Earlier than he was successful tens of millions of {dollars} at varied poker stops, Chad Eveslage was a teen on slightly cow farm in southern Indiana who began enjoying the sport after seeing it on TV.
“I began enjoying in like eighth grade on-line, play cash and stuff like that,” stated Eveslage. “Type of similar to all people, I noticed WSOP on ESPN, just like the Moneymaker Increase form of deal, and like several good child in that age group, I simply did no matter was on ESPN. So I used to be like, alright this appears cool, I’m going to do that.”
Now 31, Eveslage finds himself on an unimaginable poker heater, successful his first World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and $1.4 million earlier this yr in a $25,000 Excessive Curler and occurring to win the record-breaking World Poker Tour (WPT) $10,400 5 Diamond World Poker Traditional for $1 million and his second WPT title.
A 3rd WPT title might be within the playing cards for Eveslage as he’s nonetheless alive on Day 3 of the WPT 2022 Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO) $3,500 Most important Occasion after ending Day 2 as one of many chip leaders.
Ought to he end in third place or higher, Eveslage would take the lead over Steven Buckner within the WPT Participant of the Yr race.
The 2-time WPT champ not too long ago spoke with PokerNews’ personal Chad Holloway on the PokerNews Podcast about his present upswing, poker background and the way he spent almost each waking second of the COVID-19 pandemic enjoying on-line poker.
Hearken to Chad Eveslage on the PokerNews Podcast!
Kicking Off Profession in Florida
After beginning off with play cash, Eveslage “did effectively” in poker and “began enjoying actual cash in highschool.”
“I simply have principally performed since,” he stated.
Eveslage left his hometown of Ramsey and moved to Florida to additional pursue poker, the place he would ultimately win a $25,500 Excessive Curler on the 2021 WPT Seminole Exhausting Rock Poker Showdown in Hollywood for $767,576. However earlier than that, he was primarily grinding juicy Florida money video games.
Chad Eveslage
“Indiana doesn’t actually have a lot so far as poker,” Eveslage stated. “Particularly after I simply moved down right here, Florida was actually popping. There (had been) a bunch of actually good money video games and stuff. And I didn’t actually need to stay in Vegas. So yeah, I simply ended up deciding on Florida. And I’ve some associates down right here, too. So it made sense.”
Eveslage, who has $6.7 million in stay earnings, in line with The Hendon Mob, ultimately shifted his focus to tournaments, noting that “money feels extra like work … There’s a lot extra to tournaments and it’s simpler to focus in tournaments as a result of there’s so many little issues that may sway selections and stuff.”
A Story of Two Heads-Up Opponents
Eveslage had his greatest profession second thus far this summer time on the 2022 WSOP when he gained seven figures and his first bracelet in Occasion #8: $25,000 Excessive Curler, the place prime names like Chris Brewer, Josh Arieh and 2021 Most important Occasion champ Koray Aldemir all adorned the ultimate desk.
Nevertheless it was Jake Schindler, who earlier within the yr was accused of dishonest by different high-stakes execs, who bought heads-up towards Eveslage in a battle that captivated all these in Bally’s. The great man gained as Eveslage bested a participant with whom he had some historical past.
“It felt type of like dreamlike. I gained each all-in, it was simply so enjoyable.”
“It felt nice. Jake and I really type of return a methods, as a result of after I moved right down to Florida initially, he was right here too,” stated Eveslage. “And we’ve performed so much collectively. He type of like moved out of Florida, moved to Vegas and bought actually huge (and) blew up. After which yeah, the extent of how badly he cheated continues to be type of unknown, however yeah, successful the match, it was surreal. It felt type of like dreamlike. I gained each all-in, it was simply so enjoyable.”
Chad Eveslage and Jake Schindler
The silent and scandal-embroiled Schindler was a far completely different heads-up opponent than Eveslage had at WPT 5 Diamond, the place he defeated Steven Buckner, a loud and eccentric Floridian who at the moment leads the WPT POY race.
“He’s like a cartoon character the place, I don’t know the place he finds the power, however for like 5 days straight he was simply yelling, ‘Yeah, let’s go, let’s go!'” stated Eveslage. “There was a $2/$5 desk that was yelling again at him as a result of he was so loud.”
“It was so enjoyable to only watch him yell and hoot and holler. There’s nobody like him.”
Steven Buckner and Chad Eveslage
Whereas each his huge scores this yr had been prestigious victories, Eveslage stated “the $25K bracelet in all probability means slightly extra, simply because it’s a troublesome subject and … it gave me much more confidence.”
“And yeah, it’s more cash, plus beating Jake was type of enjoyable.”
Combined Video games & On-line Poker
Regardless of successful two latest stay titles, Eveslage stated the vast majority of his quantity is put in on-line, the place he performs blended video games on non-public apps and massive Sunday tournaments.
“I’ve principally performed rather more on-line than stay,” he stated. “I imply, throughout COVID I performed day-after-day for like 16 hours.”
And whereas each of his latest stay victories had been of the no-limit Maintain’em selection, Eveslage wish to add a blended sport bracelet to his poker resume.
“Throughout COVID I performed day-after-day for like 16 hours.”
“I do take pleasure in combine,” he stated. “It’s bizarre, there’s a bunch of cool issues in combine that type of switch to no-limit. So if I get higher at restrict Maintain’em, I can type of get slightly bit higher at no-limit, too. There’s some switch ideas and stuff. However yeah, successful a blended bracelet can be enjoyable.”
Eveslage, who has made WSOP blended sport ultimate tables in H.O.R.S.E., Restrict Maintain’em and Omaha Hello-Lo 8 or Higher occasions, added that there’s a “little little bit of stress with a number of the blended group, and I’m type of coming in from the no-limit group, and so they undoubtedly need me to lose and I undoubtedly need to present them, and it’s type of enjoyable.”
“Combined gamers are a distinct bunch than no-limit gamers. They’re funnier, they’re extra complain-y, I don’t know … They’re simply completely different.”
“Working Very Good”
Whereas he is had a number of million-dollar scores this yr, Eveslage is not letting any of it get to his head.
“The credentials are good as a result of they provide some validation to folks outdoors the poker world,” he stated. “However the execs throughout the poker world know that it’s principally simply variance from the large tournaments. Over a very long time, certain, there will be some patterns, however this heater I’m on proper now, it’s not like the very best poker gamers on the earth are like, ‘Oh, Chad have to be tremendous sick.’ They notice it’s simply (that I am) operating superb.”
Chad Eveslage
The credentials are additionally good to indicate his mother and father, who he stated let him play poker when he was 16 and “in all probability took slightly warmth, in order that they undoubtedly wished me to win … simply because individuals are like ‘Oh, they let Chad play poker.’”
“I’m attempting to elucidate to my mother and father that I’m not simply going to maintain successful huge match after huge match,” he stated. “They’re similar to, ‘Oh, you’re going to do that yearly!’”
Excited about his monetary future, Eveslage, who famous that he “by no means bought into crypto an excessive amount of” however has “been type of it not too long ago simply because this FTX factor is so dramatic and entertaining,” stated he would not know if poker will at all times be his sole revenue.
“Downswings actually suck. I haven’t gone on one shortly, however I don’t need to be 50 years outdated and should undergo like a yearlong downswing. That doesn’t sound very enjoyable.”
Click on right here to see how Chad Eveslage is doing within the WPT RRPO!
Chad Eveslage on Day 2 of the WPT Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open.
*Photos courtesy of WPT/Drew Amato/Joe Giron.
