John “Farmboy” Kurfman Poker Player Profile, Results & Career
John “Farmboy” Kurfman is an American tournament poker player with a live résumé that stretches back to 2009. A longtime competitor on regional and national tournament circuits, Kurfman has won titles on the Heartland Poker Tour and MSPT while building more than half a million dollars in recorded live tournament earnings.
His biggest breakthrough in recent years came in August 2025, when he won the MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship at Ameristar East Chicago. The victory gave Kurfman his first MSPT Main Event title and highlighted a 2025 season in which he also collected three MSPT Gold Cards.
As of August 18, 2026, Hendon Mob lists Kurfman with $555,203 in live tournament earnings and a career-best recorded cash of $91,324.
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Who Is John “Farmboy” Kurfman?
John Kurfman is an American poker player best known by the nickname “Farmboy.” His tournament history is concentrated primarily in No-Limit Hold’em, with results recorded across the Heartland Poker Tour, MSPT, World Series of Poker, WSOP Circuit, World Poker Tour, RunGood Poker Series and other live tournament festivals.
MSPT lists Kurfman’s location as Grove, Oklahoma, and identifies the United States as his country. Card Player lists Baylis, Illinois, as his hometown.
Kurfman has developed much of his poker résumé through the American regional tournament circuit. His career is notable for its longevity: his first major recorded victory came in 2009, while one of his largest accomplishments arrived more than 16 years later with his 2025 MSPT Indiana championship.
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John Kurfman’s Early Tournament Career
One of the defining results of Kurfman’s early career came in March 2009 at a Heartland Poker Tour event in Tama, Iowa.
Kurfman won the No-Limit Hold’em Main Event for $83,916, defeating Timothy Peters heads-up. The score became an early cornerstone of his tournament résumé and remained one of his largest recorded cashes for more than 16 years.
Kurfman continued appearing in tournaments throughout the Midwest after that victory, recording results on the Heartland Poker Tour and eventually adding significant finishes on the MSPT and WSOP Circuit.
His tournament history reflects a career built over many seasons rather than a short period of success.
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Building a Record on the MSPT
Kurfman became a familiar presence on the MSPT well before winning his first Main Event title.
In November 2015, he finished third in the MSPT Main Event at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells for $34,178. Two years later, he made another MSPT Main Event final table in Tama, Iowa, finishing fifth for $22,538.
Those performances established Kurfman as a regular contender on a tour that would eventually produce the largest recorded cash of his career.
According to MSPT’s current player database, Kurfman has recorded three Main Event top-10 finishes, 10 Main Event cashes, one Main Event victory and three Gold Cards.
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2025 MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship
Kurfman reached a new career milestone in August 2025 when he won the MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship at Ameristar East Chicago.
The $1,110 Main Event attracted 534 entries and generated a $516,480 prize pool. Kurfman advanced through the three-flight tournament and eventually reached heads-up play against Jason Mendoza.
Mendoza held the advantage during the heads-up match before Kurfman battled back. One of the pivotal hands saw Kurfman double with pocket queens against Mendoza’s ace-king. Kurfman later moved in front and ultimately closed out the championship.
MSPT’s current player database and Hendon Mob list Kurfman’s payout at $91,324, making it the largest recorded live cash of his career.
The victory also gave Kurfman his first MSPT Main Event championship.
The tournament was held at Ameristar East Chicago, one of the Midwest venues that has hosted major regional poker festivals.
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Three MSPT Gold Cards in 2025
Kurfman’s Indiana Main Event victory was part of a particularly successful stretch during the 2025 MSPT season.
In July, he won the $300 Ultimate Stack No-Limit Hold’em event at Riverside Casino in Iowa. MSPT records list the first-place payout at $10,129.
The Indiana Poker State Championship followed in August, adding another MSPT victory to his season.
Kurfman earned his third Gold Card in October at Potawatomi Casino in Wisconsin. He defeated a 322-entry field in the $300 Black Chip Bounty No-Limit Hold’em event and collected $10,738.
MSPT’s current records list Kurfman with three Gold Cards overall.
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Other Notable Poker Results
Kurfman’s tournament résumé extends beyond his HPT and MSPT victories.
His results include numerous final tables and deep runs across regional events. In 2018, he finished third in a $400 No-Limit Hold’em event at a WSOP Circuit stop in Cherokee for $12,719.
His career also includes World Series of Poker cashes and appearances in WPT events.
Rather than being associated exclusively with one tour, Kurfman has competed across a wide range of American live tournament series while maintaining particularly strong ties to Midwest events.
