Seat 7: Sam Barnhart (166,000)
Sam Barnhart is a 50-year old software analyst from Little Rock, Arkansas. Single with no children, Barnhart has been playing poker for over 15 years. How did he get so good? Simple, he chalks it up to experience. All of his hard work paid off back in February when Barnhart he outlast a field of 480 players to capture the Harrah’s Tunica Main Event title for $148,612.
In an interview with PokerNews, Barnhart explained how he came to play the Harrah’s Tunica Main Event, which ultimately led to him being at the final table here today: “It was the greatest experience and one of the freakiest stories. I had packed up, checked out of the hotel, was on my way home, and in a split moment decided to drop by the poker room, and Teresa [who works there] had a $180 satellite going. I had $300 left and decided to get into that, and ended up winning the single-table satellite. From there, I parlayed it in to where I am today.”
When asked how he felt about playing in the National Championship, Barnhart added: “That is an opportunity that is a part of any poker player’s dreams. Just like it is winning one of these rings. Yeah, maybe you’re going to be a little intimidated dealing with some of the top players that have had some extreme successes, but it’s an opportunity I think that any poker player would love to have.”