Running Aces Casino

The Mid-States Poker Tour Running Aces Main Event, a tournament that originally boasted a $200,000 guarantee, attracted 347 entrants and blew away the guarantee by creating a $347,000 prize pool. After a long and arduous Day 2, which saw 69 players return to action, 30-year-old Luke Arora of Arden Hills, Minnesota emerged victorious to capture his first MSPT title and an $83,773 first-place prize.

Arora, who only fired a single bullet on Day 1b, is a local cash game pro that plays primarily $40/$80 mix at Canterbury Park. Prior to the win he had just five tournament cashes with his best being $5,966 for a ninth-place finish in the 2011 Borgata Poker Open $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Max.

"I feel very fortunate," Arora said after the win. "I ran really hot for long periods of time. I ran very much above expectation. I think I played many hands poorly, but I just ran hot."

The day started off with 33 players needing to hit the rail until the money was reached. Among those to leave empty handed were DJ Buckley, Steve Belland, Dan "DQ" Hendrickson, MSPT Pro Matt Kirby, two-time MSPT champ Johnny Hayes, and Harry Behling, who finished as the bubble boy.

It happened in in Level 18 (3,000/6,000/1,000) when Behling shoved for 66,000 holding the Ah-Jh only to run smack dab into the pocket rockets of start-of-the-day chip leader Leo Fussy.

From there, the in-the-money finishes began to mount all the way until the final table of ten was set. Among those to earn a payday but fall short of the finale were MSPT Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells runner-up Kou Vang (32^nd - $2,111); the last woman in the field, Mandy Caffee (30^th - $2,111); and Fussy (19^th - $2,681).

The final table proved to be a stacked affair that included chip leader and former MSPT Running Aces champ Mark Sandness, MSPT Team Pro Matt Alexander, circuit pro Jeff Fielder, and MSPT champ Jeremy Dresch. However, Arora outlasted them all, including Alexander in what turn out to be an entertaining heads-up match where the cash game pro was keen to show his hands.

"I always show hands, I don't care," explained Arora. "If you want to use the information that's fine. Maybe it's different in tournaments.

As for Alexander, Arora had nothing but good things to say.

"He's a really good play, I just ran hot against him. I had ace-high starting hands a bunch. I made three aces when he made three pair. I just ran hot from the final table on."

Final Table Results

Season 7 of the Mid-States Poker Tour continues next weekend at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The stop has traditionally been the tour's biggest outside of the Venetian event, and the field this year is expected to draw in excess of 600 players. For more on that stop, click here.

Luke Arora rasied to 200,000 from the button holding the and Matt Alexander defended with the . The flop had action written all over it, and sure enough they ended up getting it in after Alexander checked, Arora bet 175,000, and Alexander check-raised to 350,000.

Arora responded by making it 800,000 to go and then snap-called when Alexander moved all in. The turn left Alexander looking for a nine on the river, but it was not meant to be as the bricked.

Matt Alexander - Eliminated in 2nd Place

The final two players are now on a 10-mintue break.

Luke Arora - 4,300,000

Matt Alexander - 2,700,000

Luke Arora raised to 180,00 with the and Matt Alexander defended the big blind with the . Alexander then check-called a bet of 200,000 on the flop before check-calling one of 500,000 on the turn.

When the completed the board on the river, Alexander checked and Arora shipped. Alexander said he didn’t think Arora had an ace, but folded nonetheless. Arora then showed him that he in fact did.

Luke Arora - 5,000,000

Matt Alexander - 2,000,000

After Luke Arora raised the button holding , Matt Alexander three-bet to 300,000 with . Aurora pushed back with a four-bet to 650,000 and Alexander opted to just call. When the flop came down , Alexander led out for 500,000 and then folded when Aurora moved all in.

Luke Aurora - 4,400,000

Matt Alexander - 2,600,000

Matt Alexander - 3,700,000

Luke Aurora - 3,300,000

Nathan Baum opened for 135,000 from the button holding the and Luke Arora called from the small blind with the . MSPT Pro Matt Alexander then called from the big blind with the and all three players saw a flop of .

Two checks saw Baum continue for 190,000, Arora folded, and Alexander check-raised to 550,000. Baum seemed suspicious and opted to call only to have Alexander move all in for 1.1 million on the river.

Baum paused for a few moments and, clearly not a believe, made the call. Baum was ahead, but Alexander was drawing big to 19 outs. The dealer burned one last time and put out the .

Alexander spiked his flush and a disappointed Baum was eliminated from the tournament in third place for $32,604, the largest cash of his career.

Nathan Baum - Eliminated in 3rd Place

Mark Sandness, who won this very event two years ago, has been eliminated from the tournament after two back-to-back hands.

In the first, Nathan Baum open-shipped for 850,000 from under the gun and Sandness, who had him covered by 185,000, call from the button. Both blinds folded and it was off to the races.

Sandness:

Baum:

Sandness was looking to hold, and he did so through the flop and turn, though Baum picked up a gutshot to Broadway. Sandness just needed to dodge a queen, jack and ten on the river, but he couldn’t do it as the spiked to pair Baum.

In the very next hand, Sandness shoved with the only to run into the of Luke Arora. The board ran out a dry and that was all she wrote for Sandness, who notched his 10th MSPT cash after making his fifth MSPT final table (tied for third all time).

Mark Sandness - Eliminated in 4th Place

Nathan Baum, who had been bleeding chips, opened by shoving all in from the cutoff and Jeff Fielder opted to call off for 380,000 from the big blind.

Baum:

Fielder:

“I’m dominated,” Baum said before the flop came down . “Not anymore.”

Just like that Fielder went from heavy favorite to drawing dead. The turn and river made his elimination official, and he made a beeline to the payout desk to collect $17,090 for his fifth-place finish.

Jeff Fielder – Eliminated in 5th Place

Luke Arora raised to 110,000 under the gun and Jeff Fielder three-bet all in for 255,000 from the cutoff. The buttons and blinds all folded and Arora made the call.

Arora:

Fielder:

Fielder desperately needed an ace, and he got one on the flop. The turn gave Arora a flush draw, but he missed it as the completed the board on the river.

Luke Arora - 1,960,000

Jeff Fielder - 610,000