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The first-ever $1,100 NorCal Poker Championship Main Event concluded at Graton Casino Resort with Nicholas Elder emerging as champion following a seven-way ICM deal at the final table. Elder secured a top prize of $47,205 from a field of 582 entries that generated a $567,450 prize pool.
Elder, originally from Minnesota, had recently relocated to the Sacramento area and stepped away from poker to focus on marriage and family life. He told PokerNews that establishing a stable home life gave him the confidence to return to the felt, calling his win proof that “he did some things right to earn it.”
A pivotal moment in Elder’s run came when he was all in and at risk against Victor Paredes, trailing badly with his hand dominated. A fortunate turn card paired his kicker, keeping him alive and shifting momentum in his favor.
Day 2 saw 74 players return, with notable names including Phil Hellmuth, Charles Himes, and Bradley Anderson eliminated early. The field thinned rapidly, dropping to 45 players by the first break and just 14 by dinner.
Action intensified after the dinner break as Walid Fahmy and Michael Persky were eliminated in quick succession, followed shortly by Rifki Yazid, Jeff Hoffman, and Don Ro, setting the final table in short order. Ryan Tuttle entered as chip leader, with Elder close behind in second.
After roughly 40 minutes of final table play, the remaining seven players agreed to pause the clock and negotiate a deal, officially crowning Elder as the tournament’s inaugural champion.
