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NATION'S #1 POKER TOURJUNE 2017
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 3
President and Publisher Bryan Mileski [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief Chad Holloway [email protected]
Art Director Carolyn Borgen [email protected]
Advertising Information [email protected]
Story Ideas [email protected]
Our MissionMSPT Magazine is a monthly magazine dedicated to serving poker players and gaming facilities through MSPT news, results, tour-nament schedules, player profiles and professional tips. Coupled with our website, msptpoker.com, we are the Nation's #1 Poker Tour.
Mid-States Poker Tour Lakeville, MN 612-743-9847
Mid-States Poker Tour is published on or near the first of each month. All claims or guarantees are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. All comments and views of contributing writers are their own and do not reflect official policy of Mid-States Pok-er Tour which assumes no liability for any advertisement not supplied camera ready by the advertiser. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written consent from the publisher and Copyright owners is prohibited.
Vol. 2/No. 6
Letter from the Editor
GETTING OUT AND ABOUT ON THE MSPTBY CHAD HOLLOWAY
While we wish everyone who plays a MSPT event could experience the thrill of making a final table, the hard truth is that many players bust and find themselves with free time on their hands. Fortunately, our host properties have plenty of options to keep you busy including cash games, table games and slots, and lots of dining options like Running Aces’ trout experience.
However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t encourage you to take advantage of being somewhere new when traveling for a MSPT. The poker tournament may be the main reason you’re there, but if you happen to find yourself with some leisure time—preferably from making it through on Day 1A and having Saturday off—you should consider getting out and seeing some of the sites.
At our Grand Falls stop just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Falls Park is just a 15-minute drive from the casino. The public park is cut in half by the Big Sioux River, and the waterfalls are definitely worth checking it out. Likewise, our stop at Potawatomi Casino is right in downtown Milwaukee. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch a Brewers game at Miller Park, pose with the “Bronze Fonz” on the Riverwalk, or experience a brewery tour.
Whether it’s an attraction, restaurant, or nature offering, there’s always something to do at each of our stops. If you do get out and about, be sure to snap a pic and share it with us on Twitter @msptpoker.
Falls Park - Sioux Falls, SD
PAGE 4 Mid-States Poker Tour JUNE 2017
MSPTPOKER.COM
Mark Wadekamper
Event Recap
MARK WADEKAMPER WINS LARGEST MAJOR POKER TOURNAMENT IN MINNESOTA HISTORY; TAKES DOWN MSPT CANTERBURY FOR $110,220!BY MSPT POKER STAFF
The MSPT’s 13th Main Event at Canterbury Park in Sha-
kopee, Minnesota drew 475 entrants, which made it
the largest ever held at the venue surpassing the 470
entrants from December 2015. After two long days of play,
56-year-old business development manager Mark Wadekam-
per emerged victorious to capture a $110,220 first-place prize.
Not only that, he managed to stop reigning champ Jon Kim,
who back in December topped a field of 464 entrants to win
the MSPT Canterbury Park for $107,659, from a title defense
by besting him in heads-up play.
“I was not expecting to win, I was just happy to cash,”
said Wadekamper. “There were a lot of good players in this
tournament, a lot of former MSPT champs. I was just happy
to cash. I didn’t think there was a possibility I’d win until the
last hand.”
Prior to the win, Wadekamper’s previous best cash was
$9,600 for finishing fifth in the 2009 Heartland Poker Tour
Walker Main Event. As for what he’ll do with the money
Wadekamper, who is married with three grown kids—two of
whom play poker—he’s got a plan.
“I’ll pay taxes and probably help pay my daughter’s student
loans,” he said.
Among those to play the tournament but fail to make Day
2 were 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Greg
Raymer; 2016 MSPT Iowa State Poker Champ John Sun;
Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer Mike Schneider; and MSPT
Pros Blake Bohn and Matt Kirby.
Day 2 saw 89 players return to action, but with only 45 slated
to get paid nearly half the field would leave empty handed.
Among them were Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer Tony
Hartmann, MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year Rich Alsup,
and former Canterbury Park champ Dan “DQ” Hendrickson,
just to name a few.
After MSPT Pro Matt Alexander exited as the bubble boy in
46th place – the result of running pocket deuces into queens –
the in-the-money bust outs came quick. They included former
champs Jason Sell (35th - $2,756) and Mark Sandness (31st -
$2,756); professional footballer Bernando Anor (24th - $3,444);
Day 1B chip leader Mike Ross (20th - $3,444); and three-time
MSPT champ Carl Carodenuto (14th - $5,970), who won two of
his titles in back-to-back events at Canterbury Park.
