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Mallory Klaus accomplished every low-stakes recreational player or grinder’s dream — hitting a life-changing score.

Not only did the Oklahoman who now lives in Texas secure a $211,745 cash for winning a $800 buy-in tournament. She did so in front of her friends and co-workers at Texas Card House Dallas, one of the top poker rooms in the Lone Star State.

Klaus, who spoke with PokerNews to discuss her win that “didn’t seem real,” has been a dealer with TCH Dallas, although her role with the poker club now is running the livestream and as an ambassador. She also promotes Poker Rx, a poker league in Oklahoma City. If that isn’t enough, the workhorse is an ambassador for the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS), and the VP of Marketing and Relations for 3Coin, a brand owned by Randy Sadler, a colorful character on Hustler Casino Live.

Made the Right Decision to Play

The popular poker player in the Dallas area beat out 1,943 players in the Title Event at TCH’s Trailblazer Tour earlier this month. She brought her Hendon Mob earnings from $12,000 to $224,000, and she wasn’t even going to play until she she arrived at the poker room and noticed there weren’t any cash game seats open because the tournament was taking up all the space.

It came as no surprise to those who know Klaus that she won a big tournament. Sadler, who credited the Trailblazer champion for playing a key role in the success of his business, said he was “not shocked” that she beat such a massive field.

“I’ve been trying to get her to do that. She’s the best player at any table,” the man known as “3Coin” on Hustler Casino Live said.

Klaus, who normally plays $1/$2 and $2/$5 cash games, isn’t sure exactly what she’ll do with the money outside of taking her son to Disney World and making a trip to Europe with her dad. But don’t expect her to take shots in major tournaments such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) outside of a couple small buy-in events, she said.

“I was on the right path before the tournament financially,” she said.

She has, however, taken a shot in the past and was fortunate, and thankful, it paid off. The recent poker champ said she “put my entire bankroll” of $5,000 on the table once in a $50/$100 mixed game at TCH only to fill a seat for a player who hadn’t shown up to play.

Klaus did an unintentional hit and run less than an hour after getting in the game when she hit a full house and tripled up in a hand. The player whose seat she was filling finally showed up, which gave her reason to leave the game, which was run by poker author and poker pro Greg Vail.

“I just considered it a tip,” she joked.

Don’t expect Klaus to take shots like that again any time soon. She admitted playing in that game was “irresponsible of me.”

“I was supposed to go down to play a tournament at The Lodge that weekend, and I had risked my entire bankroll in that game before going,” Klaus said of playing in the big game.

Passion for the Poker Room

Klaus takes a great sense of pride in not only working for and representing Texas Card House, but also playing in the Northern Texas card room.

“I mostly play at TCH just because I get x-amount of hours comped,” she said of just one of the many reasons she plays at TCH.

For those unaware of Texas poker laws and what she’s referring to about getting “hours comped,” collecting rake out of pots is illegal in Texas, although many rooms don’t seem to care. But Texas Card House, which operates six major rooms across the state, abides by the law and serves as a membership club. Players pay a membership fee and hourly seat fee to play, which typically costs a player less than if the room raked pots.

Hitting a six-figure score anywhere is nice. Doing it in front of a group of friends and co-workers who were cheering her on at the final table made it even sweeter.

“It was the perfect scenario, having all my friends and family there cheering me on,” Klaus said. “TCH is like a family."

Klaus considers herself “more of a recreational player.” But a couple more deep tournaments runs and she’ll have to accept the “pro” label.

*Feature image courtesy of Texas Card House/8131 Media.

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