MSPT returned to JACK Cleveland Casino for the Ohio Poker State Championship and the turnout didn't disappoint.
The $1,110 buy-in, $500K GTD Main Event was one to remember as a total of 1,041 entries blasted passed the venue’s previous best field of 991 last May and the $1,008,270 prize pool was the first million dollar prize pool in an Ohio casino.
After 12 hours of play, it was Anthony Cico who navigated his way through to the finish line was for a $140,771 first place prize along with his first MSPT title.
“It feels great to be honest,” Cico continued, “I haven’t really played poker in a few years, and this was my first MSPT event ever so it feels really awesome.”
The six-figure score was definitely a milestone for Cico as he doesn’t have much to his name in live earnings but all you need is a little luck according to him as he ended by saying,
“It was all because of the lucky French fry.”
2023 MSPT JACK Cleveland Final Table Results
| Place |
Player |
Hometown |
Prize |
POY |
| 1 |
Anthony Cico |
|
$140,771 |
1,500 |
| 2 |
Brent Ballentine |
Riverview, MI |
$106,890 |
1,500 |
| 3 |
Dionta James |
Cleveland, OH |
$102,278 |
1,500 |
| 4 |
Andrew Shields |
|
$100,804 |
1,500 |
| 5 |
Nathan Early |
Lakewood, OH |
$48,396 |
1,400 |
| 6 |
Mike Iacovone |
Mentor, OH |
$37,305 |
1,300 |
| 7 |
Ali Berry |
|
$29,239 |
1,200 |
| 8 |
Van Tran |
Battle Creek, MI |
$22,181 |
1,100 |
| 9 |
Thomas Scott |
Charlotte, NC |
$18,148 |
1,000 |
With 108 slated to get paid, a handful of players needed to exit before players reached the money. Among those to leave empty-handed were Brad Sailor, Katie Kopp, DJ MacKinnon, and Matt Park, to name a few.
Only one level needed to pass before the hand-for-hand process began and Godson Wright lost back-to-back hands to be eliminated on the money bubble.
After the bubble burst, the march to the final table began. Among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday were, MSPT Season 14 POY points leader Jared Ingles (11th - $14,115), Frank Lagodich (16th - $9,881), MSPT champ Chan Pelton (29th - $4,436), MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (62nd - $2,823), and MSPT champ Chance Kornuth (108th - $2,117).
Final Table Action
Once players took their seats at the final table, it didn't take long for action to kick into gear as short stack Thomas Scott got his chips in the middle with Big Slick against Andrew Shields holding a suited queen-eight.
It was a rough start for Scott after the flop gave Sheilds trip queens to take a massive lead. Scott did pick up a Broadway draw but he was unable to complete it as he was the first final table elimination.
Shortly after, Van Tran got his chip stack in the middle on the button with a made hand of fours only to have Brent Ballentine wake up with a pair of eights in the big blind.
Unfortunately for Tran, he was unable to improve his hand and he made his exit in eighth place.
Next up was Ali Berry, whose crazy roller coaster day ended after he jammed king-ten into Dionta James' pocket kings.
Mike Iacovone waited patiently and finally found a hand to roll with as he called off his stack with a made hand of eights against Andrew Shields holding a ten-five suited.
Shields was trying to make a move, and in the end, it paid off as he rivered a flush to eliminate Iacovone in sixth place for $37,305.
The final table misfortune continued as Nathan Early’s freeroll came to an and after his pocket jacks were cracked by Shields suited ace-five.
That hand left Early short and after receiving a double, he was outkicked by Cico to take home $48,396 for his fifth place finish.
After Early’s departure, it didn’t take long for an ICM chop discussion to take place and after the numbers were calculated, a deal was agreed upon with Anthony Cico taking home the title along lion’s share for the record-breaking prize pool.
This wraps up our coverage of yet another record-breaking tournament.