Former Dairy Farmer ‘Milkman’ Eyeing Another Deep WSOP Main Event Run

When he wasn’t milking cows on his family dairy farm in Windsor, Texas, Mason Vieth was playing poker at the nearest casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

“I grew up milking the cows and playing poker at WinStar World Casino,” the former dairy farmer told PokerNews. “I would stay up all night playing poker, then go milk them, then go back. Three days in a row most of the time. No sleep.”

Those hard-earned poker chops are now paying off for Vieth, better known as “Milkman,” — as embroidered on his royal blue cap —who is one of 533 players who advanced to Day 5 of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

PokerNews caught up with Vieth during a break on Day 4 as he chased his first bracelet and life-changing money in an event that will award $10 million.

Cream of the Crop

In some ways, growing up on a dairy farm prepared Vieth for a life of poker. He noted that dairy and other agricultural industries are volatile in a way that is familiar to all tournament poker players.

“Dairy business is always kind of tough. You grind and you work all day … it’s a tough business and you’re always working … There’s rewards sometimes, but it’s up and down just like poker.”

Today won’t be Vieth’s first Day 5 in the WSOP Main Event. In 2023, he snuck into Day 6 with 149 players remaining before finishing in 140th place for $67,700, a then career-best that he topped in 2025 with a runner-up finish in the WPT Choctaw Championship for $220,000.

All said, Vieth has $1 million in Hendon Mob earnings. He’d win that same amount with a final table finish in the event that has an $85 million prize pool.

While Vieth acknowledged “the money would be great,” he said the best part of making an “August Nine” run would be “having my friends and family out here, coming out to Vegas.” And being on ESPN wouldn’t be bad, either.

“I grew up watching it. So (it being on ESPN again is) another cool aspect to this tournament.”

And Vieth believes he would have the Lone Star State behind him.

“Texas poker would be rooting for me.”

Don’t Have a Cow, Man

According to the WSOP LIVE app, Vieth entered Day 5 with a stack of 1,550,000, putting him just outside the top 100.

If Vieth’s opponent’s find him a difficultly aggressive player to deal with today, they can thank high-stakes pro Martin Zamani, who Vieth played with on Day 4 and who he picked up a thing or two from.

“He was playing every hand. So I’m just trying to be like him at my table.”

“Milkman” left the dairy business two years ago, but he hasn’t forgotten about the cows.

“We’ve still got Red Angus and wagyu cattle,” he noted. “I started a beef company and we’re selling directly to consumer now.”

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for three Global Poker Awards for his writing.