FireKeepers Casino

The 2018 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan drew 1,271 entries, which resulted in the fourth consecutive visit with a $1,000,000+ prize pool!

After three starting flights and a long Day 2, Matt Stammen, the elder brother of well-known poker pro Keven Stammen, emerged victorious to capture his first major title and $218,565 in prize money.

“I’m elated, what can I say? It’s unbelievable,” Stammen said after the victory. “I threw my money in the hat and it worked out.”

Stammen, a shipping manager in an Ohio machine shop, had this to say on his poker-famous brother: “He’s 12 years younger. He’s been yelling at me the whole tournament. He’s been giving me a little bit of advice, let’s put it that way. It’s all about the trophy, I wanted one of those trophies so bad. The money is a bonus.”

Amazingly, Stammen had a surgery scheduled for Monday morning, which he planned to attend just three hours after shipping one of the Midwest’s most prestigious titles.

“The weekend went perfect,” he said. “I asked them to move my surgery back just in case this happened. It was like it was all meant to be. I’ve got foot drop, so they’re going to cut a hole in my knee to loosen up a nerve. I’ll be off work the next 4-6 weeks.”

Final Table Results
1 Matt Stammen (Coldwater, OH) $218,565
2 Joey Wideman (Belle Chasse, LA) $135,451
3 Isaac Kratchman (Detroit, MI) $98,510
4 Maurice Hawkins (Lake Worth, FL) $75,237
5 Victor Gayheart (Plainwell, MI) $56,643
6 Heinz Schluter (Denver, CO) $43,098
7 Frank Lagodich (Canton, OH) $33,247
8 Jason Mangold (Chicago, IL) $25,859
9 Dennis Brady (Traverse City, MI) $20,933
10 Derek Ritchie (New Boston, MI) $17,239

Day 2 saw 173 players return to action but with only 135 getting paid, 38 would leave empty handed including defending champ Chris Meyers, two-time MSPT champ Greg Himmelbrand, and joint bubble victims Miles Reinhard and Dee Bell.

Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Nick Pupillo (11^th - $17,239), 2017 MSPT Iowa State Poker Champion Carter Myers (14^th - $13,545), last year’s runner-up Millard Hale (22^nd - $8,127), current MSPT Kimo Sabe Mezcal Season 9 POY points leader Aaron Johnson (32^nd - $5,172), Michael Lech (41^st - $4,064), MSPT Hall of Famer Kou Vang (50^th - $3,571), 2017 MSPT Indiana State Poker Champ Satish Thakur (58^th - $3,202), start-of-the-day chip leader Irbrahim Shoubah (96^th - $2,586), and World Poker Tour champ Ravi Raghavan (116^th - $2,216).

Final Table Action

On the first hand of the final table, a short-stacked Derek Ritchie shoved holding king-eight suited only to run into Isaac Kratchman’s pocket tens. The board ran out clean and Ritchie was the first to fall, good for $17,239.

Not long after, Dennis Brady bowed out in ninth place after running pocket threes into the kings of Matt Stammen, and then Jason Mangold exited in eighth losing ace-jack suited to Kratchman’s pocket kings all in preflop.

Frank Lagodich was the next to go in seventh place for $33,247 after losing ace-ten to Joey Wideman’s ace-jack, and Germany’s Heinz Schluter followed him out the door in sixth for $43,098.

It took a while for the next players to fall but happened when Victor Gayheart got his short stack all in preflop holding ace-nine and failed to get there against Kratchman’s pocket queens. Poker pro Maurice Hawkins, who was a few hours late showing up for Day 2 after attending his 20-year high school reunion, lost ace-five to Wideman’s pocket eights to lose most of his chips. He’d lose the rest a short time later to bust in fourth place for $75,273.

Kratchman, the Day 1A chip leader, hit the rail in third place after the blinds and antes got too high. He jammed holding ace-nine and failed to hold against Stammen’s king-jack.

On Hand #234 of the marathon final table, the final hand of the tournament took place when Stammen jammed holding ace-jack suited and Wideman called off with ten-nine. The latter flopped a gutshot straight draw but missed the turn and river to bust in second place for $135,451.

Just four more stops remain on the MSPT Season 9 schedule beginning with the MSPT Meskwaki in Tama, Iowa from October 27 thru November 4. That stop will offer a $1,100 buy-in, $300K GTD Main Event running the weekend of November 2-4.

Matthew Stammen jammed on the button and Joey Wideman called off his last 8 million in the big blind.

Stammen:
Wideman:

Stammen flopped the nut flush draw on the flop, but Wideman flopped a gutshot. The on the turn was no help for Wideman, and the sealed the victory for Stammen.

Joey Wideman - Eliminated in 2nd place for $135,451

Matthew Stammen jammed for 4.4 million effective on the button and Joey Wideman called in the big blind.

Stammen:
Wideman:

Wideman’s nines held on the flop, but Stammen picked up a Broadway draw on the turn. He bricked off on the [8c[ river and shipped the double to Wideman.

Matthew Stammen - 16.5 million
Joey Wideman - 9 million

Joey Wideman limped the button, then called a raise to 1.6 million from Matthew Stammen in the big blind.

Both players checked the flop, then Stammen bet 2 million on the turn. Wideman called.

Stammen checked the river, then called a 4 million chip bet from Wideman.

Wideman showed for a pair of nines, but Stammen had the winner with .

Matthew Stammen - 16 million
Joey Wideman - 9.6 million

Joey Wideman limped the button, then called a raise to 1.6 million from Matthew Stammen in the big blind.

Stammen bet 1.2 million on the flop, then folded to Wideman’s all in raise.

Joey Wideman - 16.9 million
Matthew Stammen - 8.215 million

Matthew Stammen raised to 2 million in the small blind, then called the three-bet shove for 7.125 million effective from Isaac Kratchman in the big blind, who had him covered by just 600,000.

Stammen:
Kratchman:

Both players flopped a pair, but Stammen found a jack on the flop to best Kratchman’s nine. Stammen turned Kratchman dead with the and left Kratchman with a single big blind after the river.

Kratchman lost that blind next hand with his king-five coming up short against the king-jack of Stammen, and we’re now heads-up.

Isaac Kratchman - Eliminated in 3rd place for $98,510

Matthew Stammen raised to 1.4 million on the button, and Joey Wideman called in the big blind.

Wideman open-shoved for 5 million on a flop, and Stammen thought for a moment before throwing his hand away.

Matthew Stammen - 11.325 million (23 bb)
Joey Wideman - 8.5 million (17 bb)

Matthew Stammen raised to 1.4 million on the button, then called the three-bet shove for 4.125 million from Joey Wideman in the big blind.

Stammen:
Wideman:

The classic race went Wideman’s way as he flopped trip aces with a flop, and he never looked back on the turn or river to double into the chip lead.

Joey Wideman - 9.65 million (19 bb)
Matthew Stammen - 8.525 million (17 bb)