At the final table, two-time champ Peixin Liu, who won
the Season 5 MSPT Canterbury Park for $106,483, was the
first to fall after running queens into the aces of Joe Maas
on the fourth hand of play. Five hands later, Nathan Boyer,
who earned his first MSPT cash, followed him out the door
after getting his short stack in with king-jack and failing to
get there against George Shabatura’s ace-queen.
On Hand #24, with the blinds at 25,000/50,000/5,000, a 5♦8♠9♥ flop saw Maas jam with a double gutter holding the J♦7♦ and
start-of-the-day chip leader Loki Abboud called with the
5♥8♥ for two pair. Neither the 9♣ turn nor 4♣ river help Maas,
and he exited in eighth place for $12,170, his first MSPT cash.
The next elimination didn’t occur until Hand #55 in Level
29 (40,000/80,000/10,000) when Nes Coburn jammed the hijack
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 5
MSPTPOKER.COM
Canterbury Park
Final Table
Canterbury Park CasinoBuy-in: $1,100 ♣ 475 Entrants
Place Name City, State Prize1 Mark Wadekamper Lonsdale, MN $110,220
2 Jonathan Kim Minneapolis, MN $66,593
3 George Shabatura Plymouth, MN $43,399
4 Loki Abboud Mendota Heights, MN $30,081
5 Bryan Andrews Wauwatosa, WI $22,963
6 Paul Eidem Eden Prairie, MN $17,681
7 Nesbitt Coburn Minneapolis, MN $14,696
8 Joe Maas Edina, MN $12,170
9 Nathan Boyer Star Prairie, WI $10,287
10 Peixin Liu Blaine, MN $7,807
for 725,000 holding the 5♦3♠ and Loki called from the small
blind with the A♦Q♣. The board ran out 8♦10♠Q♦6♦8♥ and
Coburn was out in seventh place.
Two hands later, Paul Eidem lost a flip with ace-seven to
Bryan Andrews’ pocket queens, and then on Hand #72, with
the blinds at 50,000/100,000/10,000, Loki busted Andrews. It
happened when Andrews, a PLO player from Wisconsin,
moved all in for 380,000 from the cutoff holding the 5♣4♣ and
Loki called with the K♠10♥ on the button. The board ran out
6♥J♠A♠10♣Q♦ and Loki scored his third elimination of the
final table.
Loki seemed to have the tournament in hand, but his luck
soon turned after he slow played pocket kings and ended up
losing a 4.6-million pot after Wadekamper hit a two outer on
the river. Not long after, Loki got his leftover chips in with
seven-deuce offsuit and was finished off by Wadekamper’s
pocket eights. With that, Loki bowed out in fifth place
after finishing sixth in last December’s Season 7 finale at
Canterbury Park.
“I was surprised,” Wadekamper said when asked about the
miracle two outer. “I was expecting to be done, to go cash out
and get something to eat. That was a big one.”
Wadekamper and Shabatura then got it in on a 6♣10♠4♣ flop
with the former’s 10♣3♦ behind the latter’s 10♦8♣. The J♦ turn
was of no consequence, but the 3♥ river was as Wadekamper
spiked another river to send Shabatura out in third place, his
best-ever MSPT finish.
Wadekamper began heads-up play with 8.4 million in
chips to the defending champ’s 1.1 million, and it didn’t
take long for things to come to a head. In what would be the
final hand of the tournament, which took place in Level 31
(60,000/120,000/20,0000, Kim shoved for 1.5 million holding the
A♦2♣ and Wadekamper woke up with J♣J♥. The board ran
out Q♣7♣9♣8♠3♥ and Kim came up one spot shy of defending
his title, though he did receive a $66,593 consolation prize.
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JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 9
MSPTPOKER.COM
Final Table
2♥5♦8♠3♠6♦ and it was all over.
Bender now has four MSPT Regional cashes, all of which
are final tables!
Among the 45 players to cash the event were Minnesota pro
Aaron Johnson (41st - $619), 2017 South Dakota State Poker
Champion Ryan Skluzak (32nd - $743), four-time World Series
of Poker Circuit ring winner Mark Fink (22nd - $929), start-of-
the-day chip leader Brian Wika (19th - $929), and “Wild” Bill
Romer (15th - $1,611).
