Bally's Black Hawk Casino

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) returned to the beautiful mountainside at Bally's Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, and hosted a 13-trophy Showdown Series which was headlined by its $1,110 buy-in, $300K GTD Main Event.

A total of 468 entries (94 from Day 1a; 138 from 1b; 254 from 1c) were tallied through three starting flights and generated a $469,920 prize pool.

On Sunday, 60 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 10 hours of action, it was Texas native Alex Cruz who came out on top to win the $101,033 top prize and his first MSPT title.

"Pretty surreal honestly, I have a pretty good dopamantine rush going on right now that's for sure,” Curz continued, “You know, it’s pretty crazy because I woke-up late Friday, looked online to see what the chip leader bagged and thought I could top that.

Cruz added, “So I hit up a couple of my friends and they told me to go with my gut, so I booked a 7:00 a.m. flight from Texas, slept in a couple different airports, and made it here for Day 1c.”

Once here, Cruz was able to run up the top stack to start the final day, but it wasn’t a smooth road to the finish line.

“I came into the day as the chip leader with 600,000 and by the end of the first level I lost a third of my stack. I thought my day was over but I was able to flop a straight with Big Slick and just built from there.”

More of a cash game player, Cruz said he started playing tournament poker, but went on a downswing and took a break before finding some inspiration over the summer.

“So my friend just won a bracelet this summer for $1,200,000 and that really inspired me to get back into the tournament scene, shout out Braxton Dunaway.”

MSPT Bally's Black Hawk Main Event Final Table Results

With 54 slated to get paid, only six players needed to exit before players reached the money. Among those to leave empty-handed were Larry Blazer, Barry Hamilton, Bobby Opila, Ronald Scott, and Joshua Williamson.

Once the tournament reached the hand-for-hand process, only a few hands were played before Ali Mirtaheri jammed his pocket tens into Louie Cohen's pocket aces, and the march to the final table began.

Among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday, were four-time MSPT champ Jered Wood (10th place - $7,049), Matt Stolmeier (14th place - $5,639), and MSPT champs Gerald Cunniff (21st place - 4,276), Umut Ozturk (36th place - $2,538), Steve Wilkie & (46th place - $2,115).

Final Table action

Once the final table was set, fireworks popped off after Justin Lynch, Krzysztof Stybaniewicz, and Brian Yee all got their stacks in the middle preflop.

Each player held a premium hand with Yee turning a set of queens to send Lynch home in ninth place, while Stybaniewicz departed shortly after in eighth place.

After that action hand, Dalton Porter found himself next on the chopping block after his Big Slick was straightened out by Yee for a seventh place finish.

Yee would continue his elimination spree by winning a race with ace-queen suited against Marlon Caster's pocket sixes and made his exit in sixth place.

Once Caster departed, eliminations started to heat up like wildfire as the final four eliminations came in the same level.

It all started with Shane Borrillo jamming his ace-jack into Cruz's pocket aces to take a fifth place finish for $25,376, while Maddie Robinson lost a race to Yee's ace-queen and took a fourth-place finish for $33,835.

The very next hand, Jonathan McCray called off his short stack holding an offsuit ace-seven and had Cruz's ace-four dominated. McCray was looking good until the dealer dropped a four on the river to end the Cancer survivor's Main Event run in third place for $44,736.

From there, Cruz was able to take a quick chip lead against Yee in their heads-up battle and picked up aces once again in the final hand to win his first MSPT trophy and payday good for $101,033.

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is headed to Riverside, Iowa next (July 20th-23rd) and the MSPT team will be on hand providing updates for the $300K GTD $1,110 Main Event so make sure to come back!

Alex Cruz opened for 200,000 and Brain Yee fired back with a 400,000 three-bet. Cruz buckled down and four-bet to 1,200,000 and Yee called bringing about a flop.

Yee check-called a 1,500,000 continuation bet from Cruz and the fell on the turn.

Yee checked his option once again to Cruz who moved all-in. “Well, if you have me so be it, I call,” said Yee as he tossed in a chip risking his stack.

Brain Yee:
Alex Cruz:

Yee flopped top pair and kicker but needed a lucky lady on the river to keep his tournament rolling after seeing Cruz table a pair pf aces.

Unfortunately for Yee, the paired the board on the river and ended his Main Event runner-up for $62,070

Alex Cruz - Eliminated
Brian Yee - Eliminated

Alex Cruz raised all in from the small blind and Jonathan McCray called off his short stack from the big blind.

Jonathan McCray:
Alex Cruz:

“Four one time,” exclaimed Cruz as the dealer dropped a flop. “Four one time,” Cruz continued to chant as the fell on the turn giving McCray more outs with a double gutter.

The chant of “for one time for the pay jump,” from Cruz continued and sure enough, the dealer peeled off the on the river to send McCray home in third place for $44,736.

Brian Yee - 8,580,000
Alex Cruz - 6,000,000
Jonathan McCray - Eliminated

Brian Yee raised and then called Maddie Robinson’s all in.

Maddie Robinson:
Brain Yee:

It was a flip with Robinson calling the wrong side as the runout gave Yee a full house to end her Main Event run in fourth place for $33,834.

Brian Yee - 6,000,000
Maddie Robinson - Eliminated

Alex Cruz raised under the gun and then called Shane Borrilo’s 1,000,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Shane Borrillo:
Alex Cruz:

Borrillo unfortunately jammed into a monster and the runout ended his Main Event in fifth place for $25,376.

Alex Cruz - 5,300,000
Shane Borrillo - Eliminated

Shane Borrillo raised to 215,000 from the cutoff and then called the 610,000 three-bet jam Maddie Robinson made from the small blind.

Maddie Robinson:
Shane Borrillo:

Robinson was behind but didn’t mind the flop that gave her straight and flush draws.

Luckily for Robinson, the dealer turned the to put her out in front with a pair of kings and the river secured her double-up.

Maddie Robinson - 1,300,000
Shane Borrillo - 835,000

Once again, the MSPT is headed to Riverside Casino in Riverside, IA from July 20 - 23^rd!

A series of $70 and $265 satellites will feed into the $1,110 buy-in MSPT227 Main Event, which requires players be 21+ to play.

The tournament, which will offer a $300K GTD, will offer three starting flights with Day 1A beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 20th.

Day 1b will take place at the same time on Friday, July 21st with Day 1c following suit Saturday, July 22nd.

The surviving players from all starting flights will then return at 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 23rd to play down to a winner.

Also, on that Sunday there will be a $360 NLH Last Chance Showdown Event beginning at Noon.

Marlon Caster raised to 200,000 from the hijack only to have Brian Yee three-bet to 605,000 from the big blind.

Action was back on Caster who four-bet jammed for 2,305,000 and Yee snap-called holding 2,800,000.

Marlon Caster:
Brain Yee:

Caster was racing for his tournament life and fell behind after the flop paired Yee’s queen.

The turn didn’t improve Caster’s hand, nor did the river and he made his exit in sixth place for $19,267.

Brain Yee - 5,200,000
Marlon Caster - Eliminated

Action folded to Brian Yee who raised to 200,000 and then called the 345,000 three-bet jam Dalton Porter made from the big blind.

Dalton Porter:
Brian Yee:

Porter was ahead until a pretty lady appeared in the window on the flop pairing Yee’s queen.

The runout improved Yee to a six-high straight and Porter departed in seventh place for $15,037.

Brian Yee - 2,910,000
Dalton Porter - Eliminated