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John Kurfman’s Live Tournament Earnings
As of August 18, 2026, Hendon Mob lists John Kurfman with $555,203 in total live tournament earnings.
Hendon Mob lists his $91,324 score from the 2025 MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship as his largest live cash.
Tournament earnings figures can differ between databases because organizations may track different events or apply different reporting standards. Card Player, for example, lists a lower recorded career total.
For that reason, Kurfman’s earnings should be treated as a current snapshot rather than a permanent figure. His total can continue to increase as additional tournament results are recorded.
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Has John Kurfman Won a WSOP Bracelet or Circuit Ring?
Kurfman has not won a World Series of Poker bracelet or a WSOP Circuit ring.
As of August 2026, the official WSOP player database lists Kurfman with zero bracelets and zero Circuit rings.
He has nevertheless recorded numerous cashes in WSOP-branded competition, including World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuit events.
His WSOP record includes a cash in the $500 Colossus during the 2026 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Earlier in 2026, he also cashed in a $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em event at the WSOP Circuit stop in Cherokee.
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What Type of Poker Does John Kurfman Play?
Kurfman’s documented tournament résumé is dominated by No-Limit Hold’em.
Main Events, regional championship tournaments and No-Limit Hold’em side events account for most of his notable recorded results. His success across HPT and MSPT competition supports describing him as an experienced live tournament player.
There is not enough reliable public information to assign Kurfman a specific strategic label such as tight-aggressive or loose-aggressive. Describing his playing style more narrowly would require speculation.
His results provide a clearer picture: Kurfman has demonstrated an ability to compete successfully in live No-Limit Hold’em tournaments across different field sizes, buy-in levels and tournament series.
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John Kurfman’s Current Poker Status
Kurfman remains active in live tournament poker.
His recorded 2026 results include tournament cashes at the WSOP Circuit in Cherokee, the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and the MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship festival at Riverside Casino.
In July 2026, MSPT records show Kurfman cashing in two side events during the Iowa State Poker Championship, including a ninth-place finish in a $250 Monster Stack.
Those results continued a tournament career that now spans more than 17 years of recorded competition.
Players following the MSPT event Kurfman won in 2025 can also read the 2026 MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship Tournament Guide.
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Why John Kurfman Matters in Regional Tournament Poker
Kurfman’s tournament career demonstrates the longevity possible for a successful player on the American regional circuit.
His résumé includes a Heartland Poker Tour Main Event victory in 2009, multiple deep MSPT Main Event finishes, an MSPT state championship more than 16 years later and three MSPT Gold Cards.
He has also continued competing in WSOP, WSOP Circuit and other tournament series rather than limiting himself to a single tour.
For poker fans who follow Midwest tournament poker and traveling regional series, “Farmboy” has built a recognizable résumé through years of consistent live competition.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is John Kurfman’s nickname?
John Kurfman is commonly known in poker as “Farmboy.” MSPT uses the name John “Farmboy” Kurfman in its official player records and tournament coverage.
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Where is John Kurfman from?
MSPT lists Kurfman’s location as Grove, Oklahoma, while Card Player lists Baylis, Illinois, as his hometown. He represents the United States in tournament records.
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How much has John Kurfman won in live poker tournaments?
As of August 18, 2026, Hendon Mob lists John Kurfman with $555,203 in live tournament earnings. That figure can change as new tournament results are added.
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What is John Kurfman’s biggest poker cash?
Hendon Mob lists Kurfman’s largest live cash at $91,324 for winning the 2025 MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship.
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Has John Kurfman won an MSPT Main Event?
Yes. Kurfman won the 2025 MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship at Ameristar East Chicago for his first MSPT Main Event title.
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How many MSPT Gold Cards does John Kurfman have?
MSPT lists Kurfman with three Gold Cards as of August 2026.
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Did John Kurfman win a Heartland Poker Tour event?
Yes. Kurfman won the Heartland Poker Tour Main Event in Tama, Iowa, in 2009 for $83,916.
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Does John Kurfman have a WSOP bracelet?
No. The official WSOP player database lists Kurfman with zero WSOP bracelets as of August 2026.
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Does John Kurfman have a WSOP Circuit ring?
No. The official WSOP player database lists Kurfman with zero WSOP Circuit rings as of August 2026.
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Is John Kurfman still playing poker?
Yes. Kurfman has recorded live tournament cashes during 2026, including results at the WSOP Circuit, World Series of Poker and MSPT events.