The MPST will return to Grand Falls Casino August 19-27
for our annual $1,100 buy-in, $150,000 guaranteed Main Event.
Event Recap
TRAVIS GANT WINS GRAND FALLS CASINO’S FIRST-EVER MSPT $350 REGIONAL EVENT FOR $29,782BY MSPT POKER STAFF
The first
ever MSPT
$350 Re-
gional Event
held at Grand
Falls Casino in
Larchwood, Iowa,
which is just out-
side Sioux Falls,
South Dakota,
drew 426 entries
over three start-
ing flights. On Day
2, the surviving 71
players returned
to play down to a
winner, and in the
end, it was Travis
Gant of Geddes,
South Dakota
who walked away
with a $29,782 first-place prize.
“It feels pretty awesome,” said Gant, a father to a five-year-
old daughter. “I came in to today short and had to spin it up
right away. I got back in the game, made a few hands, and got
to the final table. Hands went my way and here we are. It’s
been a long time coming, I’m really happy. I’ve been grinding
online before they shut us down. I saw a lot of hands before
I got this break.”
The win marked Gant’s first MSPT cash. Prior to the score,
he had $18,162 in tournament earnings including $8,700
for finishing fifth in the 2017 South Dakota State Poker
Championship in early April.
“The tournament was run fantastic,” said Gant, who helps
his family ranch and plays baseball on the side. “From the
dealers on down, everybody was on top of everything. It was
smooth. As far as Grand Falls goes, it’s a great place to play.”
Gant came back from a 4-1 chip deficit in heads-up
play against Jason Bender. In what would be the final
hand of the tournament, which took place in Level 32
(80,000/160,000/20,000), Bender got his stack of 3.5 million
all in preflop holding the A♥10♥ against the A♣K♥ of Gant,
who was sitting with roughly 5 million. The board ran out
Travis Grant
Buy-in: $350 ♣ 426 Entrants
Place Name City, State Prize1 Travis Gant Geddes, SD $29,782
2 Jason Bender Keota, IA $17,975
3 Darren Eide Moorehead, MN $11,741
4 Curtis Vierstraete Wahpeton, ND $8,119
5 Ken Pates Brooklyn Park, MN $6,198
6 John Cap Scotland, SD $4,772
7 Mark Steffen Hot Springs, SD $3,966
8 Paul Skjerseth Fargo, ND $3,285
9 David Swanholm Fargo, ND $2,776
10 Dan Dykhouse Sioux Falls, SD $2,107
Grand Falls Casino
I-94 to Exit 104 | 11177 Michigan Avenue | Battle Creek, MI 49014Must be 21 or older. Schedule subject to change. Management reserves all rights.
G E T R E A D Y. G E T S E T .
GET READY TO MEET THE CHAMPION
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MAIN EVENT WINNER!MAY 21 • MIKE S.
$216,829
OVER $1 MILLION PRIZE POOLBIGGEST TOURNAMENT IN MICHIGAN HISTORY
BIGGEST MID-STATE TOURNAMENT OUTSIDE VEGAS
CLIENT
FireKeepers Casino Hotel
PROJECT
June MSPT Mag
JOB NO.
FK-29095
COLOR
4/c
SIZE
8.375” x 10.75”
BLEED
.25
FK-29095_June_MSPT_Mag_8.375x10.75.indd 1 5/23/17 2:59 PM
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 11
MSPTPOKER.COM
I-94 to Exit 104 | 11177 Michigan Avenue | Battle Creek, MI 49014Must be 21 or older. Schedule subject to change. Management reserves all rights.
G E T R E A D Y. G E T S E T .
GET READY TO MEET THE CHAMPION
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MAIN EVENT WINNER!MAY 21 • MIKE S.
$216,829
OVER $1 MILLION PRIZE POOLBIGGEST TOURNAMENT IN MICHIGAN HISTORY
BIGGEST MID-STATE TOURNAMENT OUTSIDE VEGAS
CLIENT
FireKeepers Casino Hotel
PROJECT
June MSPT Mag
JOB NO.
