Riverside Casino

For the second time this season, the MSPT traveled to Riverside Casino to host the Season 15 Iowa State Poker Championship, and the turnouts did not disappoint.

A total of 716 entries (98 from Day 1a; 198 from 1b; 231 from 1c and 198 from 1d) were tallied through the starting flights and generated a $693,020 prize pool.

On Sunday, 75 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 12 hours of action it was local hero Phirom Peterschmidt who walked away on top to win the $141,978 first-place prize and his first MSPT title!

“I’m in disbelief”, Peterschmidt stated after his win, “We’ve talked about this all the time but actually doing it is just so crazy, this is amazing and just awesome.”

Peterschmidt, an Iowa native who calls Riverside his hometown casino, only had $24,136 in live tournament earnings before taking down the six-figure score and was fortunate to have a rail of support throughout the final table.

“Those are my boys”, Peterschmidt added after the victory, “I love them all and to have them here while taking this down at my hometown casino is just an amazing feeling”.

MSPT Season 15 Iowa State Poker Championship Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with 75 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with Miroslav Semanisin’s pocket kings being set-up by Dave Kenniston’s pocket jacks in one of the first hands of the day.

Coolers across the room would continue with Jesse Green collecting an early double with pocket queens against Frank Lagodich’s pocket eights, and then he found another double after he flopped a set of aces against Phil Mader’s flopped set of kings.

Eliminations would continue like wildfire, and those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday were two-time MSPT champ Chris Meyers (45th Place - $2,612), Matt Porter (24th Place - $4,899), defending Riverside champ Jake Wilding (18th Place - $6,839), Nic DiTrapani (13th Place - $8,335), and Dennis Stevermer (11th Place - $10,304).

Final Table Action

Once the player took their seats, it took a while for the action to heat up until Spence Madole’s pocket aces were cracked on the river by MSPT champ Steve Federspiel’s pocket eights to become the first final table elimination.

After Madole’s departure, action slowed down for almost three full levels before a spree of eliminations occurred as MSPT champ Federspiel would be the first to fall after he lost a flip holding a made hand of fives against soon to be champ Peterschmidt’s king-queen off.

Directly after Federspiel made his way to the payout desk, two-time MSPT champ John Sun secured a huge double with a pair of cowboys against Trey Bartlett’s pocket eights.

Bartlett was then left the short stack at the table, and he got his remaining stack in once again with a pair of snowmen only to get tripped-up in seventh place by Peterschmidt.

After Bartlett’s elimination, DJ Aryasomayajula followed him to the payout desk in sixth place after he failed to hit live cards against Dustin Hoffmann.

The crazy flurry of eliminations continued after Jack Armstrong ran his made hand of tens into Sun’s superior pair of kings to make a fifth place exit for $35,946 while Justin Gish departed the very next hand in fourth place for $47,727.

With three players remaining, an ICM chop was discussed but ultimately declined and Hoffmann was next on the chopping block after he failed to connect with the runout as he left in third place for $64,360.

The heads-up match saw the chips pretty evenly dispersed and Sun tried once again to work out a deal, but the young buck Peterschmidt had a goal to win outright.

Once the duel officially began, Peterschmidt went on a relentless tear, winning majority of the hands to deny Sun his third MSPT title as he finished runner-up in second place for $86,499 while Peterschmidt became newest MSPT Iowa State Poker Champion!

This wraps up our coverage for this event but Season 15 of the MSPT continues as we head to Bally’s Black Hawk next (July 25^th - 28^th) and our reporting team will be on hand providing updates for the $300K GTD $1,110 Main Event so make sure to come back!

Phirom Peterschmidt limped-in and then called two-time MSPT champ John Sun’s three-bet jam.

John Sun:
Phirom Peterschmidt:

Sun was at risk hoping to find an ace but the runout gave Peterschmidt a king-high straight to end his run in second place for $86,499.

Phirom Peterschmidt - 21,480,000
John Sun - Eliminated

Dustin Hoffmann raised all in from the small blind and was called by Phirom Peterschmidt from the big blind.

Dustin Hoffmann:
Phirom Peterschmidt:

Hoffmann was at risk needing help, but none came on the flop.

Things got worse for Hoffmann after the dealer turned the as it left him drawing dead to the river.

Phirom Peterschmidt - 11,650,000
Dustin Hoffmann - Eliminated

Justin Gish was all in preflop from the big blind and was called by Phirom Peterschmidt from the button.

Justin Gish:
Phirom Peterschmidt:

Both players held live cards and it was Peterschmidt who connected with the flop.

The turn left Gish needed to connect with river, but the paired the board and ended his Main Event in fourth place for $47,727.

Phirom Peterschmidt - 9,000,000
Justin Gish - Eliminated

Two-time MSPT champ John Sun raised the cutoff and then snap-called Jack Armstrong’s 2,500,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Jack Armstrong:
John Sun:

Both players woke-up with premium hands but unfortunately for Armstrong, Sun held the better one as the runout ended his night in fifth place for $35,946.

John Sun - 10,225,000
Jack Armstrong - Eliminated

DJ Aryasomayajula raised to 300,000 from the button and then called off his 1,315,000 stack after Dustin Hoffmann three-bet jammed for 1,335,000 from the small blind.

DJ Aryasomayajula:
Dustin Hoffmann:

Aryasomayajula was behind holding live cards but couldn’t find either on the runout ending his Main Event in sixth place for $26,937.

Dustin Hoffmann - 3,100,000
DJ Aryasomayajula - Eliminated

Phirom Peterschmidt raised from middle position and then called Trey Bartlett’s 1,000,000 three-bet jam from the small blind.

Trey Bartlett:
Phirom Peterschmidt:

Bartlett woke-up with another pair of snowmen and once again, they melted in the heat as the runout gave Peterschmidt trip jacks to eliminated Bartlett in seventh place for $20,700.

Phirom Peterschmidt - 7,500,000
Trey Bartlett - Eliminated

Two-time MSPT champ John Sun raised to 400,000 from the cutoff and then snapped-off his 2,535,000 stack after Trey Bartlett jammed for more from the big blind.

John Sun:
Trey Bartlett:

Sun was ahead holding the superior made hand, and the flop didn’t change much.

The turn did give Sun a little sweat as it gave Bartlett a heart flush draw, but the completed the board and secured Sun his double.

John Sun - 5,500,000
Trey Bartlett - 1,000,000

Phirom Peterschmidt raised to 325,000 from middle position and then called MSPT champ Steve Federspiel’s 900,000 three-bet jam from the hijack.

Steve Federspiel:
Phirom Peterschmidt:

It was a race with Peterschmidt taking the lead after the flop paired his king.

The turn left Federspiel needing a five on the river to stay alive, but the completed the board and ended his run.

Phirom Peterschmidt - 6,600,000
Steve Federspiel - Eliminated

Dustin Hoffmann limped-in from middle position and then called Justin Gish’s 650,000 three-bet jam from the small blind.

Justin Gish:
Dustin Hoffmann:

It was a flip with Gish calling the correct end as the runout gave him a full house to secure his much-needed double.

Dustin Hoffmann - 3,300,000
Justin Gish - 1,600,000