$

Awarded to date

The Venetian

June 6 - 10, 2016
Main Event: 2887 Entrants
Winner: Thomas Boivin
recap_icon

EVENT RECAP

The third annual Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian Main Event proved to be a record-setting affair.

First, it was the largest MSPT in history with 2,887-entry field (499 entries on Day 1a; 968 Day 1b; and 1,420 Day 1c), which smashed the advertised $2 million guarantee by creating a $2,829,260 prize pool. Second, Day 1c was the largest-ever single flight ever held at the Venetian (all 72 tables were reserved for tournament play). Finally, Belgium's Thomas Boivin captured the title and a $352,153 -- the largest prize ever awarded on the MSPT – after a heads-up deal with poker pro Mukul Pahuja.

Boivin is a 26-year-old player who holds a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering. He learned the game when he was just 16 years old and cut his chops online. According to HendonMob, he had $84,178 in live tournament earnings before the win with his largest cash being $25,367 for a runner-up finish in the Belgian Poker Challenge €2,000 High Roller.

"It's definitely a good moment for the money to come," said Boivin, who plans to stick around Vegas (it's his first time here) to try his luck at the 2016 World Series of Poker across town.

Boivin played a patient game at the final table as Pahuja controlled the action with a big stack. However, Boivin hit a heater with four players remaining and entered heads-up play against Pahuja, WPT Season XII Player of the Year, close enough in chips. The two proceeded to change the chip lead several times before taking a timeout to strike a deal. Instead of one of them winning the 403k first-place prize, they agreed that Pahuja would lock up $300,000, Boivin $352,153, and that $41,494 would be left on the table.

Soon thereafter, Boivin shoved the button with six-eight suited and Pahuja called with king-jack. Pahuja held through the flop and turn, but then Boivin spiked a gutshot straight on the river to clinch victory.

Long before that, the third and final day of play saw 22 players return to action, and it didn't take long for them to hit the rail. Tizzy Brown was the first to go after kings cracked his pocket aces, and then the last Minnesotan and MSPT champ standing, Dan "DQ" Hendrickson, followed him out the door in 21st for $20,371.

Others to fall over the next few hours were start-of-the-day chip leader Matt Herrera (16th - $24,615), Delmiro Toledo (14th - $26,876), and James Mangararo (11th - $33,951), just to name a few.

For more results and hand histories, feel free to pull from our live blog here.

Thanks to his third-place finish, TJ Thondup took the lead in the MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year with 2,400 points, ahead of Lauson and Boivin who have 2,117 and 2,000 respectively.

result

The RESULTS

Rank
Player Name
City
State
Amount
Points
1
 
$352,153
2,000
2
NJ 
$300,000
1,800
3
NM 
$186,731
1,700
4
Austin 
TX 
$147,122
1,600
5
WV 
$113,170
1,500
6
CO 
$90,536
1,400
7
CO 
$70,732
1,300
8
 
$53,473
1,200
9
NJ 
$42,439
1,100
10
CA 
$33,951
1,000
11
Nutley 
NJ 
$33,951
1,000
12
NC 
$33,951
1,000
13
MA 
$26,876
900
14
Fresno 
CA 
$26,876
900
15
Ozark 
MO 
$26,876
900
16
CA 
$24,615
900
17
WI 
$24,615
900
18
NV 
$24,615
900
19
NV 
$20,371
800
20
Denver 
CO 
$20,371
800
21
MN 
$20,371
800
22
WA 
$16,976
800
23
NV 
$16,976
800
25
 
 
$13,863
800
26
 
$13,863
800
27
WA 
$13,863
800
28
NV 
$9,902
700
29
NV 
$9,902
700
30
IL 
$9,902
700
31
CA 
$9,902
700
32
NV 
$9,902
700
33
Many 
LA 
$9,902
700
34
 
AZ 
$9,902
700
35
NV 
$9,902
700
36
FL 
$9,902
700
37
 
 
$7,639
600
38
MN 
$7,639
600
39
NV 
$7,639
600
40
 
$7,639
600
42
TN 
$7,639
600
43
MN 
$7,639
600
44
GA 
$7,639
600
45
PA 
$7,639
600
46
FL 
$6,507
500
47
NV 
$6,507
500
48
NV 
$6,507
500
49
NV 
$6,507
500
50
NJ 
$6,507
500
51
 