FK-29095
COLOR
4/c
SIZE
8.375” x 10.75”
BLEED
.25
FK-29095_June_MSPT_Mag_8.375x10.75.indd 1 5/23/17 2:59 PM
Player Profile
FROM STAND-UP COMEDY TO JEOPARDY! MSPT REGULAR JEFF GRIMES DOES IT ALLBY MSPT POKER STAFF
Jeff Grimes, born October 27, 1963, is a familiar face on
the MSPT where he’s amassed three Main Event cashes,
one final table, and a Regional cash for $47,421 in earn-
ings. The vast majority of that came in Season 3 when he fin-
ished runner-up to Michael Reynolds in the MSPT Meskwaki.
Four years ago, Grimes left his job as a newspaper
publisher to manage rental properties, which include a
mobile home park, storage rental facility, and a number of
duplexes. The former newspaperman has also taught school,
dabbles in stand-up comedy under the stage name Bubba
Kincaid, and has even appeared on Jeopardy!
We caught up with Grimes to learn a bit
MSPT: When and how did you learn to play poker? Grimes: I've always been interested in game theory and
competitive mind games. Like many folks my age I started
playing dealer’s choice in the kitchen with family for nickel
and dimes. We had a bunch of pecan trees on our property
and I had an uncle who would pay me a penny a pecan, so
when I went bust I would go out, sometimes with a flashlight
at night, and gather 200-300 so I could rebuy.
I played competitive chess since the Bobby Fischer craze
and was top 100 for my age group throughout most of my
childhood. I peaked with a correspondence chess master
certificate from the U.S. Chess Federation in 2004. Gave up
competitive chess shortly afterwards because I was over 40,
too old for the game and chess computers were taking over.
Played fantasy sports since it went national in mid 80s.
Won USA national football titles in 1987 and 1989. Gave that
up about 1995. when I got interest in competitive trivia. I am
a two-time Jeopardy! champ from 1998. I also am a six-time
champ on the now cancelled Game Show Network program
Inquisition.
Do you envision being in poker for a while or do you have other plans for the future?
Grimes: I am just here to have fun. Enjoy the game, the
friends I make and the travel. Hopefully I can continue to
do this for a long time. As far as being a pro, I don't have the
desire, mentality nor ability to live that life.
What are some of your poker goals?Grimes: Enjoy myself and as I hashtag about 90% of
my tweets #rungoodinlife. Enjoying life is so much more
important than a poker win. Oftentimes if I am on the road
Sony Television
Bill Donald
and get eliminated
early, I will go see
a local sports team,
a local concert, or
hit a comedy club
for an open mic
night.
Tell us about your stand-up comedy career. How did you get involved in that world and how does it work?
Grimes: Calling
it a career is an
overstatement. It
is a hobby much
like poker. I was
looking for another
fun diversion
that gave me an
opportunity to
perform. I work
maybe twice a
month almost
exclusively at free
open mic nights
and have a blast.
I have performed
in eight states and
have shared the
stage with a few
name performers,
but I don't want to name drop. The stand-up world is similar
to the poker world. You have a bunch of smart and talented
young adults trying to make it. Making a big crowd laugh is
better than a big score at the cash table. Bombing is just as
bad as that son of a gun hitting a two outer on the bubble.
The one thing I would like to do in the next few years is to
be able to do a 15-20-minute set to a poker audience. Those
who have played with me know I am constantly making jokes
at the table. I would love to combine all of that into a show.
Jeff Grimes
Jeff Grimes as Bubba Kincaid
PAGE 12 Mid-States Poker Tour JUNE 2017
MSPTPOKER.COM
To say the MSPT’s ninth visit to FireKeepers Casino
in Battle Creek, Michigan was a big one would be
an understatement.
Not only did May’s event attract 1,066 entries, which
surpassed last October’s MSPT field of 884 to make it the
largest poker tournament in Michigan history, it also
awarded over $1 million in prizes to players. Pretty amazing
considering four years ago only 272 runners played in the
inaugural event.
After a long weekend of play in what was the MSPT’s
largest-ever event held outside Las Vegas, Indiana’s Mike
Shanahan, a 49-year-old attorney, emerged victorious to
capture a $216,829 first-place prize.
“I’ve been knocking on the door for a couple years, and
this is the best I ever played,” Shanahan said after the win.
“I’m elated. This was fun. There’s nothing like going deep in
a tournament and finishing it off. All the guys back home are
following me. We play cash games at the Knights of Columbus
and also at the Moose Lodge. A bunch of good players.”
