presents the third-place check to Chicago television producer/handicapper/host Joe Kristufek (left) and partner Tom Walsh.
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The Reno Hilton kicked off an ambitious 2003 tournament schedule with it's first of three planned handicapping events, the Reno Hilton Winter Challenge, on Feb. 6-8. The winner of the $82,500 Winter Challenge was Tim Hunt of Rohnert Park, Calif., who took home first-prize of $43,000 and qualified for NHC V thanks to his win over a field of 55 players.
The format of the three-day tournament featured tournament bracket-style competition. Hunt advanced through his first two four-person brackets on Thursday and Friday and then cemented his victory in Saturday's Final Four bracket, where he defeated former DRF/NTRA Handicapper of the Year Judy Wagner and two other contenders.
The event cost $1,500 to enter, but, with only 55 entrants, offered a stellar 13 3/4:1 ratio of entrants to NHC qualifiers with its top four finishers all earning berths to next January's DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship V.
The Winter Challenge's runner-up was Frank Purkart from Bishop, Calif., who earned second-prize of $17,000. Joe Kristufek and partner Tom Walsh of Chicago, Ill. finished third and earned $8,500 between them. Purkart and Kristufek, who is the handicapper and turf writer for the Daily Herald newspaper based in Arlington Heights, Ill., both earned qualifying berths into NHC V, as did veteran tournament player Mike Labriola of Richmond, Calif., who finished fourth. Labriola earned $4,100, and will be making his third National Handicapping Championship finals appearance.
Wagner, the NHC II champion, finished sixth and earned $1,650 in prize money.
The Reno Hilton's next tournament will be the Reno Hilton Summer Showdown scheduled for June 20-21. The property also plans another yet-to-be-announced contest for late summer or early fall.
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