The Venetian

The 2019 MSPT Poker Bowl III at The Venetian attracted 1,022 entries (355 on 1A, 667 on 1B) - blowing past last year’s 827 entries - and crushing the $650K guarantee by creating a prize pool of $996,450. That will be paid out to the top 108 players with a min-cash being worth $2,093 and first place taking home a massive $184,349.

After a little over 14 levels of play on Day 1B, 91 players bagged and tagged, with last year’s MSPT Poker Bowl II champ Kfir Nahum and his 435,000 chip stack leading the way. That is behind Day 1A chip leader Shannon Shorr, who advanced with 527,500.

Nahum, a 44-year old businessman who owns a travel agency, took down last year’s MSPT Poker Bowl II after a four-way chop, and the $108,410 first place prize was the second biggest score of his career. Nahum was able to keep the streak going in the WSOP last summer, cashing six times and making deep runs in both the Colossus and the Millionaire Maker events.

The remaining top five big stacks from the 1B flight include Giuseppe Pantaleo (390,000), Hendrik Joosten (345,500), Ira Friedman (335,000), and WSOP Bracelet winner Jared Jaffee (335,000).

Others to advance to Saturday’s Day 2 include Minnesota’s Tyree Johnson (290,000), two-time WSOP Bracelet winners Scott Clements (284,500) and Upeshka De Silva (241,000), Jewook Oh (171,500), Season 9 MSPT POY Aaron Johnson (126,500), and Chris “Moorman1” Moorman (52,000).

Not everyone was fortunate enough to bag in today’s final flight, including a full contingent from Minnesota, including Vic Peppe, birthday boy Brian Berthiaume, Charlie Workman, John Morgan, DJ Buckley, and Matt Weller. Likewise, Colorado’s Bobby Sanoubane, Tom Bouziden, and Sammy Aweida, 2013 WSOP Main Event champ Ryan Riess, “American Idol” viral sensation William Hung, Chip Leader Coaching coach Chance Kornuth, pros Lisa Costello, Kathy Liebert and Casey Carroll, November Niner Joseph Cheong, WSOP Colossus II champ Ben Keeline and Phil “the Unabomber” Laak all failed to bag.

Day 2, which will see 132 players return to action (41 from 1A, 91 from 1B), will get underway at 11 a.m. local time on Saturday and play down to a winner.

Be sure to join us tomorrow as we bring you all the action and eliminations straight from The Venetian tournament floor.

The remaining field will play six more hands before bagging and tagging for the night.

Five players built up a 35,000 pot, and saw a flop. The small blind checked and the big blind shoved all-in for 23,500.

The hijack called the all-in, before the Jewook Oh re-shoved all-in over the top for 119,000.

The button asked for a count, pondered, and folded, as did the small blind.

The hijack would’ve put his tournament life on the line with a call, but didn’t and folded.

Oh:
Opponent:

When the turn brought the , Oh was looking to fade an eight or a seven, as well as one of the two cards needed to make any straight, a ten or a five.

Oh faded the river, with the .

Jewook Oh - 165,000

After two limps from early position players, Joe Kuether ripped his last 44,500 from the small blind. Italy’s Giuseppe Pantaleo called in the big blind, and the limpers folded.

Kuether:
Pantaleo:

Kuether needed a jack to survive, but none came on the flop, and the turn spelled the end of Kuether’s tournament before the could fall on the river.

Giuseppe Pantaleo - 300,000 (100 bb)
Joe Kuether - Busted

(Bob Fulford pictured left, Bill Croft pictured right)

Action folded to the cutoff who open-shoved for 27,400. The button folded and Bob Fulford called from the small blind.

Bill Croft was next to act in big blind and he shoved all-in over the top for about 58,000. Action returned to Fulford and he folded, claiming that he folded pocket 8’s.

Croft:
Opponent:

Fulford cringed at the flop as he would’ve flopped top set and been in a great position to win this huge pot had he called the all-in preflop from Croft.

The turn brought the . The river added salt to Fulford’s wound with the case , which would’ve been quads for him.

Bill Croft - 130,000 (54 bb)

Fulford would avenge some of that back the very next hand as he called another players all-in for about 22,000.

Fulford:
Opponent:

The flop gave Fulford the lead and he never looked back with the turn and the river.

Bob Fulford - 107,000 (44 bb)

Troy Worth raised to 8,500 from UTG, and was called by Texas pro Upeshka De Silva in the lojack and Gary Ewald on the button.

On the flop, Worth continued for 12,000, De Silva called, and Ewald ducked out of the way.

Both players checked the turn, and Worth bet 12,000 on the river. De Silva tanked for around two minutes, holding the calling chips in hand, before eventually slamming them in the pot to call.

Worth turned over , and De Silva mucked.

Upeshka De Silva - 220,000 (92 bb)
Troy Worth - 200,000 (83 bb)

The top 108 players will be paid out, with a min-cash worth $2,093, while the top prize is a whopping $189,349! Full payouts can be found on the “Payouts” tab in the blog.

The MSPT will return to Grand Falls Casino March 6-10 with a series of events including a $250 Tag Team Championship, $125 Seniors Championship (50+), $125 Turbo Deepstack and a $350 Main Event boasting a $50K Guarantee!

Players can stay on site at the high-end, beautiful Grand Falls Casino Hotel just outside of Sioux Falls, SD. These rooms will go fast, so be sure to book yours today to avoid being shut out!

Thursday, March 7th - $99
Friday, March 8th - $159.99
Saturday, March 9th - $169.99

CALL 712-777-7777 NOW!

Player are off on their final fifteen-minute break of the night.