The win was by far the biggest cash of Shanahan’s poker
career. Prior to it, he had $164,291 in earnings with a career-
best $29,329 for finishing 291st in the 2015 World Series of
Poker Main Event. Though that was a bit of a disappointing
finish for him as he was at one time the tournament chip
leader.
“I get teased about that so much,” he said of that run. “On
Day 4, I had a million-chip lead on the field. If I knew then
what I know now, it’d have been a different Main Event for
me.”
As for what he’ll do with the money, aside from taking
another shot in this year’s Main Event, the married father of
two grown sons only had two things bookmarked.
“Pay some taxes and take a vacation,” he said.
To win the title, Shanahan bested poker pro Aaron Massey
in heads-up play. Massey had won the MSPT FireKeepers one
year prior, and amazingly it was his third MSPT FireKeepers
final table in a row (he finished seventh in last fall’s MSPT
Michigan State Poker Championship). To put it another way,
he final tabled the three largest events—fields of 820, 884 and
1,066 entries—in Michigan history. He ultimately exited in
Event Recap
MIKE SHANAHAN TOPS FIELD OF 1,066 TO WIN MSPT FIREKEEPERS—THE LARGEST EVENT IN MICHIGAN HISTORY—FOR $216,829BY MSPT POKER STAFF
Mike Shanahan
second place for $131,646, which moved him into third place
on the MSPT all-time money list.
Day 2 saw 206 players return to action, but with only 99
slated to get paid, more than half the field left empty handed.
Among those to fall short of the money were MSPT Season 4
Player of the Year Pat Steele, 2016 MSPT Iowa State Poker
Champ John Sun, and former MSPT FireKeepers champ
Michael Ferrarotti.
Once the bubble burst, another 89 players exited before
the final table was set. Among them were World Series of
Poker bracelet winner Adam Friedman (95th - $2,272), 2016
MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Champ Andy Rubinberg (83rd
- $2,375), 2016 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship
runner up Cy Church (44th - $4,337), three-time MSPT champ
Carl Carodenuto (31st - $5,266), and the last champ in the field,
Charlie Dawson (11th - $14,145), who bubbled the final table.
It took just two hands at the final table for Joe Hinton to
get his stack of 1.6 million all in holding ace-queen at the
40,000/80,000/10,000 level only to run into the ace-king of
Shanahan. The board ran out all low cards and Hinton was
out the door in 10th place for $14,145, his first MSPT cash.
On Hand #32, Justin Rice raised to 220,000 under the gun
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 13
MSPTPOKER.COM
Aaron Massey
out a clean 3♠K♣8♥2♥3♥ and Rice headed to the payout desk in fourth place.
Lucarelli was the short stack three handed, and he became Massey’s first final table victim. It happened when Lucarelli shoved his last 1.1 million from the button holding the K♥4♥ and running into the J♠J♦ of Massey. The board ran out 10♠10♣5♠2♦9♦ and Massey took 13 million chips into heads-up play against Shanahan’s 8.1 million.
It only took a couple of hands for Shanahan to seize the lead, and about 30 minutes into the match things came to a head when Massey four-bet all in holding the A♦Q♦ and Shanahan called with the Q♥Q♠. The board ran out 4♠J♥8♥K♣J♦ and Shanahan became a MSPT champ.
FireKeepers Casino
Final Table
holding the 7♣7♦ and Scott
Skriba defended the big blind
with the A♥10♣. The A♣7♥5♠
flop hit both players, and
Skriba checked to Rice, who
bet 180,000. Skirba woke up
with a check-raise to 400,000,
Rice just called, and the A♠
appeared on the turn.
Skirba led out for 500,000,
Rice flatted, and the K♥
completed the board on the
river. Skirba, who had 700,000
back, checked but ended up
calling off when Rice moved
all in. Skirba took home $18,276 for finishing in ninth place.
Two hands later, Dustin Smith got it in preflop with pocket
deuces against Rice’s Big Slick, and an ace on the river ended
his run in eighth place for $22,199. Five hands after that,
Daniel Panone bowed out shoving his short stack from the
button with jack-ten and failing to get there against the ace-
nine of Frank Lucarelli.
From there, Terry Moore fell after getting his short stack
in with jack-four and running it into Rice’s queen-jack, and
a short time later Chris Meyers ran king-jack into the king-
queen of Lucarelli. Neither player got lucky and fell in sixth
and fifth place respectively.
