Hollywood Casino

For the first time this season, the MSPT (Mid-States Poker Tour) returned to Hollywood Casino to host its first 18-trophy event series, headlined by the $1,110 Missouri State Poker Championship, and the turnouts did not disappoint.

A total of 713 entries were tallied (124 from Day 1a; 235 from 1b; 354 from 1c) were tallied through three starting flights and generated a $691,610 prize pool.

On Sunday, 89 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 12 hours of action it was St. Louis native Andrew Pichee coming out on top to win the $142,396 top prize and his first MSPT title.

Pichee came into the day as the chip leader and started stacking chips early after eliminating one big stack after another on his way to a victory.

MSPT Season 15 Missouri State Poker Championship 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.

Among those to leave empty-handed were Paul Fehlig, Brandon Butler, Seniors champ Danny Shurtz and three-time bracelet winner Dutch Boyd just to name a few.

After Boyds departure, the hand-for-hand process begun, and a full level passed before MSP champ Travis Young was wheeled out the door by Andy Rogowski to burst 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.

Among those players trying to make it to the finish line was defending champ Jeff Sauer who had an unfortunate turn of events after he ran his pocket kings into Tanner Pray’s pocket aces and became an early money Day 2 causality.

After the defending hit the deck, eliminations continued like wildfire, those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday, were MSPT champ’s Gerald Cunniff (42nd Place - $2,697), & Justin Lynch (27th Place - $2,697), Jeff Copeland (23rd Place - $4,980), MSPT champ Keith Heine (17th Place - $6,916), and Andy Rogowski (11th Place - $10,374).

Final Table Action

Once the player returned from their dinner break, action picked right up with Roger Ruehmann getting into a race with Abhishek Yerra only to end up running to the payout desk after becoming the first final table elimination.

In the same level, Mike Reisner found himself in a similar race holding two overs against soon to be champ Pichee, but just like Ruehmann, he was unable to pull ahead and followed him next in line.

A few levels went by with chips shuffling across the table as double-ups were being handed out like candy on Halloween, that was until spree of eliminations occurred BK Goli hitting the rial in seventh place while Darren Cunningham jammed into Pichee’s flopped nuts, eliminating him in sixth place.

The same level continued to produce casualties after Chris Audrain got his short stack in the middle holding a made hand of sixes and was called by Shawn McCracken holding a made hand of fives.

Audrain was in good shape looking for a double, but McCracken ended up making quad fives to send Audrain home in fifth place finish for $35,964.

Four-handed action saw Pichee start his final push as it took one swoop to finish off his final three opponents. He started with Yerra after he failed to connect with live cards ending his tournament in fourth place for $47,721, and then followed by winning a race against bracelet winner Blair Hinkle which sent him home in third place for $64,320.

The heads-up match saw Pichee holding over half of the chips in play, and he only needed a few hands before setting-up McCracken in second place ($86,454) enroute to becoming the MSPT Season 15 Missouri State Champion.

Season 15 of the MSPT (Mid-States Poker Tour) continues as we head to Riverside, Iowa next (March 14th-17th) and our reporting team will be on hand providing updates for the $300K GTD $1,110 Main Event so make sure to come back!

In Event #18: $150 No-Limit Hold'em Last Chance, a final 106-player field was tallied and generated a $12,720 prize pool which was reserved for the top 12 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Shawn Brown (10th place - $234), Owen Hunn (11th Place - $234), and Ranae Warren (12th Place - $234).

Coming out the victor was local Craig Welko who walked away the victor for the top prize and Spadey trophy!

Final Table Result

*denotes chop

Shawn McCracken was all in with a board showing and was called by Andrew Pichee.

Shawn McCracken:
Andrew Pichee:

McCracken turned two-pair but saw he was drawing dead after Pichee rolled over top set, and the river ended his tournament runner-up for $86,454.

Andrew Pichee - 21,390,000
Shawn McCracken - Eliminated

Andrew Pichee raised all in from the small blind and Blair Hinkle called off his short stack from the big blind.

Blair Hinkle:
Andrew Pichee:

Hinkle was ahead holding a made hand of fours but had a sweat after the flop gave Pichee more outs with a gut shot straight draw.

Unfortunately for Hinkle, Pichee was able to take the lead after the fell on the turn, and the river sent the bracelet winner home in third place for $47,721

In Event #17: $250 No-Limit Hold'em Black Chip Bounty, 174 skilled hunters took to the felt and generated a $34,800 prize pool that was paid out to the top 18 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Steven Dill (10th Place - $331), Martha Hilworth (15th Place - $331), Darroll Sayles (13th Place - $278), Lenard Pisano (14th Place - $278), and Albert Morrow (18th Place - $244).

When the dust settled, it was Scott Sisler who came out on top with the lion's share of the prize pool, along with the Sapdey trophy!

Final Table Results

Abhishek Yerra raised all in for 1,100,000 from the hijack and Andrew Pichee looked him up from the button.

Abhishek Yerra:
Andrew Pichee:

Yerra was behind holding live cards but couldn’t connect with either on the runout ending his run.

Andrew Pichee - 11,500,000
Abhishek Yerra - Eliminated

Shawn McCracken raised from the cutoff and had two callers before Chris Audrain squeezed for 1,550,000 from the big blind.

Only McCracken called, and the two players tabled their hands.

Chris Audrain:
Shawn McCracken:

Audrain liked what he saw after the cards were tabled, that was until the dealer dropped a flop giving McCracken a set of fives.

The turn left Audrain needing a six on the river to stay alive, but the dealer dropped the instead improving McCracken to quads and eliminating Audrain from the tournament.

Shawn McCracken - 8,200,000
Chris Audrain - Eliminated

Darren Cunningham was all-in for 4,000,000 after a flop from the big blind and was called by Andrew Pichee from the small blind holding slightly more.

Darren Cunningham:
Andrew Pichee:

Cunningham jammed into the nuts and the turn followed by the river sent him on his way.

Andrew Pichee - 8,750,000
Darren Cunningham - Eliminated

Andrew Pichee opened for 400,000 from late position and then called BK Goli’s 1,600,000 three-bet jam from the cutoff.

BK Goli:
Andrew Pichee:

Goli was ahead holding the same suit, but the flop put Pichee out in front with top pair.

The turn left Goli needing either an ace or ten on the river to stay alive, but the paired the board ending his tournament.

Andrew Pichee - 5,600,000
BK Goli - Eliminated

For another first of the 15th Season, the MSPT is headed to Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, IA April 3rd - 7th!

A series of $70 and $265 satellites will feed into the $1,110 buy-in MSPT251 Main Event, which requires players be 21+ to play.

The tournament, which will offer a $200K GTD, will offer two starting flights starting with Day 1A at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 5th.

Day 1B will take place at the same time on Saturday, April 6th, and the surviving players from both flights will then return at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 7th to play down to a winner.

Also, on that Sunday there will be a $250 NLH Last Chance Event starting at Noon!