TARGET 2025
A reboot of the TARGET tournament is planned for Sunday, June 15, 2025, starting at 12 noon.
Patrick Milligan has talked to Ken Kubey and Kevan Garrett about rebooting TARGET. They have given him permission to try a new approach to TARGET.
Rather than hosting TARGET at a Las Vegas casino, we are going to host it in Patrick’s Henderson home. The tournament will be run in a similar fashion to the past two PeterBARGE events. For you NorCal BARGErs, this is similar to Patrick’s old YACHT series of tournaments.
We have enough space and chips for a three table tournament. We will be limiting the maximum number of players to 27. Our tables are 10-handed, but one seat is needed at each table for our dedicated dealer.
Eileen Milligan will serve as tournament director. Patrick will serve as one of the dealers. Ideally, we will be about to recruit two more BARGErs to assist with dealing for the other two tables.
We have selected Sunday, June 15th as the date. This is on the Sunday before the WSOP $1000 Seniors event on Monday, June 16th. Start time is 12 Noon.
The event will be held at Patrick’s new home in Henderson. Close of escrow will be end of May. They have their old home in Henderson as a backup. The address will be provided to those attending.
We are not planning on taking advance payments. The buy-in will be $200. For every 5 entries, there will be a $1000 ticket awarded. If we have 27 players, we will be awarding 5 tickets plus $400 in the left over money for the sixth place finisher.
We would like to know what the interest level will be for such an event. You can reply to Patrick directly at patrick@oakleaf-designs.com, or send email to targetpoker2025@gmail.com. We will be making periodic updates to the TARGET list and the new TARGET web page.
What is TARGET?
TARGET is The Annual Rec.Gambling Entry Tournament. It is a satellite into the World Series of Poker. Created by Ken Kubey in 1994, it is the second oldest Rec.Gambling live event (after BARGE, which began in 1991.)
TARGET Details
No-limit Hold’em tournament format (see below for structure.)
$200 entry fee (100% goes towards the prize pool.)
Each winner gets $1000 which must be used to enter a WSoP event or single table satellite(s) or Super satellite(s). There will be one prize awarded for every 5 entrants to TARGET.
Miracle clause #1:
If the winner wins the TARGET event, they must then play in a WSoP event.
Miracle clause #2:
If the winner wins any money at the WSoP using their win from TARGET, they will pay a total of 15% of their winnings to all of the other entrants in the original TARGET tournament. (If you win $1,000,000, you pay $150,000 total to the other players.) The winner must identify which WSoP tournament they are entering before that tournament starts. All TARGET participants are responsible for their own tax liabilities.
Miracle clause #3:
If the winner wins more than $10,000 in a WSoP event with a entry fee of less than $10,000, $10,000 of those winnings may be used to enter the WSoP $10,000 Championship with the TARGET players retaining a 15% stake. TARGET players also get 15% of the money not used to enter the main event.
Rules
- No deals are allowed involving the $1000 prize(s)‑we play until we have winners.
- Deals involving the other prizes are allowed.
- There may also be cash prizes besides the $1000 prizes, depending on the number of players.
- If the winner enters a Super satellite and does not use up all of the money in a losing effort, they may keep the lesser of $300 or half of the remaining money. The rest will carry over for the prize pool of TARGET 2026. This gives the winner incentive to try to win and to not waste the last $200- $400.
- If the winner wins his way into the $10,000 main event through satellites, they may keep any remaining money from the original $1000, but the group retains 15% of the winners action in the main event.
- If the winner chooses to add in their own $1000 to play in a $2000 event, they are then obligated to pay back 7.5% of their winnings instead of the usual 15%. If they add $2000 to play in a $3000 event, then it’s 5%.
More Rules!
- No smoking or vaping inside the Milligan’s home.
- No headphones.
TARGET Tournament Structure
We will be using the structure that has been used in the past. With a full set of 27 players, we expect the tournament to be over in 5 hours or so.
The starting stack will be T3000. This is a upgrade from past events that used T2000.
Levels are 30 minutes.