On Hand #83 of the final table, with the blinds at
100,000/200,000/30,000, Rice three-bet all in for 3.8 million with
the 5♣5♥ and was called by Shanahan’s Q♦Q♣. The board ran
FireKeepers CasinoBuy-in: $1,100 ♣ 1066 Entrants
Place Name City, State Prize1 Mike Shanahan Avon, IN $216,829
2 Aaron Massey Elmwood Park, IL $131,646
3 Frank Lucarelli Woodhaven, MI $85,699
4 Justin Rice Walled Lake, MI $57,924
5 Chris Meyers Buffalo, NY $42,333
6 Terry Moore Muncie, IN $32,731
7 Daniel Panone Rochester, MI $26,846
8 Dustin Smith Middleville, MI $22,199
9 Scott Skriba Mason, MI $18,276
10 Joseph Hinton Ada, MI $14,145
*Bonus Splash Pots for MN games played on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
JUNE 9-11
ALL DAYEVERY DAY
#AcesPokerRunAces.com/EasyMoney
POKER TOURNAMENT SERIES
$50 High HandM-F: 1-8am | S&S: 2-8am
Progressive Board Every Night: 1-8am
LATE NIGHT EVERY NIGHT
DA
ILY
PO
KE
RP
RO
MO
TIO
NS SUN: 8am-3pm $50 Splash Pots (every 15 minutes)
MON: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed $1,500 Minimum Payout
TUE: 8am-3pm High Hand $100/$50/$50 Hourly
12am - 11:59pm Spade & Club VIP Appreciation $25 added to all Poker Promos
WED: 8am - 3pm $50 Splash Pots (every 15 minutes)
Wacky Wednesdays ($50 Poker Tournament)
THU: 8am Start High Hand$100/$50/$50 Hourly
FRI: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed $1,500 Minimum Payout
SAT: 8am - 3pm High Hand $100/$50/$50 Hourly
EVERY DAY: 3pm - 1pm
Bounty Bonus BoardWin Your Share of $1,450
*Bonus Splash Pots for MN games played on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
JUNE 9-11
ALL DAYEVERY DAY
#AcesPokerRunAces.com/EasyMoney
POKER TOURNAMENT SERIES
$50 High HandM-F: 1-8am | S&S: 2-8am
Progressive Board Every Night: 1-8am
LATE NIGHT EVERY NIGHT
DA
ILY
PO
KE
RP
RO
MO
TIO
NS SUN: 8am-3pm $50 Splash Pots (every 15 minutes)
MON: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed $1,500 Minimum Payout
TUE: 8am-3pm High Hand $100/$50/$50 Hourly
12am - 11:59pm Spade & Club VIP Appreciation $25 added to all Poker Promos
WED: 8am - 3pm $50 Splash Pots (every 15 minutes)
Wacky Wednesdays ($50 Poker Tournament)
THU: 8am Start High Hand$100/$50/$50 Hourly
FRI: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed $1,500 Minimum Payout
SAT: 8am - 3pm High Hand $100/$50/$50 Hourly
EVERY DAY: 3pm - 1pm
Bounty Bonus BoardWin Your Share of $1,450
PAGE 16 Mid-States Poker Tour JUNE 2017
MSPTPOKER.COM
Back in February, MSPT regulars Loki Ab-
boud and Willie Horton made a last longer
bet at our Running Aces stop. Whichever
player busted first would have to don a pink bal-
lerina outfit, complete with tutu and tiara, at the
next Minnesota stop.
Fast forward to April’s MSPT Canterbury Park.
On Friday night, Abboud bagged up the chip lead
and had the next day off before returning for Day
2 on Sunday. However, he made it a point to come
back Saturday evening. That’s because he won the
aforementioned bet, and he wasn’t about to miss
his buddy’s embarrassment.
“Will and I met playing poker a few years back,”
Abboud told MSPT officials. “Since that first day
we met, sitting at the table together, we've had
some very good-natured smack talk back and forth.
A week or so before the last local MSPT at Running
Aces, he walked by the $40/$80 mix game I was
playing and made some comment about my skills. I
yelled out to him to put his money where his mouth
was and challenged him to a last longer.”
