Richard Malsam of Bismarck ND Wins the Monthly Nat'l Qualifier

By Dana Castaneda | Jan 26, 2026 3:58 PM

Richard Malsam Wins Swim With the Sharks Monthly National Qualifier

Congratulations to Richard Malsam (Fender) of Bismarck, ND, who outlasted a strong field of 216 players in the Monthly National Qualifier for the Swim With the Sharks promotion on January 25, 2026. Richard plays at Pub 21, and the Bismarck Amvets.

With the win, Richard earns his seat in the Swim With the Sharks National Championship Series along with a $500 Travel Rebate.

Top 5 Finishers – All Earn Seats

Each of the top five finishers has secured a coveted seat into the Swim With the Sharks National Championship Main Event, plus travel cash rebates

1st – Richard Malsam (Fender) of Bismarck, ND – +$500 Travel Rebate
2nd – Rob Baker (Acesnfaces32) Louisville KY – +$200 Travel Rebate
3rd – Justin Moore (Judd1231) Wauconda IL– +$200 Travel Rebate
4th – Vern Shasky (Targetman777) Detroit Lakes MN – +$100 Travel Rebate
5th – Junior Martinez (Arty1987) – +$100 Travel Rebate

Monthly Code Reminder

Players — remember that Monthly Codes are promotion-specific. Codes issued for previous promotions are expired and not valid for the Swim With the Sharks series.

Keep an Eye on the Lobby - Check the PlayFPN.online lobby for the next Monthly Nat’l Qualifier dates, and visit the Swim With the Sharks promotion page for complete details.

Already Qualified? Keep Playing!

Players who have already earned their seat in the National Championship can still build a 2X–4X Starting Chip Bonus (pre-Vegas) and pick up additional Travel Cash, so keep swimming.

How to Qualify

• The Top 20% of players in each Monthly Leaderboard earn an invite/ticket to any Monthly Nat’l Qualifier.
• Invitations are automatically issued around the 10th of each month, based on finalized results from the previous month.
• All tournaments for your league must be locked/finalized for invites to generate.
• If you believe you were missed, please submit a Support Ticket for review.

Thanks, and good luck in the next Swim With the Sharks qualifier! 🦈

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