Running Aces Casino

Another full day of action was played to its conclusion at the MSPT Season 17 $1,110 Minnesota Poker State Championship at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack as Day 1b hit its hard stop at the end of Level 15.

The second of three flights drew 316 entries, bringing the two-day total to 483 and ensuring the $500k guarantee will be surpassed with one flight still remaining tomorrow.

Of the 316 entries, only 35 players remained when pens went to slips, with MSPT Champ Lee Rzentkowski (668,000) edging out Yuchen Chen (610,000) for the overall top stack thus far.

Andre Brown secured the final elimination of the night to end the night with 595,000, while two-time MSPT Champ Miike Estes (546,000) and Wild Bill Romer (522,000) rounded out the top five stacks of the flight.

Several other familiar players will also be joining the aforementioned five which include MSPT champ Wes Cannon (382,000), Jesse Green (365,000), and MSPT Hall of Famer’s Umut Ozturk (337,000),Gerald Cunniff (295,000), Aaron Johnson (124,000), Kou Vang (118,000), and DQ Dan Hendrickson (82,000), are just a few more of the players to add their names to the Day 2 roster along with the 19 to have already advanced from Day 1a.

Among those to try and fall on Day 1b included Vic Peppe, Theresa Brown, Greg Asche, Blaise Poupore, Elizabeth Ethridge, and Erick Wright, 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 17 Minnesota Poker State Championship Remaining Schedule

Photo: Phia Vue

Andre Brown raised from middle position, and Phia Vue defended his big blind to see a flop.

Action was checked to the turn, where Vue’s remaining 105,000 chips got into the middle, and he was called.

Phia Vue:
Andre Brown:

It was an action flop with Brown holding the best of it after he flopped the nuts, and the river ended Vue’s night on the bubble.

Andre Brown - 595,000
Phia Vue - 0

With 36 players remaining, the hand-for-hand process has started, as only 35 will make it to Sunday’s Day 2.

For the first time this season, the MSPT made its way back home to the tundra, and over the past week, players have been inside Running Aces Casino & Racetrack for the Season 17 Minnesota Poker State Championship!

In Event #5: $400 Mini Main NLH, a whopping 1,099 entries were tallied after two starting flights, generating a $366,665 prize pool, which paid out the top 123 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Rodney Colson (11^th Place - $5,075), Mike Wilklow (14^th Place - $3,988), two-time MSPT Champ Mike Estes (26^th Place - $1,149), DJ Buckley (38^th Place - $1,233), Season 15 Minnesota Poker State Champ Sean Hinton (63^rd Place - $1,015), and MSPT Hall of Famer Kou Vang (110^th Place - $689).

When the dust settled, Minnesota native Basim Habib was the last man standing, taking home the $58,227 top prize, along with his first Gold Card!

Final Table Results

Photo: Eric Eelkema

Eric Eelkema raised all-in from under the gun and found one caller from middle position.

Eric Eelkema:
Opponent:

Eelkema found himself in a race, and took the lead after a king appeared in the window on the flop.

The turn kept Eelkema out in front, and the river secured his double-up.

Eric Eelkema - 90,000

After notching his first-ever Main Event cash back in 2014, DJ Buckley has become one of the most consistent players on the tour, earning himself a record 85 Main Event cashes, and has started off the new Season by notching six in the first nine events.

With a full season remaining, Buckley will look to keep notching the cashes underneath his belt, as he will look to become the first player ever to earn 100 Main Event cashes and take his seat in the coveted MSPT Hall of Fame.

All-Time Main Event Cashes

Photo: Rob WazWaz

There was all-in action preflop between MSPT Hall of Famer Rob WazWaz from the hijack and Andrew Boomer from the big blind, with WazWaz holding the effective stack.

Rob WazWaz:
Andrew Boomer:

WazWaz rolled over a dominated hand, but the flop paired his queen, giving him the lead while Boomer picked up a Broadway draw.

The then fell on the turn, keeping WazWaz in the front, but the dealer followed with a heartbreaking on the river to end his night.

Rob WazWaz - 0