March 13-16, 2026
Years since Robert Shuptrine's first cash, a third-place finish in a $230 tournament at the 2006 Reindeer Games in West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma.
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1ST
Robert Shuptrine
$142,758
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2ND
Christopher Stewart
$95,254
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3RD
Christy Cranford
$64,890
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4TH
John Reynolds
$45,153
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5TH
Antonio Delacruz
$32,110
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6TH
Stephen Ticsay
$23,347
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7TH
Trey Bartlett
$17,364
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8TH
Richard Gordon
$13,219
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9TH
William Rowlett
$10,305
What a way to come back into poker.
Robert Shuptrine said he’s been taking a break from poker for the last few years. In fact, his last recorded cash was nearly three years ago from the World Series of Poker in a $1,500 Badugi bracelet event. And before that, it had been even longer, since the WSOP Circuit Main Event at the Tulsa Hard Rock in 2019, where he placed 44th for $4,190.
“Kids,” Shuptrine explained why he hadn’t been playing. “Life. Family. Trying to get things squared away and my head in the right direction. Now I’m back at it.”
And his welcome back to poker couldn’t have been a bigger coming-out party. In fact, it came in the form of a WSOP Circuit Main Event victory at the Tulsa Hard Rock for $142,758.
Shuptrine explained that now that his son has gotten older, it’s time to come back out to the felt.
“He’s turned 13,” Shuptrine said of his son. “He’s got his own mind, and he’s his own self. He told me to go play, so I went and played.”
Rising to the occasion
The return to poker couldn’t have gone much more smoothly for Shuptrine. He started off the Tulsa Circuit getting 14th in the Pot-Limit Omaha Event for a small cash. He then continued on to finish his Day 1b flight 11th overall in chips of the final 55.
Over the course of his Day 2 run, Shuptrine pulled into the chiplead, thanks to a timely double through William Rowlette at the final table. He would go on to eliminate three of the final table players before play halted with four remaining.
And for him, it was all coming naturally thanks to a little help from his day job as a wholesale car salesman.
“It’s gambling!” he explained. “We wholesale about 100 cars a week. Buying cars is gambling. I’m buying cars to take them to another location, so we’re gambling that that car is going to make more money at the next location. It’s all gambling. We always compare everything to gambling. Just in a different form.”
And that gambling paid off as he steamrolled his way through his final three opponents. With big bets, big raises, and big calls, Shuptrine eliminated John Reynolds, Christy Cranford, and Christopher Stewart within the course of 2 hours before the first break even hit. And with that, he was able to quickly secure the win.
What’s next? More poker.
Shuptrine’s goals for poker are simple.
“Just make some money,” he said.
His plans include another poker trip out to Florida next month where he’ll play in another series.
“I already had it planned, even before this,” Shuptrine said with a smile.