| Level | Blinds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 25–50 |
| 2 | 50–100 |
| Break for 5 minutes | |
| 3 | 100–200 |
| 4 | 150–300 |
| 5 | 200–400 |
| 6 | 300–600 |
| Break for 5 minutes | |
| 7 | 500–1000 |
| 8 | 800–1600 |
| 9 | 1200–2400 |
| 10 | 2000–4000 |
| 11 | 4000–8000 |
Past TARGET Champions
| 1994 | Roy Hashimoto | $1010 winner |
| 1995 | Ed Fernandez | $1010 winner |
| Mike Zimmers | $920 winner | |
| 1996 | Jeff Siegal | $1010 winner |
| JP Massar | $1010 winner | |
| Michael Buck | $1010 winner | |
| 1997 | Jeff Siegal | $1010 winner |
| Clark Olson | $1010 winner | |
| Rob Fagen | $1010 winner | |
| Ray DiDonato | $1010 winner | |
| 1998 | Jeff Siegal | $2070 winner |
| Lee Jones | $2070 winner | |
| 1999 | Patti Beadles | $2500 winner |
| Russell Rosenblum | $1010 winner | |
| 2000 | Rob Sadowski | $2070 winner |
| Bill Chen | $2070 winner | |
| Lee Jones | $1010 winner | |
| 2001 | Ray Klann | $2100 winner |
| Eric Holtman | $2100 winner | |
| 2002 | Steve Daniel | $2000 winner |
| Ming Lee | $2000 winner | |
| 2003 | Jeff Siegal | $2000 winner |
| 2004 | Andy Latto | $1500 winner |
| Chuck Weinstock | $1500 winner | |
| 2005 | Mark Rafn | $1500 winner |
| Paul Martino | $1500 winner | |
| Bryan Matindale | $1500 winner | |
| 2006 | DNP | |
| 2007 | Barbara Garrett | $1500 winner |
| Marc Ferguson | $1500 winner | |
| Ken Kubey | $1500 winner | |
| 2008 | Marc Ferguson | $1500 winner |
| Patti Beadles | $1500 winner | |
| 2009 | Ken Kubey | $1500 winner |
| Bob Jones | $1500 winner | |
| 2010 | Kevan Garrett | $1000 winner |
| Ben Imsdahl | $1000 winner | |
| Ken Kubey | $1000 winner | |
| 2011 | DNP | |
| 2012 | George Wattman | $1000 winner |
| Jeff Deitch | $1000 winner | |
| Patti Beadles | $1000 winner | |
| 2013 | Sharon Goldman | $1000 winner |
| Rich Bremer | $1000 winner | |
| Patrick Milligan | $1000 winner | |
| 2014 | Linda Lewis | $1000 winner |
| Paul Stine | $1000 winner | |
| Ming Lee | $1000 winner | |
| Joe Long | $1000 winner | |
| 2015 | DNP | |
| 2016 | Russ Fox | $1000 winner |
| Chris Mecklin | $1000 winner | |
| Bill Chen | $1000 winner | |
| Kevan Garrett | $1000 winner | |
| 2017 | Russ Fox | $1000 winner |
| Jim Anderson | $1000 winner | |
| Corey Imsdahl | $1000 winner | |
| 2018 | Russ Fox | $1000 winner |
| Patrick Milligan | $1000 winner | |
| Paul Stine | $1000 winner | |
| Kevan Garrett | $1000 winner |
Other money winners:
| year | player | won |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Derek McClain | $240 |
| Bill Goldman | $50 | |
| 1996 | Mike Chow | $540 |
| Ken Kubey | $90 | |
| 1997 | David Aronson | $100 |
| John Murphy | $90 | |
| 1998 | Oliver Juang | $500 |
| Chris Colby | $320 | |
| Ken Kubey | $200 | |
| 1998 | Bruce Kramer | $60 |
| 1999 | Bruce Kramer | $350 |
| Lee Jones | $210 | |
| 2000 | Paul Stine | $500 |
| Chuck Weinstock | $290 | |
| Tom Gorman | $40 | |
| 2001 | Tom Goodwin | $599 |
| Charles Haynes | $550 | |
| Peter Secor | $500 | |
| 2001 | Jeff Okamoto | $401 |
| Rob Sadowski | $300 | |
| Kevan Garrett | $200 | |
| 2002 | Russ Fox | $500 |
| Marc Matz | $350 | |
| Barry Tenenbaum | $100 | |
| 2003 | Sabyl Cohen | $599 |
| Russ Fox | $350 | |
| Jim Geary | $285 | |
| 2003 | Steve Landrum | $225 |
| Ross Poppel | $60 | |
| 2004 | Jerry Gerner | $500 |
| Peter Secor | $305 | |
| Charles Haynes | $80 | |
| 2005 | None | |
| 2006 | DNP | |
| 2007 | Rod Chavez | $100 |
| 2008 | Dan Sammartino | $260 |
| Kevan Garrett | $70 | |
| 2009 | Len Marciano | $500 |
| Steve Nissman | $350 | |
| Aaron Lion | $225 | |
| 2009 | Russ Fox | $60 |
| 2010 | Rich Strauss | $425 |
| Rod Chavez | $90 | |
| 2011 | DNP | |
