Running Aces Casino

Another full day of action was played to its conclusion at the MSPT Season 16 $1,110 Minnesota Poker State Championship at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack as Day 1b hit its hard stop at the end of Level 16.

The second of three flights drew 327 entries to bring the two-day total thus far to 546, passing the $500k guarantee with one flight remaining.

Of the 327 entries, only 36 players remained when pens went to slips with Michael Rohrer (718,000) edging out Jay Chaudhary (710,000) for the top stack of the flight.

Gennady Shimelfarb was the only other player to clip the 600k mark (615,000) this flight while WSOP bracelet winner Rob WazWaz (535,000), and fellow MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson (511,000) rounded out the top five stacks of the flight.

Several other familiar players will also be joining the aforementioned five which include two-time MSPT champ TimThorp (360,000), KitKat Klassen (215,000), Terence Reid (212,000), WSOP bracelet winner Ian Matakis (170,000), and MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Massey (150,000), are just a few more of the players to add their names to the Day 2 roster along with the 25 to have already advanced from Day 1a.

Among those to try and fall on Day 1b included Vic Peppe, Bob Van Syckle, Tanya Payne, Jessica Anderson, Charlie Reichard and MSPT champ Ken Pates just to name a few.

The final starting flight will get underway tomorrow at noon. Late registration and re-entries will remain open through Level 12 (approximately 9:10 p.m.).

Make sure to tune in to see who makes it through to Day 2.

MSPT Season 16 Minnesota Poker State Championship Remaining Schedule

Keerat Bawa was all in preflop for 55,000 from late position and Paul Eidem gave her isolation from the button.

Keerat Bawa:
Paul Eidem:

Bawa didn’t like seeing Eidem roll over a pair of kings and for good reason as the runout ended her night on the bubble.

Paul Eidem - 200,000
Keerat Bawa - 0

Zephaniah Baer raised from middle position and then called a 56,000 three-bet jam WSOP bracelet winner Ian Matakis made from a few seats over.

Ian Matakis:
Zephaniah Baer:

Matakis rolled over a dominating hand and the runout secured his double-up.

Zephaniah Baer - 140,000
Ian Matakis - 136,000

So far, 25 players have punched their ticket into Day 2 and another group of 36 hopefuls will look to add their names to that list tonight.

All who make it through until the end of play will return to action, Sunday, April 13^th at 11:10 a.m. for Day 2, where the remaining players from all starting flights will combine and play until a winner is declared.

There was heads-up action between two-time MSPT champ Tim Thorp from late position and the button with a completed board showing.

With just under 200,000 already in the middle, Thorp decided to check his option only to be faced with an all-in bet from his opponent.

After a careful thought, Throp decided to risk his 88,000 stack and tabled to collect a massive double as was tossed into the muck.

Tim Thorp - 365,000

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: May 15-18, 2025

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Nate Boyer raised from under the gun and then called two-time MSPT champ Dave Gonia’s 85,000 three-bet jam from late position

Dave Gonia:
Nate Boyer:

It was a cooler situation for the former two-time, and flop made things ice cold as it gave both players a set.

The turn then left Gonia needing the case king to fall on the river to stay alive, but the completed the board and sent him out the door.

Nate Boyer - 230,000
Dave Gonia - 0