Running Aces Casino

For the first time this year, the MSPT returned home to host the Season 17 Minnesota Poker State Championship at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack, and it was surely one to remember.

Players from across the country traveled to Minnesota for the 19-Gold Card event series, which was headlined by the $1,110 buy-in, $500K GTD Main Event.

A total of 882 entries were recorded, generating a $854,040 prize pool, and on Sunday, 96 players returned for Day 2 action with hopes of claiming the MSPT title, and when the dust settled, it was tour newcomer, Carson Chen, who maneuvered his way through the tough field to claim the Season 17 Minnesota Poker State Championship title.

“I feel a little guilty”, Chen said after his win, “I came here with my friend Jonathan, who I met last year at the WSOP, but this is his home state, and I ended up leaving with the trophy, so I do feel guilty, but also very happy”.

It was a very modest and humble response from the newly crowned champ and tour newcomer, who’s excited to start playing more events in the future.

“Definitely”, Chen said when asked about playing more upcoming events, “I really like the trophies and want to start collecting more Gold Cards, I really like them both”.

Along with the win, Chen has earned himself a seat in 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 Minnesota Poker State Championship Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with 96 players already in the money, and action kicked right into gear with Jarrod Blackwell being the first to exit, while Adithya Pailla and MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup followed him to the payout desk as part of the first batch of payouts.

The fast-paced action hit a new gear with players dropping like flies while other making moves to gain chips as two-time MSPT Champ’s Mark Sandness (72^nd Place - $2,349) & Jeremy Dresch (71^st Place - $2,349), Season 15 Minnesota Poker State Champ Sean Hinton (65^th Place - $2,349), MSPT Hall of Famer Kou Vang (54^th Place - $2,684), and two-time MSPT Champ Mike Estes (49^th Place - $2,684) all fell in quick succession.

After Estes’ departure, players continued to drop like wildfire, among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday included MSPT Hall of Famer Gerald Cunniff (42^nd Place - $3,020), fellow Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk (29^th Place - $3,691), five-time MSPT Champ Blake Bohn (28^th Place - $3,691), WSOP bracelet winner TJ Murphy (18^th Place - $9,540), and Season 16 Player of the Year Jake Long (11^th Place - $10,065), setting the stage for the final table.

Final Table action

Once players took their seats at the final table, it didn't take long for action to kick right into gear with Michael Williams getting out-kicked by MSPT Champ to Wes Cannon, becoming the first final table elimination. For Williams, this was his 8th MSPT Main Event Cash and 3rd Top 10 Finish.

Unfortunately for Cannon, he would follow Williams to the payout desk in a similar fashion, as he was out-kicked by Gene Boyer to take an eighth-place finish. This was back-to-back final tables for Cannon, who recently won at MSPT Riverside. This was his 22^nd MSPT Main Event cash and 6^th Top 10 Finish – totaling $364,481 MSPT Earnings! Not long after, Nick Kromschroeder had an ill-faded departure as his ace-queen of diamonds was flushed out by Chris Jones’ ace-queen of hearts in seventh-place. This was Kromschroeder’s 1st Top 10 Finish on 4 MSPT Main Event cashes.

Paul Carney came into the final table hoping to improve off his ninth-place finish from last year, and he did just that after he took a sixth-place exit after his ace-jack offsuit ran into soon-to-be champ Chen’s grumpy pair of ladies, marking his 12^th Main Event cash and 2^nd final table appearance.

Decorated MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson sat down at the final table third in chips with his eyes set on becoming the third player in tour history to win at least four MSPT titles, but ended up falling just shy in fifth-place to Tanner Pray’s Big Slick, taking home $49,939 in his efforts.

The departure marked Johnson’s fourth final table appearance in just six short months, bringing his tour total to 15, and he has moved up in every single leaderboard category, cementing himself as one of the greatest ever on the tour.

Four-handed saw Pray applying maximum pressure to each one of his opponents, as his stack first ballooned up to nearly a third of the chips in play, only to run into two cooler hands against Boyer, which ultimately led to him taking a fourth-place exit for $55,359. For Pray, this was his 1st Top 10 Finish despite 13 Main Event cashes.

With three players remaining, Boyer held a commanding chip lead over his two opponents, but both competitors wouldn’t go down without a fight, as chips would shuffle around and a couple of double-ups would occur before they agreed upon a deal, and duke it out for the trophy.