| 2012 | Arthur Goltz | $350 |
| Ken Kubey | $230 | |
| Russ Fox | $50 | |
| 2013 | Rob Fagen | $380 |
| Russ Fox | $330 | |
| 2014 | Kenny Shei | $210 |
| Arhtur Goltz | $75 | |
| 2015 | DNP | |
| 2016 | Barry Kornspan | $390 |
| Pete Segal | $90 | |
| 2017 | Paul McMullin | $400 |
| 2018 | Ken Kubey | $92 |
All-time TARGET money list thru 2018
| 1. | Jeff Siegal | $6090 |
| 2. | Patti Beadles | $5080 |
| 3. | Ken Kubey | $4612 |
| 4. | Russ Fox | $4290 |
| 5. | Lee Jones | $3290 |
| 6. | Kevan Garrett | $3270 |
| 7. | Bill Chen | $3070 |
| 8. | Marc Ferguson | $3000 |
| 8. | Ming Lee | $3000 |
| 10. | Paul Stine | $2500 |
| 11. | Rob Sadowski | $2370 |
| 12. | Ray Klann | $2100 |
| 12. | Eric Holtman | $2100 |
| 14. | Steve Daniel | $2000 |
| 14. | Patrick Milligan | $2000 |
| 16. | Chuck Weinstock | $1790 |
| 17. | Andy Latto | $1500 |
| 17. | Paul Martino | $1500 |
| 17. | Mark Rafn | $1500 |
| 17. | Bryan Matindale | $1500 |
| 17. | Barbara Garrett | $1500 |
| 22. | Rob Fagen | $1390 |
| 23. | Roy Hashimoto | $1010 |
| 23. | Ed Fernandez | $1010 |
| 23. | JP Massar | $1010 |
| 23. | Michael Buck | $1010 |
| 23. | Clark Olson | $1010 |
| 23. | Ray DiDonato | $1010 |
| 23. | Russell Rosenblum | $1010 |
| 30. | Ben Imsdahl | $1000 |
| 30. | George Wattman | $1000 |
| 30. | Jeff Deitch | $1000 |
| 30. | Sharon Goldman | $1000 |
| 30. | Rich Bremer | $1000 |
| 30. | Joe Long | $1000 |
| 30. | Linda Lewis | $1000 |
| 30. | Chris Mecklin | $1000 |
| 30. | Jim Anderson | $1000 |
| 30. | Corey Imsdahl | $1000 |
| 40. | Mike Zimmers | $920 |
| 41. | Peter Secor | $805 |
| 42. | Charles Haynes | $630 |
| 43. | Tom Goodwin | $599 |
| 43. | Sabyl Cohen | $599 |
| 45. | Mike Chow | $540 |
| 46. | Oliver Juang | $500 |
| 46. | Jerry Gerner | $500 |
| 46. | Len Marciano | $500 |
| 49. | Rich Strauss | $425 |
| 49. | Arthur Goltz | $425 |
| 51. | Bruce Kramer | $410 |
| 52. | Jeff Okamoto | $401 |
| 53. | Paul McMullin | $400 |
| 55. | Barry Kornspan | $390 |
| 55. | Marc Matz | $350 |
| 55. | Steve Nissman | $350 |
| 57. | Chris Colby | $320 |
| 58. | Jim Geary | $285 |
| 59. | Dan Sammartino | $260 |
| 60. | Derek McClain | $240 |
| 61. | Stephen Landrum | $225 |
| 61. | Aaron Lion | $225 |
| 63. | Kenny Shei | $210 |
| 64. | Rod Chavez | $190 |
| 65. | David Aronson | $100 |
| 65. | Barry Tenenbaum | $100 |
| 67. | John Murphy | $90 |
| 68. | Pete Segal | $90 |
| 69. | Ross Poppel | $60 |
| 70. | Bill Goldman | $50 |
| 71. | Tom Gorman | $40 |
| Total | $83551 |
TARGET History
TARGET was founded in 1994 by Ken Kubey. Named by Lee Jones: The Annual Rec.Gambling Entry Tournament (TARGET). This event is the 2nd oldest live RG event.
In Ken’s own words: “I had heard about the WSOP as early as 1975. I never thought that I would put up $10,000 myself, but I did think that someday I could play in a tournament with all of my friends and we could send one player into the WSOP. Little did I know…”
The original idea was to win $1010 and play in a single table satellite to get into the $10,000 WSOP Championship. We also gave the TARGET winner the option of playing in super satellites. Rob Fagen came very close to winning a seat in a super. J.P. Massar also came close in a single table satellite.
In 1998, we decided to up the prize money to allow the winners of TARGET to directly enter a $2000 or $2500 WSOP event. Jack McClelland was the tournament director for TARGET in 1998.
In 1999 and 2000 we held TARGET at the Sahara with Keith Bronson as the tournament director.
In 2001 through 2005, TARGET was held at the Mirage with Richard White as the tournament director.
There was no TARGET event in 2006 due to the WSOP being so close to BARGE.