He continued: “I had won a similar bet against
Ken Cary the year before, with the loser having
to caddie in tights on the golf course at some
point. Kenny lost. I prefer the more lighthearted
and comical prop bets, so Willie and I settled on
the loser of the last longer having to compete in
the next local MSPT in a ballerina outfit—tights,
leotard, and tutu. I think he fired two bullets at
Running Aces, and I managed to outlast him.
Suffice it to say that once he busted for the second
time, I felt I was on a stone-cold free roll.”
Kudos to both of these guys for being good
sports. That said, be forewarned. If you engage
in an embarrassing last longer bet, there’s a good
chance we’re going to plaster your photo in MSPT
Magazine! Willie Horton
Prop Bet Shenanigans
WILLIE HORTON LOSES LAST LONG TO BECOME CANTERBURY PARK’S PINK BALLERINABY MSPT POKER STAFF
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 17
MSPTPOKER.COM
Willie HortonMark Hodge & Willie Horton
Willie Horton & Loki Abboud
Photo Shoot
READY TO RAKE IN BIG BUCKS?
Thursday, June 22 Grand Casino HinckleyThis June, try your luck in the Grand Classic Blackjack tournament! There’s an estimated total purse of $8,400! Registration starts at 3 p.m. and is first-come, first-served. Limited to 280 entries. Entry & re-entry fee is only $30! Do you feel lucky?
File Name Bleed Size (w x h) Designer Account ExecutiveGCS-17-163302_MSPT_Grand-Classic-BlackJack_(8-375x10-75)_a01 8.875x11.25 Ben Laura/Heidi
Creation Date Final Size (w x h) Copywriter Proofreader05/17/16 8.375x10.75 Andy Erin
Modified Date Color(s) Creative Director ProductionMay 17, 2017 1:09 PM 4c Dean
Due Date Vendor/Publication
GrandCasinoMN.com
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 19
MSPTPOKER.COM
READY TO RAKE IN BIG BUCKS?
Thursday, June 22 Grand Casino HinckleyThis June, try your luck in the Grand Classic Blackjack tournament! There’s an estimated total purse of $8,400! Registration starts at 3 p.m. and is first-come, first-served. Limited to 280 entries. Entry & re-entry fee is only $30! Do you feel lucky?
File Name Bleed Size (w x h) Designer Account ExecutiveGCS-17-163302_MSPT_Grand-Classic-BlackJack_(8-375x10-75)_a01 8.875x11.25 Ben Laura/Heidi
Creation Date Final Size (w x h) Copywriter Proofreader05/17/16 8.375x10.75 Andy Erin
Modified Date Color(s) Creative Director ProductionMay 17, 2017 1:09 PM 4c Dean
Due Date Vendor/Publication
GrandCasinoMN.com
Event Preview
MSPT RETURNS JULY 15-23 WITH $350 REGIONAL EVENT AT MILWAUKEE’S POTAWATOMI CASINOBY MSPT POKER STAFF
For the second time in Season 8, Potawatomi Hotel
& Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will play host to
a $350 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed MSPT Regional
Event. The stop will run July 15-23 with a series of satellites
feeding into the Regional Event.The Regional Event will be held over four days beginning
Thursday, July 20 with Day 1A at 5 p.m. Day 1A will play 16 levels. Friday's and Saturday's Day 1B and 1C will start at 5 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively and also play 16 levels. Players who advance to Day 2 from a previous flight are not eligible to play in a subsequent flight. The remaining players from each flight will combine on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. and play until a champion is crowned.
The MSPT has hosted three previous Regional Events at Potawatomi. The first was back in January 2016 when Oscar Arndt topped a field of 904 entries to win a $58,964 first-place prize. Six months later, it was Vinh Tran who conquered a record field of 1,169 entries to win $49,944 after striking a heads-up deal with Ryan Gatrel.
More recently, Craig Trost bested a field of 1,228 entrants—at the time the largest tournament by attendance ever held in Wisconsin—to take home a $63,252 prize. The MSPT also visited the property in April when poker pro Ari Engel topped a field of 495 entries to win the $1,100 Main Event for $114,876.
“In the last four years, few properties have come on as strong as Potawatomi,” says MSPT President Bryan Mileski. “Not only is it a gorgeous property with a great poker room featuring some of the area’s best cash game action, it’s set right in the heart of Milwaukee. Without a doubt, Poto is one of the Midwest’s premier entertainment destinations, offering guests the best in gaming, dining and entertainment.”
