$200 WPT Passport
Day 1 Completed
2025 FPN Desert Dash-for-Cash National Championship
$200 WPT Passport
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2025 FPN Desert Dash-for-Cash National Championship
Buy-in
$200
Prize Pool
$5,000
Entries
89
Level
18
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
89
Players Left
1
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The 2025 Free Poker Network (FPN) Desert Dash-for-Cash National Championship is in swing at the Golden Nugget in North Las Vegas and saw a one-day tournament play out Thursday in the form of $200 WPT Passport. Craig Ashley of Office Bar in Illinois battled through the final table to win a $5,000 WPT passport, $200 in cash and entry into Sunday's Championship event.
The $200 WPT Passport, which awarded a $5,000 passport to any 2025 WPT stop, drew 89 entrants and offered $200 cash and Championship event entry to players who made the final table.
Less than a year ago, Ashley won the FPN 'Step in the Ring' National Championship for $12,500 in this same venue. It was a clash of champions as he defeated heads-up opponent Darren Sneed, who won last year's Tag Team event.
“I’m pretty excited," Ashley told PokerNews in a winner's interview. "I wasn’t even sure I was going to play it.”
2025 FPN WPT Qualifier Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize (In USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig Ashley | $5,000 WPT Passport + $200 + Championship Entry |
| 2 | Darren Sneed | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 3 | Jim Knight | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 4 | Barry Nelson | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 5 | Jeremy Anderson | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 6 | Russell Neil | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 7 | Justin Page | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 8 | Isaac Thompson | $200 + Championship Entry |
| 9 | Robin Stene | $200 + Championship Entry |
The final table included Barry Nelson, Jim Knight and Jeremy Anderson, who joked earlier in the event that he was the "rookie" as he nearly tripled through Ashley and two-time champion Joel Smith, who went out in 11th place near the final table bubble, the same place he finished when he bubbled last year's Championship event.
“They were great players," said Ashley. "They were fighting and making it tough.”
Ashley, who has cashed in two FPN Main events but is mainly a cash game player, had his friend Mike Mejia on the rail and the two will play in Saturday's Tag Team event.
FPN Action at the Nugget
Action kicked off at 5 p.m. local time in the Nugget ballroom. Jack Black was among the players to chip up early, but unfortunately for anyone hoping to play with the School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda and The Super Mario Bros. Movie star, it was a different guy.
The tournament played quickly with 20-minute levels and reached the final table in a matter of hours. There were two all-ins on the money bubble and Steve Schreiner, whose 91-year-old dad and Tag Team partner was there to give out "Wow Girl" rocks, was the unfortunate bubble boy as Anderson doubled up at the other table.
Robin Stene was the first to go at the final table as Isaac Thompson hit runner-runner two pair, but Thompson was next to go after running a suited ace into the pocket kings of Barry Nelson.
Justin Page, Anderson, and Russell Neil were the next three eliminations as stacks got shorter. Nelson and Jim Knight followed suit before a short stack battle between Sneed and Ashley that saw the latter pulling ahead.
PokerNews will also be covering Saturday's Tag Team Championship and Sunday's Desert Dash-For-Cash Championship Main Event, where participants will spar for a piece of the $100,000 cash prize and $10,000 in Mystery Bounties. Both events will include live-stream coverage available to watch on YouTube.
Stay tuned as PokerNews will be back on-site at the Golden Nugget tomorrow for continued coverage of the Free Poker Network action.
*Photos courtesy Free Poker Network
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Darren Sneed was all in for his short stack against Craig Ashley.
Darren Sneed: K?J? 
Craig Ashley: A?4?
Sneed couldn't pull ahead as the board ran out Q?9?3?2?A? to pair Ashley's ace on the river and mark Sneed's elimination in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,900,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Craig Ashley opened on the button and Darren Sneed three-bet jammed in the small blind. Darren Sneed called off for less in the big blind and Ashley called to put both players at risk.
Jim Knight: 9?3?
Darren Sneed: A?7?
Craig Ashley: A?6?
Sneed had the lead and the flop landed 7?A?4? to give him a lock on the hand as the board finished out J?Q? to mark Knight's elimination.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
800,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 18
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Craig Ashley earned a double through Jim Knight right before break and Darren Sneed then doubled through Ashley in one of the first hands after break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
900,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
600,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
200,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
Level: 18
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Level 17
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
The remaining three players have been sent on another 10-minute break.
Level 17
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Jim Knight open-jammed in the small blind and Barry Nelson called off in the big blind.
Barry Nelson: J?2?
Jim Knight: 10?9?
Nelson was ahead but couldn't stay that way as the board ran out 7?9?2?3?10? to mark his fourth-place elimination.
Shortly after, Darren Sneed doubled through Knight as his fours pipped the threes of Knight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 17
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Craig Ashley was all in from the small blind against Darren Sneed in the big blind.
Craig Ashley: 10?7?
Darren Sneed: 9?5?
Ashley took the lead on the flop of 8?10?6? and stayed ahead for a double as the board finished out 3?A?.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
300,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
250,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
Level: 17
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 60,000