In 2007 and 2008 we were back at the Mirage with Chris Dozen as the TD.
In 2009, Ernest Webber was the TD.
In 2010, Mark Gershoff was the TD.
There was no TARGET event in 2011.
In 2012, Mark Gershoff was the TD.
In 2013, Kevan Garrett took over as temporary TARGET organizer. TARGET was held at Binion’s.
In 2014 we were back at the Mirage with Mark Gershoff as the TD.
There was no TARGET event in 2015.
In 2016 we were back at the Mirage with Mark Gershoff as the TD.
In 2017, Kevan again ran TARGET at the Mirage.
In 2018, Kubey was back to run TARGET.
Barbara Garrett became the first TARGET winner to cash in a WSOP event with TARGET funds. She won $3888 in a 2007 $1500 NLH event and returned $583 to the TARGET group. We each got $20 back. The remainder was rolled into the 2008 prize pool.
Ken Kubey followed up Barbara’s success by making the money in a 2009 $1500 NLH event. Kubey cashed for $2988 and returned $448 to the TARGET group. Players again got $20 back with the remainder going to charity. Several players sent their shares to charity and some told Kubey to keep the $20. Thanks guys.
Ken Kubey again cashed in a $1000 NLH event in 2010 for $2847 returning $427 to the TARGET group. Players got $21 back. Again several players sent their shares to charity and some told Kubey to keep the $21. Thanks again.
Dan Goldman (playing for Sharon Goldman) added $500 of his own money to play in a $1500 event in 2013. Team Goldman cashed for $2778 and returned $278 to the TARGET group. Players got back $25 each.
Kevan Garrett played in the Seniors event in 2016 and had his first WSOP cash for $1615. Players got back $10 each from Kevan.
Bill Chen played in a $10,000 LHE event in 2016 adding $9000 of his own money. TARGET had 1.5% of Bill. He cashed for $49,304. Players got back $30 each from Bill.
Corey Imsdahl played in the Seniors event in 2017 and finished in 527th place for $1993. Players got back $19(rounded to $20) from Corey.
Paul Stine played in the Seniors event in 2018 and finished in 154th place for $4344. Players got back $30 from Paul.
TARGET WSOP Cashes
- Barbara Garrett 220th of 2998 in Event #3, $1500 NLH, June 2nd, 2007. $3888.
- Ken Kubey 184th of 2638 in Event #28, $1500 NLH, June 13th, 2009. $2988.
- Ken Kubey 143rd of 3042 in Event #13, $1000 NLH, June 5th, 2010. $2847.
- Dan Goldman 226th of 2541 in event #60, $1500 NLH, June 28th, 2013. $2778. TARGET group had 10% of Dan’s action.
- Kevin Garrett 600th of 4499 in event #27, $1000 Sen NLH, June 17th, 2016. $1615
- Bill Chen 6th of 110 in event #28, $10,000 LH, June 18th, 2016. $49,304. TARGET group had 1.5% of Bill’s action.
- Corey Imsdahl 527th of 5389 in event #31, $1000 Sen NLH, June 16th, 2017. $1993
- Paul Stine 154th of 5918 in event #32, $1000 Sen NLH, June 15th, 2018. $4344.
Though the satellites have pretty much gone the way of the VHS tape, TARGET has spawned its own group of satellite tournament where players put up $30 or $40 to try to win their way into TARGET. There was even a $6 entry satellite to one of those satellites. Imagine running $6 into $10,000,000 :-)
| Date | Site | Players | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/07/1994 | Luxor | 9 | $130 |
| 05/13/1995 | Binion’s | 19 | $130 |
| 05/11/1996 | Binion’s | 30 | $130 |
| 05/10/1997 | Binion’s | 35 | $130 |
| 04/18/1998 | Binion’s | 36 | $150 |
| 05/01/1999 | Sahara | 30 | $150 |
| 04/29/2000 | Sahara | 33 | $200 |
| 04/21/2001 | Mirage | 39 | $200 |
| 04/20/2002 | Mirage | 28 | $200 |
| 04/18/2003 | Mirage | 20 | $200 |
| 04/29/2004 | Mirage | 22 | $200 |
| 06/03/2005 | Mirage | 26 | $200 |
| 06/01/2007 | Mirage | 28 | $200 |
| 06/13/2008 | Mirage | 20 | $200 |
| 06/12/2009 | Mirage | 24 | $200 |
| 06/04/2010 | Mirage | 21 | $200 |
| 06/22/2012 | Mirage | 23 | $200 |
| 06/15/2013 | Binion’s | 21 | $200 |
| 06/05/2014 | Mirage | 24 | $200 |
| 06/16/2016 | Mirage | 25 | $200 |
| 06/15/2017 | Mirage | 25 | $217 |
| 06/14/2018 | Mirage | 23 | $200 |