The latest MSPT Potawatomi Regional, the fourth held
at the venue, will be the 19th Regional Event since their
inception at the beginning of 2015. The Regional Events are
designed to offer players the opportunity to play MSPT’s
lauded “Chainsaw-Approved” $1,100 Main Event structure at
a more affordable price point.
Satellites for the upcoming MSPT Potawatomi Regional
event will begin June 18.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino features six award-winning
restaurants, the intimate 500-seat Northern Lights Theater
and more than 60,000 sq. feet of event space. A 381-room,
19-story hotel opened in August 2014.
It has come a long way since its opening in 1991 when the
Forest County Potawatomi first opened as a 45,800-square foot
bingo hall, making it the first tribal off-reservation gaming
operation in the country.
Aside from gaming, Potawatomi offers seven great dining
options to choose from including beautiful Italian cooking at
Bella Italiana, down-home cooking at Canal Street Café, and
authentic Asian cuisine and sushi bar at Ruyi.
To discover more visit paysbig.com.
• EARN $1 COMP per hour
• DAILY NLHE TOURNAMENTS (except Wed & Fri)
• WEEKLY REWARDS / GIVEAWAYS
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• FREE FOOD every Friday & Saturday
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• Friday Gas Coupons at Promotional kiosk Buy in 100 chips and receive $20 bonus chips
• Every Dollar of your rebuy / add-on goes to prize pool
JUNE 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 21
Strategy presented by Jonathan Little
MSPTPOKER.COM
all in with a wide
range thinking that
they are now "free
rolling". Without
an actual read,
you should not
assume much about
your opponents'
strategies and
instead try to play
a fundamentally
sound strategy
yourself.
Facing two all
ins, A♣A♥ is in a
tough spot, but I
typically call off in
this situation if I
think both players
play well (because
their ranges both
include a few
hands ace-king
dominates). Similar
to Ogorman's spot
with tens, if Mernin
knows either player
is overly tight,
folding becomes a
fine option. Also notice that the only time he gets wrecked is
when he loses to the 82,000 all in.
While you should rarely be thrilled to call off in this spot,
if you pass up on too many situations like this, you will find
that you have a difficult time accumulating chips unless the
tournament is filled with players who have significant flaws
in their strategies.
PokerCoaching.com is an interactive poker learning experience from two-time WPT Champion Jonathan Little. Try it for free at PokerCoaching.com/mspt.
Luke Mernin
Dan Vandevoort
DECIDING WHAT TO DO WITH BIG SLICK AIN’T ALWAYS EASY BY CHAD HOLLOWAY
In the first level on Day 2 of MSPT Canterbury Park, which drew a record 475 entrants, the blinds were
1,500/3,000/500 and 83 players remained with 45 of them getting paid.
Luke Mernin (98,000) opened for 7,000 and Jason Ramos (290,500) called from middle position. Dan Vandevoort, who started the day as the second shortest stack, then moved all in for 34,000 from the button. Robert Ogorman proceeded to move all in over the top for 82,000, and Mernin hit the tank for a couple minutes before calling to put both players at risk. Ramos folded and all three players turned up their cards.
Vandevoort: A♣A♥Ogorman: 10♠10♦Mernin: A♠K♠Vandevoort held the goods, and maintained his lead on the
6♣3♦J♠flop. The 8♠ turn put a big sweat out there as Mernin picked up a spade flush draw, but he missed it when the Q♣ blanked on the river. Mernin was left with 16,000 after the hand, but he went bust a short time later.
We caught up with poker pro and author Jonathan Little to get his take on how this hand played out.
MSPT: What do you think of Ogorman’s four-bet jam with pocket tens in this spot?
Little: Ogorman is certainly in a difficult spot with his pocket tens, but I think going all in is perfectly acceptable given he only has 27 big blinds. The only way you can realistically justify folding is if he knows either the initial raiser or the pusher are overly tight, putting pocket tens in marginal shape. If both players are getting in with reasonable ranges, you have to be willing to gamble. Also notice that the only time he is in a terrible situation is when the initial raiser has a premium hand. When he is only against the 34,000 all in, he is getting great pot odds and if he loses, he will still have about half his stack remaining.
How do you feel about Mernin’s call with ace-king?Little: It is difficult to assume how players will play shortly
after doubling up from a tiny stack as Vandevoort had done.
Some players will play tightly to "protect" their newly found
chips while others will still feel short and will be blasting
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