After the deal was agreed upon, Chen took charge with ruthless aggression, which ultimately saw Jones take a third-place finish for $99,276, Boyer finish runner-up for a career score of $107,435, while Chen took home the top prize along with the title of Minnesota Poker State Champion!

This wraps up coverage of this year’s Minnesota Poker State Championship, but Season 17 of the MSPT continues as we head to the Ameristar in East Chicago next from November 21^st - 26^th, and our reporting team will be on hand to provide updates for the $300K GTD $1,110 Main Event. So, make sure to come back!

Gene Boyer raised all-in from the button, and Yuchen “Carson” Chen looked him up from the big blind.

Gene Boyer:
Yuchen “Carson” Chen:

Boyer was at risk holding a live suited hand, and the flop paired both players.

The turn then left Boyer needing a nine or seven to fall on the river to stay alive, but the completed the board and ended his night with a runner-up finish, while Chen secured the Season 17 Minnesota Poker State Championship.

Yuchen “Carson” Chen - f26,460,000
Gene Boyer - Eliminated

Chris Jones raised all-in and was called by Yuchen “Carson” Chen.

The board was run out before either player showed their cards, with each revealing one at a time.

Chris Jones:
Yuchen “Carson” Chen:

Chen peeled off a pair of tens, and sent Jones Packing.

ARE YOU IN THE MSPT FOR $20KDON’T WAIT

The TOP World-Ranked MSPT Players as of December 2, 2026, will compete in a HEADS UP FREEROLL tournament at the 2026 MSPT Winter Poker Classic at Running Aces Poker Tournaments for $20,000

Players will be seeded by rankOnly Top get in

Full List: https://msptpoker.com/statistics/WorldRanking.aspx

The final three players have agreed upon a deal that will see them play for 10% of the remaining prize pool ($33,000), along with the title, Gold Card, and $3,500 Championship Seat.

The details include;

Gene Boyer locking up $107,435
Chris Jones locking up $99,176
Yuchen “Carson” Chen locking up $99,142

Over the past week, players have been inside Running Aces Casino & Racetrack in Columbus, MN, duking it out for the MSPT Season 17 Minnesota Poker State Championship!

In Event #13: $300 PLO Monster Stack, 144 four-card specialists took to the felt to duel it out for the top spot, and generated a $35,280 prize pool that paid out the top 15 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Thomas Nguyen (10th Place - $723), Louis Hillman (11th Place - $723), Thomas Hemmingson (12th Place - $723), Harold Behling (13th Place - 600), Lucas Ledoux (14th Place - $600) and Dayton Gehrig (15th Place - $600).

In the end, it was Ki Kyun who claimed the top spot to take down the lion's share of the prize pool!

Final Table Results

Gene Boyer raised all-in from the small blind, and Chris Jones called off his 2,450,000 stack from the big blind.

Chris Jones:
Gene Boyer:

Jones rolled over a dominating hand, but the flop came with a sweat, as it gave Boyer an open-ended straight draw.

Fortunately for Boyer, the board completed with running on the turn and river, securing his double-up.

Gene Boyer - 13,800,000
Yuchen “Carson” Chen - 7,900,000
Chris Jones - 5,300,000

MSPT FESTIVAL

: Potawatomi Casino Hotel - Milwaukee, WI

: April 28 - May 3, 2026

: $1,000,000 GTD Main Event
: $3,500 MSPT Championship Seat ADDED to Main Event 1st Place

: 11 Gold Card Events

: https://msptpoker.com/.../book-today-for-the-upcoming...

Event Schedule: https://msptpoker.com/showpdf.aspx?eventID=494msptpoker.co

Gene Boyer raised to 300,000 from the cutoff and then called Tanner Pray’s 2,800,000 three-bet jam from the small blind.

Tanner Pray:
Gene Boyer:

Pray found himself in a race for his tournament life, and the flop kept him out in front.

The dealer then peeled off the on the turn, keeping things sweaty as it gave Boyer the lead, while keeping Pray in the race with a diamond flush draw.

Unfortunately for Pray, the river did fall a red card, but it was the to improve Boyd to top two-pair, ending his Main Event run.

Gene Boyer - 15,800,000
Yuchen “Carson” Chen - 4,900,000
Chris Jones - 4,200,000
Tanner Pray - Eliminated