 
$6,507
500
52
NC 
$6,507
500
53
WI 
$6,507
500
54
GA 
$6,507
500
55
FL 
$5,941
400
56
 
$5,941
400
58
Omaha 
NE 
$5,941
400
59
NJ 
$5,941
400
60
GA 
$5,941
400
61
 
$5,941
400
62
CA 
$5,941
400
63
IA 
$5,941
400
64
FL 
$5,517
300
65
NY 
$5,517
300
66
 
$5,517
300
67
VA 
$5,517
300
68
GA 
$5,517
300
69
WA 
$5,517
300
70
NY 
$5,517
300
71
NV 
$5,517
300
72
NJ 
$5,517
300
73
Dallas 
GA 
$5,093
200
75
Denver 
CO 
$5,093
200
76
Brazil 
NV 
$5,093
200
77
TN 
$5,093
200
78
NV 
$5,093
200
79
MD 
$5,093
200
80
NM 
$5,093
200
81
NV 
$5,093
200
82
France 
 
$4,385
100
83
MI 
$4,385
100
84
NV 
$4,385
100
85
 
$4,385
100
86
 
 
$4,385
100
87
MI 
$4,385
100
88
CT 
$4,385
100
89
MN 
$4,385
100
90
NY 
$4,385
100
91
NM 
$4,385
100
92
NY 
$4,385
100
93
MD 
$4,385
100
94
LA 
$4,385
100
95
FL 
$4,385
100
96
Logan 
IA 
$4,385
100
97
MO 
$4,385
100
98
UK 
 
$4,385
100
99
CA 
$4,385
100
100
OR 
$3,961
50
101
WI 
$3,961
50
102
NY 
$3,961
50
103
FL 
$3,961
50
104
NV 
$3,961
50
105
 
$3,961
50
106
Mesa 
AZ 
$3,961
50
107
WI 
$3,961
50
108
Orion 
IL 
$3,961
50
109
CA 
$3,961
50
110
NJ 
$3,961
50
111
CA 
$3,961
50
112
FL 
$3,961
50
113
 
 
$3,961
50
114
CA 
$3,961
50
115
TX 
$3,961
50
116
TX 
$3,961
50
117
Omaha 
NE 
$3,961
50
118
 
$3,961
50
119
IL 
$3,961
50
120
Cary 
NC 
$3,961
50
121
FL 
$3,961
50
122
NV 
$3,961
50
123
Tulsa 
OK 
$3,961
50
124
NC 
$3,961
50
125
Mound 
MN 
$3,961
50
126
MA 
$3,961
50
127
TX 
$3,961
50
128
CA 
$3,961
50
129
OH 
$3,961
50
130
Brazil 
 
$3,961
50
131
AZ 
$3,961
50
132
NV 
$3,961
50
133
NY 
$3,961
50
134
MD 
$3,961
50
135
ID 
$3,961
50
136
IN 
$3,537
50
137
 
$3,537
50
138
MA 
$3,537
50
139
 
 
$3,537
50
140
NV 
$3,537
50
141
IL 
$3,537
50
142
NY 
$3,537
50
143
IN 
$3,537
50
144
CA 
$3,537
50
145
 
$3,537
50
146
MN 
$3,537
50
147
NY 
$3,537
50
149
PA 
$3,537
50
150
WI 
$3,537
50
151
Denver 
CO 
$3,537
50
152
CA 
$3,537
50
153
MI 
$3,537
50
154
FL 
$3,537
50
155
 
$3,537
50
156
 
$3,537
50
157
Kona 
HI 
$3,537
50
158
 
 
$3,537
50
159
KY 
$3,537
50
160
NV 
$3,537
50
161
VA 
$3,537
50
162
Latvia 
 
$3,537
50
163
LA 
$3,537
50
164
PA 
$3,537
50
165
PA 
$3,537
50
166
TX 
$3,537
50
167
 
$3,537
50
168
 
 
$3,537
50
169
NJ 
$3,537
50
170
UK 
 
$3,112
50
171
MA 
$3,112
50
172
CO 
$3,112
50
173
PA 
$3,112
50
174
Bend 
OR 
$3,112
50
175
 
