Riverside Casino

For the first time this season, the MSPT (Mid-States Poker Tour) traveled to Riverside Casino to host its $1,110 Main Event, and the turnouts did not disappoint.

A total of 672 entries were tallied (74 from Day 1a; 240 from 1b; 358 from 1c) were tallied through three starting flights and generated a $650,340 prize pool.

On Sunday, 81 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 12 hours of action it was former poker dealer Jake Wilding who walked away on top to win the $133,320 first-place prize and his first MSPT title.

“I’m in shock”, Wilding said after the win, “I never had a deep run like this before, so it’s crazy that the first one is a winner”.

Wilding, a former dealer who hasn’t pitched some cards for roughly five years, had plans to deal this tournament but decided to play it instead.

“I was going back-and-forth between the two but knew I would be missing out if I didn’t play and am obviously happy with the decision I made”.

It was a grind for the new champ as the victory didn’t come easy with two MSPT Hall of Famer’s at the final table but luck did play a role on the outcome.

“I never lost a race in during tournament”, Wilding continued to add, “I never lost when I was ahead, and I won a few times when I was behind so I couldn’t have asked for much more”.

MSPT Season 15 MSPT Riverside Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

With 72 slated to get paid, a few handfuls of bodies needed to drop before players reached the money.

The final day started off with a bang after Keerat Bawa flushing out Scott Vetter for the first elimination of the day while DJ Buckley, WSOP bracelet winner John Reading, and MSPT champ Ken Komberec were amongst the others to leave empty handed.

After Komberec was hooked by fellow MSPT champ Joe Matheson, the hand-for-hand process begun, and only a few hands passed before 2022 Iowa State Poker champ Craig Trost was eliminated on the bubble, starting the march to the final table.

With the remaining players left in the money, the fast-paced action hit a new gear with players dropping like flies while other making moves to gain chips.

Eliminations continued like wildfire, those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday were Sarah Stefan (33rd Place - $2,861), Loki Abboud (20th Place - $5,593), two-time MSPT champ Ken Baime (16th Place - $6,503), MSPT champ Mo Nuwwarah (13th Place - $7,804), and Andros Ioakimides (10th Place - $9,755).

Final Table Action

Once the player took their seats, action picked right up with Kevin Berthelsen being set-up by George Dietz to become the first final table elimination.

A few hands later, Dietz would notch another KO under his belt after he won a race against short stack Ian Nelson and Steve Dill followed him to the payout desk after he succumbed to the same fate against MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard.

After Dill’s elimination, action slowed down for a few levels before Mark Fink lost a race with pocket fours against soon to be champ Wilding’s Big Slick, eliminating him in sixth place.

With chips continuing to shuffle, Reichard then found himself at the bottom of the counts and got his short stack in the middle from the big blind with king-jack off against Wilding holding an ace.

Reichard found himself needing to find a pair but was left drawing dead after Wilding turned his ace and ended his Main Event run in fifth place for $33,818.

Four-handed action saw fellow MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup finally wake-up with a hand at the final table as he was able to find a double with pocket aces against Loren Rice who was dispatched in fourth place for $44,873 shortly after.

The chips were pretty evenly dispersed between the three remaining players until Alsup got his chips in the middle holding a suited Big Slick, only to have Wilding roll over a pair of kings. Alsup was unable to pull ahead and made his departure in third place for $60,482.

The heads-up match saw Wilding holding majority of the chips in play, and he only needed one hand before he out-kicked Dietz in second place ($81,308) enroute to becoming the newest MSPT Riverside Main Event Champion.

Season 15 of the MSPT (Mid-States Poker Tour) continues as we head to Grand Falls next (April 5th-7th) and our reporting team will be on hand providing updates for the $200K GTD $1,110 Main Event so make sure to come back!

George Dietz got his 3,000,000 stack in the middle preflop and as called by Jake Wilding.

George Dietz:
Jake Wilding:

Dietz was behind holding an inferior ace and didn’t get any help on the runout ending his Main Event run in second place for $81,308.

Jake Wilding - 20,160,000
George Dietz - Eliminated

Jake Wilding raised the button and then called MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup’s 5,000,000 three-bet jam from the small blind.

Rich Alsup:
Jake Wilding:

Alsup didn’t like seeing Wilding roll over a pair of cowboys, and for good reason, as the runout ended his Main Event in third place for $60,482.

Jake Wilding - 17,060,000
George Dietz - 3,100,000
Rich Alsup - Eliminated

Jake Wilding opened for 325,000 and was called by Rich Alsup from the button before Loren Rice squeezed his short stack in the middle from the small blind.

Action was on George Dietz who went over top from the big blind giving Rice isolation.

Loren Rice:
George Dietz:

Rice was behind holding an inferior ace but picked-up more outs after the flop gave him a Wheel draw.

The turn paired both players bringing possible chop outs if a three or deuce were to fall on the river, but the completed the board and ended his Main Event.

George Dietz - 5,000,000
Loren Rice - Eliminated

MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup was all in preflop for 2,865,000 from the big blind and was called by Loren Rice from the cutoff.

Rich Alsup:
Loren Rice:

Alsup woke-up with the best made hand but had a little sweat after the flop paired Rice’s king.

Luckily for Alsup, both the turn and river were safe cards securing his double-up.

Rich Alsup - 5,980,000
Loren Rice - 970,000

Jake Wilding raised all-in from the button and MSPT champ Josh Reichard called off his 1,200,000 stack from the big blind.

Josh Reichard:
Jake Wilding:

Reichard was behind holding two live cards and the flop needing to find either on the turn or river.

Unfortunately for the MSPT champ, the was turned leaving him drawing dead to the river.

Jake Wilding - 9,400,000
Josh Reichard - Eliminated

MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard raised to 250,000 from the cutoff and Jake Wilding defended his big blind to see a flop.

Wilding check-called a 250,000 continuation bet from Reichard, and the turn was checked to the river.

Wilding led out for 400,000 only to be faced with a 2,100,000 raise from Reichard, sending him into the tank.

After some careful thought, Wilding called, and the two players tabled their hands.

Reichard tabled and Wilding was relieved to table to scoop the pot with trip queens.

Jake Wilding - 8,000,000
Josh Reichard - 3,100,000

Josh Reichard raised to 250,000 from the button and only Loren Rice called to see a flop.

Rice check-called a 180,000 continuation bet from Reichard, and the turn was checked to the river.

Rice turned the aggressor and led out for 600,000 and it was enough to get Reichard to lay his hand down.

Josh Reichard - 5,625,000
Loren Rice - 2,935,000