The Venetian

Day 2 of the inaugural MSPT $1,600 Heart Poker Championship at the Venetian Resort saw 118 players return to action on Sunday in hopes of making the streamed final table of seven and after roughly 11 hours of play, that mark was hit in Level 29 with 22:54 left remaining at 60,000/120,000/120,000.

Leading the charge with a third of the chips in play is Brian Luo who’s 11,320,00 stack is nearly double the stack size of two-time bracelet winner Antonio Galiana’s 5,725,000 stack.

While she is the last lady standing, Jessica Vierling sits third in the chip counts with 3,440,000 with MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard hot on her tail bagging 3,090,000 for a fourth place stack to take into the final day.

Min Sung Lee (2,840,000), Artem Metalidi (2,725,000), and Hugues Girard (2,435,000) rallied into Day 3 but will have an uphill battle when the lights take the stage.

Streamed Final Table Chip Counts

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with 118 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with Neel Joshi being eliminated in the first hand of the day while Vinny Pahuja followed him to the payout cage shortly after.

After Pahuja hit the deck, a flurry of “payouts” could be heard throughout the room, as handfuls of players were walking to the payout table which included the likes of MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Massey (108^th Place – $3,417), MSPT champ Jeff Copeland (94^th Place – $3,638), Season 16 $1,600 Poker Bowl IX champ Anthony Scarborough (76^th Place - $4,264), MSPT champ Brad Gafford (60^th Place - $5,964), and Frank Lagodich (50^th Place - $5,889) all hit the deck before the three table redraw.

The final three tables were stacked with crushers with Joe Kuether (24^th Place - $8,964), Javier Zarco (18^th Place - $12,506), six-time bracelet winner Brian Hastings (13^th Place - $18,180), and Caleb Rife (10^th Place - $22,256) fell before the final table.

Final Table Action

Once the final table was set, short-stack Daniel Smiljkovic was able to find a double-up off-the-bat and then followed that up with the elimination of Timothy Pai to climb the chip counts.

Unfortunately for Smiljkovic, his two early hands became irrelevant as he lost with two premium hands in almost back-to-back hands as he was eliminated in eighth place ending play for the evening.

The final seven players are set with action starting tomorrow Sunday, June 8^th at 11:00 a.m. to play down to a winner which will be live streamed in the Venetian Poker Live streaming studio!

Make sure to be a part of history at The Venetian Poker Room as the first-ever MAJOR Champion will be crowned LIVE in the Venetian Poker Live streaming studio, produced and distributed by PokerGO!

There was all in action between Min Sung Lee and Daniel Smiljkovic with Lee holding 1,510,000 effective.

Min Sung Lee:
Daniel Smiljkovic:

Smiljkovic was ahead holding a pair of ladies until the flop fell pairing Lee’s ace.

The turn kept Lee in the lead while the tiver secured his double-up.

After the hand Smiljkovic was left short and found a double-up before ultimately becoming the final elimination of the day.

Min Sung Lee - 3,200,000
Daniel Smiljkovic - Eliminated

Timothy Pai was all in from under the gun for 410,000 and Daniel Smiljkovic looked him up from the big blind.

Timothy Pai:
Daniel Smiljkovic:

Smiljkovic rolled over a premium hand of queens leaving Pai needing help, but none came on the runout as he became the first final table elimination.

Daniel Smiljkovic - 1,500,000
Timothy Pai - Eliminated

Caleb Rife was all in preflop and called by MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard.

Caleb Rife:
Josh Reichard:

Rife picked-up a made hand at the wrong time as Reichard rolled over the best one, and the runout made him the final table bubble.

Josh Reichard - 4,200,000
Caleb Rife - Eliminated

Christopher Milbradt raised and then called a three-bet Brian Luo made from the big blind.

The two took to a flop and Luo check-called 560,000 continuation bet from Milbradt, bringing the turn.

Luo then check-called Milbradt’s all-in bet, and the two hands were tabled.

Christopher Milbradt:
Brian Luo:

Milbradt was left drawing dead as the river ended his tournament.

Brian Luo - 14,500,000
Christopher Milbradt - Eliminated

Caleb Rife raised all in for 650,000 from the small blind and Kenneth Quattrocchi called from the big blind.

Caleb Rife:
Kenneth Quattrocchi:

Quattrocchi was ahead holding an ace until the flop fell pairing Rife’s nine.

The turn kept Rife in the lead while the river secured his double-up.

Quattrocchi was then left short after the hand and was eliminated a few hands later.

Caleb Rife - 1,500,000
Kenneth Quattrocchi - Eliminated

Christopher Milbradt raised under the gun and then called six-time bracelet winner Brian Hastings three-bet jam directly to his left.

Brian Hastings:
Christopher Milbradt:

Hastings rolled over a dominated ace, but didn’t mind the flop that fell giving him a straight draw.

The dealer then turned the completing Hastings flush but it was short lived, as they followed with the on the river, giving Milbradt the better straight to end his tournament.

Christopher Milbradt - 3,000,000
Brian Hastings - Eliminated