Life sciences professor wins Wisconsin's largest poker tournament

Season 8 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) kicked off in early January with a $350 Regional Event at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It proved to me a massive affair as 1,228 entries (291 on Day 1a; 410 Day 1b; and 527 Day 1c) packed the ballroom over three starting flights.

That surpassed July's field of 1,169 entrants to make it the largest poker tournament in Wisconsin state history. After four days of play, 32-year-old Craig Trost, a professional in the life sciences field, emerged victorious to capture the title and a $63,252 first-place prize.

"I ran like Usain Bolt," Trost quipped after the win. Prior to this weekend, Trost had just two documented cashes. The first came in 2014 when he finished 291st in the World Series of Poker Monster Stack for $6,368, and in 2015 he placed sixth in the inaugural MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship for $21,289.

Trost, who is a respected member of the online Madison Poker Community, is now the winner of the biggest poker tournament ever held in Wisconsin.