 
$3,112
50
176
NV 
$3,112
50
177
Russia 
 
$3,112
50
178
FL 
$3,112
50
179
NV 
$3,112
50
180
FL 
$3,112
50
181
VT 
$3,112
50
182
CA 
$3,112
50
183
Reno 
NV 
$3,112
50
184
WA 
$3,112
50
185
NV 
$3,112
50
186
MA 
$3,112
50
187
Spain 
 
$3,112
50
188
CA 
$3,112
50
189
IL 
$3,112
50
190
Ripon 
CA 
$3,112
50
191
NV 
$3,112
50
192
MI 
$3,112
50
193
WI 
$3,112
50
194
CA 
$3,112
50
195
 
 
$3,112
50
196
 
$3,112
50
197
Sandes 
 
$3,112
50
198
Dallas 
TX 
$3,112
50
199
 
$3,112
50
200
NY 
$3,112
50
201
Austin 
TX 
$3,112
50
202
NV 
$3,112
50
203
WA 
$3,112
50
204
FL 
$3,112
50
205
MI 
$3,112
50
206
Wilson 
NC 
$3,112
50
207
 
$2,688
50
208
PA 
$2,688
50
209
FL 
$2,688
50
210
Canada 
 
$2,688
50
211
MN 
$2,688
50
212
NJ 
$2,688
50
213
Tampa 
FL 
$2,688
50
214
WA 
$2,688
50
215
Canada 
 
$2,688
50
216
TN 
$2,688
50
217
 
$2,688
50
218
NY 
$2,688
50
219
Tuscan 
CA 
$2,688
50
220
NV 
$2,688
50
221
 
$2,688
50
222
 
 
$2,688
50
223
France 
 
$2,688
50
224
NV 
$2,688
50
225
FL 
$2,688
50
226
NJ 
$2,688
50
227
NV 
$2,688
50
228
Tampa 
FL 
$2,688
50
229
 
$2,688
50
230
CT 
$2,688
50
231
Boone 
NC 
$2,688
50
232
 
$2,688
50
233
AR 
$2,688
50
234
Canada 
 
$2,688
50
235
NV 
$2,688
50
236
Italy 
 
$2,688
50
237
 
$2,688
50
238
Waseca 
MN 
$2,688
50
239
CA 
$2,688
50
240
 
 
$2,688
50
241
CA 
$2,688
50
242
NV 
$2,688
50
243
PA 
$2,688
50
244
MN 
$2,688
50
245
CA 
$2,688
50
246
CA 
$2,688
50
247
FL 
$2,688
50
248
CA 
$2,688
50
249
CO 
$2,688
50
250
CT 
$2,688
50
251
TX 
$2,688
50
252
Korea 
 
$2,546
50
253
NV 
$2,546
50
254
FL 
$2,546
50
255
CA 
$2,546
50
256
France 
 
$2,546
50
257
Estero 
FL 
$2,546
50
258
 
$2,546
50
259
CT 
$2,546
50
260
MN 
$2,546
50
261
OR 
$2,546
50
262
CA 
$2,546
50
263
MN 
$2,546
50
264
NV 
$2,546
50
265
Conway 
SC 
$2,546
50
266
IL 
$2,546
50
267
 
OR 
$2,546
50
268
NY 
$2,546
50
269
Weston 
FL 
$2,546
50
270
IL 
$2,546
50
271
Warren 
MI 
$2,546
50
272
 
$2,546
50
273
NV 
$2,546
50
274
TX 
$2,546
50
275
 
$2,546
50
276
CA 
$2,546
50
277
MS 
$2,546
50
278
 
 
$2,546
50
279
NV 
$2,546
50
280
TN 
$2,546
50
281
NV 
$2,546
50
282
FL 
$2,546
50
283
NY 
$2,546
50
284
NV 
$2,546
50
285
 
 
$2,546
50
286
TX 
$2,546
50
287
IL 
$2,546
50
288
 
$2,546
50
289
NV 
$2,546
50
290
 
$2,546
50
291
CA 
$2,546
50
292
MN 
$2,546
50
293
MN 
$2,546
50
294
SC 
$2,546
50
295
 
$2,546
50
296
Mobile 
AL 
$2,546
50
297
FL 
$2,546
50