Last December, Carl Carodenuto won this very event. In April, he returned to defend his title, and then last month he won the MSPT Golden Gates to become the tour’s first three-time champ. Because his first win came in Season 6, Carodenuto only gets credit for the two wins in the Season 7 Player of the Year race, which he currently leads over his good friend Rich Alsup by 100 points.

That means all Alsup, who advanced from Day 1a with a decent stack, needs to do is finish 27th or better to become the MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year!

Carodenuto’s night came to an end at the hands of Jason Bender, who ironically held the lead in the POY race at the beginning of the year.

It happened on a flop when Carodenuto checked and Bender bet 12,000 holding . Another player in the hand folded, Carodenuto check-raised all in for roughly 50,000, and Bender called.

The turn was safe, but then a spiked on the river to give Bender a straight.

With that, Carodenuto’s remarkable season and run at Canterbury Park came to an end. Now, he’ll have to wait and see Alsup’s fate on Day 2. It will be interesting.

Jason Bender - 150,000
Carl Carodenuto - Busted