Grand Falls Casino

For the first time this season, the MSPT traveled to Iowa's Grand Falls Casino to play host to a four-event Gold Card series, headlined by the $1,110 Main Event.

A total of 327 entries were recorded over two days, and on Sunday, just 37 players returned for Day 2 with their eyes set on the title.

The final day saw eight former champs return to the felt, including Aaron Johnson, who, after nine hours of play, navigated his way to an incredible third career title, along with a payday good for $72,104.

“It’s incredible,” Johnson stated after his victory, “The last few months have been amazing, as you know I won my second MSPT in November and then went on to win the biggest tournament of my career the very next month, so it’s been a pretty insane run.”

For the past decade, Johnson has put in his dues on the tour and has racked up some incredible accolades. The win not only made him the eighth person in tour history to earn a third title, but it also marked his 67^th Main Event cash hich is the fourth most ever, and brought his career MSPT earnings to $872,248.

Johnson now sits not only fourth in the MSPT GOAT rankings, but also the WORLD rankings, and has earned himself a seat into the $3,500 MSPT Championship Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO), which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, Nov. 18 – Dec. 2, boasting a $2,000,000 GTD Main Event!

MSPT Season 17 Grand Falls Main Event Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with 37 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with Jon Maras being set up by Terence Reid’s pocket fives, making him the first body to drop, while the MSPT’s top casher, DJ Buckley, followed him to the payout desk as part of the first batch of eliminations.

A spree of eliminations then occurred, which saw Joe Matheson (26^th Place - $2,414) become the first MSPT Champ in the field to fall, followed by 2018 Grand Falls Champ Ryan Skluzak (22^nd Place - $2,696), Season 16 Poker Bowl Champ Anthony Scarborough (20^th Place - $2,976), three-time MSPT Champ Carl Carodenuto (19^th Place - $2,976), Michael Estes (16^th Place - $3,605) and MSPT Hall of Famer Gerald Cunniff (14^th Place - $4,232), as they all fell by the wayside, setting up the stacked final table.

Final Table Action

Once the final table was set, it didn’t take long for short-stack Fuh Nguyen to hit the deck after his pair of ladies was set up by Jon Hanner’s pair of snowmen, making him the first final table elimination.

Play then hit a stalemate for a few levels until the players came back from their dinner break, as Artie Arndt returned with a sour taste in his mouth and jammed his top stack in the middle with a nine-eight offsuit, only to be dismantled by Josh Matti’s Big Slick, ending his run in eighth place.

A few hands later saw Minnesota’s Clint Wolcyn get his short stack in the middle from the big blind, holding an ace-eight, only to run into fellow Minnesotan Mark Bloomberg’s dominating ace-ten to take a seventh-place departure.

It was back-to-back final table appearances here at Grand Falls for Bloomberg, who was hoping to top his fourth-place finish from back in August, but he lost a big flip with pocket sevens only to take a sixth-place exit for $13,794.

Five-handed action then saw two former champs still in contention, with Mo Nuwwarah sitting atop the counts, while Johnson sat towards the bottom, until he caught some steam to leapfrog Roger VanRiper.

Once VanRiper fell to the bottom of the counts, he needed to make a move and found an ace-five to roll with, only to run into Nuwwarah’s pocket nines to take a fifth-place finish for $17,869.

Shortly after VanRiper’s departure, Nuwwarah would find another pair of nines to drop last August’s sixth-place finisher, Hanner, in fourth place for $23,862.

The cash marked Hanner’s 22^nd on the tour, including his 10^th final table appearance, which brought his MSPT career earnings to $347,967.

Three-handed action saw Nuwwarah holding the majority of the chips in play, leaving Johnson and Matti needing to make a move, and as fate would have it, the two would tussle with premium hands in a battle of the blinds.

Matti rolled over a pair of jacks, while Johnson held a superior pair of queens, and he flopped a top set of ladies to end Matti’s run in third-place for $32,290.

The heads-up battle then left the two remaining champs to tussle it out and started with Nuwwarah holding a 3:1 chip advantage, but tides would quickly turn within a few hands, a slight lead before ultimately cooling off Nuwwarah in second-place for $44,520, while Johnson secured his third MSPT title!

This wraps up our coverage of yet another amazing tournament, so make sure you join us next when we make our first stop to Riverside, Iowa, for their $1,110 Main Event at the Riverside Casino March 17^th - 22^nd!

MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson opened for 250,000, and fellow Champ Mo Nuwwarah defended to see a flop.

Nuwwarah check-called a 150,000 continuation bet from Johnson, and both players checked the turn to the river.

This time, Nuwwarah check-raised to 3,200,000 after Johnson fired out a 1,100,000 bet, and then called off his remaining 200,000 after Johnson three-bet jammed for more.

Nuwwarah then tabled for the second nuts, but it was no good, as Johnson held the better hand, tabling , ending Nuwwarah’s Main Event.

Aaron Johnson - 9,810,000
Mo Nuwwarah - Eliminated

LESS THAN MONTH AWAY

: Running Aces Casino, Hotel & Racetrack - Columbus, MN

: April 7-19, 2026

: $1,110 / $500K GTD Main Event

: $400 / $100K GTD Mini Main

: $3,500 MSPT Championship Seat ADDED to Main Event 1st Place

: 19 Gold Card Events

: https://runaces.com/deals/

Event Schedule: https://msptpoker.com/showpdf.aspx?eventID=588msptpoker.com

Running Aces Poker Tournaments

MSPT Champ Mo Nuwwarah opened for 200,000 from the button, only to have Josh Matti three-bet jam 1,225,000 from the small blind.

Action was then on MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johsnon, who moved all-in as well, holding the exact same amount as Matti, pushing Nuwwarah off the pot.

Josh Matti:
Aaron Johnson:

It was a cooler situation for Matti, as Johnson rolled over the superior made hand, and things got worse after a lady appeared in the window on the flop, improving Johnson to top set.

The dealer then dropped the on the turn, pairing the board, and left Matti drawing dead to the river.

Mo Nuwwarah - 7,065,000
Aaron Johnson - 2,745,000
Josh Matti - Eliminated

Jon Hanner was all-in after a flop from the hijack and was called by MSPT Champ Mo Nuwwarah from the cutoff.

Jon Hanner:
Mo Nuwwarah:

Hanner flopped tiop pair with an open-ended staright draw, but was still trailing Nuwwarah’s overpair of nines, and the turn left him needing help from the river.

Unfortunately for Hanner, the that fell didn’t do the trick as it gave Nuwwarah the nine-high straight, ending his tournament.

Mo Nuwwarah - 6,050,000
Jon Hanner - Eliminated

Roger VanRiper raised all-in for 1,020,000 from the button, and MSPT Champ Mo Nuwwarah looked him up from the big blind.

Roger VanRiper:
Mo Nuwwarah:

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

The turn did give VanRiper some more outs with a gutshot straight draw, but the completed the board on the river and ended his run.

Mo Nuwwarah - 4,700,000
Roger VanRiper - Eliminated

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 84 Main Event cashes, and has started off the new Season by notching five in the first eight 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

MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson open-jammed 725,000 from under the gun and was called by Mark Bloomberg from the cutoff before Jon Hanner went over the top from the button.

Action then folded back to Bloomberg, who called off his remaining 115,000, and all three hands were tabled.

Aaron Johnson:
Mark Bloomberg:
Jon Hanner:

“Queen,” Hanner exclaimed just before the flop fell, giving him the lead.

The dealer then turned the , keeping Hanner in the lead, and just when he was looking good to score the double knockout, the was dropped on the river, securing Johnson a triple-up, while Hanner collected the rest of Bloomberg’s stack, ending his tournament.

Aaron Johnson - 2,200,000
Jon Hanner - 1,350,000
Mark Bloomberg - Eliminated

Clint Wolcyn was all-in preflop for 300,000 from the big blind and was called by Mark Bloomberg from middle position.

Clint Wolcyn:
Mark Bloomberg:

Wolcyn rolled over a dominated hand, but the flop did come paired, bringing chop possibilities.

Unfortunately for Wolcyn, neither the turn nor the river were cards he wanted to see, ending his run.

Mark Bloomberg - 1,400,000
Clint Wolcyn - Eliminated

Josh Matti raised under the gun, and MSPT Champ Mo Nuwwarah defended his big blind to see a flop.

Nuwwarah check-raised to 300,000 after Matti fired out a 90,000 continuation bet, and then called of fhis 1,605,000 stack after Matti three-bet jammed for more.

Mo Nuwwarah:
Josh Matti:

Nuwwarah was ahead holding the better flush draw, and faded the turn and river to take the chip lead from Matti.

Mo Nuwwarah - 3,400,000
Josh Matti - 650,000