Flood,  an economics major with a 3.0 GPA,  placed in the top 100 in the 2004 College Poker Championship(CPC).  He returned in 2005 with the goal of placing in the top 10,  but with an additional year of poker preparation and conditioning,  Flood has now established himself as the World's Best College Poker Player.  He is determined to defend his title in 2006.  "I will definitely play in the College Poker Championship again next year,"  said Flood.  "The CPC is a lot of fun and as I've found,  an excellent way for students to earn scholarships in non-traditional sporting events."

The top finishers played extremely well.  They were able to quickly determine their positions and make sound decisions based on a solid understanding of the game.

Top Ten College Poker Championship finishers
(Rank, Name, School, Charity Donation)
1.  Chad Flood,  University of Minnesota - Twin Cities,  American Diabetes Association
2.  Patrick Coughlin,  Purdue University,  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
3.  Jordan Slabaugh,  Ohio State University - Columbus,  The First Tee
4.  Andrew Van Gilder,  California State University - Northridge,  Accounting Association,  California State Northridge
5.  Hunter Frey,  Texas State University - San Marcos,  St. Jude Hospital
6.  Will Culpepper,  Texas State University - San Marcos,  American Heart Association
7.  Bryan Steuer,  University of Delaware,  Tsunami Relief Organization
8.  David Bell,  Lane Community College,  Boy Scouts of America
9.  Gary Chan,  Polytechnic University - New York,  American Red Cross
10.  Justin Lowery,  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,  Humane Society

Campus Rivalry Challenge
Throughout the competition,  students also accrued points for their schools in the campus rivalry challenge.  Pennsylvania State University topped the charts, gaining recognition as the world's most competitive poker campus and earning the title of 2005 College Poker Champion.  The top ten schools:
1.  Pennsylvania State University
2.  University of Florida
3.  Florida State University
4.  University of Wisconsin
5.  University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
6.  Purdue University
7.  University of Illinois - Urbana
8.  University of Texas
9.  University of Central Florida
10.  University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

With the explosion of online poker and the success of 2004’s initial Annual College Poker ChampionshipTM it seemed natural to hold a another tournament where poker-playing students from all colleges could come together and test their skills against each other,  while competing for scholarships.  The tournament began in September and recently culminated in an online final that featured an incredible reversal of fortune and some dramatic hands before Chad Flood was crowned College Poker Champion 2004.

How Chad Flood Won It
To set the stage for the final confrontations,  at the final table,  pcoughli  (Patrick Coughlin)  took out Deathpooky.  IlPrincipe then took out Meteor and Chipacabra (David Bell).  Pcoughli then knocked out Stubbots,  IlPrincipe,  hemipowerswt, ajv174 and SlayerOSU  (Jordan Slaybaugh).

This set the stage for Chad Flood’s incredible comeback victory over Patrick Coughlin.  Heads-up play lasted 18 hands,  and when it began pcoughli (Patrick Coughlin)  had 81.4% of the chips  (557,560.48)  with Fluddy  (Chad Flood)  holding 18.6% of the chips (103,939.52).  Fluddy doubled up early with a pair of Queens.

The final crack in pcouchli's armor came when pcoughli slowplayed a pair of Aces and smooth-called on Fluddy’s big blind.  Fluddy,  who held 8d-2d,  would probably not have called even the most modest of raises from Patrick.  The flop was a miraculous 2h-8h-8s,  giving Fluddy an almost against-all-odds full house!  Coughlin bet 12,000 and Fluddy smooth-called.  In an amazing reversal of fortune,  the hunter became the hunted.  On the turn pcouchli bet 36,000 when the 6d fell,  and Fluddy smooth-called again.

The board probably looked safe enough to Patrick Coughlin;  on the turn it was 2h-8h-8s-6d,  although Flood did find enough of a hand to call Coughlin’s bet on the flop.  So he must have had something,  possibly a flush draw,  but pcoughli could not possibly think that there was a monster under the bed!

The river card was 4d,  which eliminated any possibility of a flush  --  which in Patrick’s estimation had to be his best guess as to why Flood had called his bet on the flop and turn.  Now pcouchli bet 48,000,  and without hesitation Chad Flood went all-in for 201,879.  When Patrick called,  he was eaten alive and was left with 137,742.

The final nail in Patrick Coughlin’s coffin was hammered in on this hand.

With the blinds at  $6,000-$12,000,  Fluddy was dealt Kd-6s and pcouchli 8c-6d. Flood raised the pot to 36,000 before the flop,  and Patrick Coughlin called. The flop was Ks-Kc-3c,  and Pcoughli chose the wrong time to bluff when he made an all-in bet of 101,742.

Chad Flood called instantly.  The rest was anticlimactic,  as 8d on the turn and a Td on the river brought Flood the 2nd Annual College Poker Championship, and title of the Best College Poker Player in the World.

He also won a $41,000 scholarship award,  and a $10,000 contribution to a charity of his choosing.

It was an amazing event.  Patrick Coughlin,  who did most of the work in KOing six of the final table competitors,  ran smack into buzzard’s luck when Flood flopped a full house with 8-2 against his pocket pair of Aces,  and flopped trip Kings on the final hand when Coughlin picked the wrong time to run a bluff.

College Poker Championship 2006 Summer Freerolls
The College Poker Championship is open to college students worldwide,  and no purchase is ever required to play.  CPC 2006 officially launches in September 2005,  and promises to be bigger and better than the first and second Annual College Poker ChampionshipTM events,  and players who register now for CPC 2006 are eligible to participate in the CPC 2006,  Early Bird Freerolls.

CPC is a free online tournament available to all registered college and university students worldwide.  The tournament provides an exciting and safe atmosphere for students to compete,  win scholarships and learn practical life lessons from playing Texas Holdem poker,  the hottest game in the world.  The 3rd annual College Poker Championship will officially launch in September 2005 with more students,  contests,  and scholarship giveaways than ever before.

Early-bird registration and weekly practice games are available now at www.collegepokerchampionship.com.  Details about the full tournament structure,  prize pool,  dates and times will be announced shortly.