Running Aces Casino

The MSPT returned home to the tundra for the Season 14 Winter Poker Classic at Running Aces Casino, and the 16-trophy event series was headlined by the $1,110 Main Event.

The highlight event was one to remember as a total of 866 entries (195 from Day 1a; 280 from 1b; 391 from 1c), were tallied, generating a $838,520.

On Sunday, 102 players returned for Day 2 action, and after it was said and done, it was Minnesota native, Allan Secord coming out on top to win the $163,511 top prize and his first MSPT title.

“It’s pretty surreal,” said the Minnesotan who made a two-hour trip down from Duluth to play in the tournament, “Everyone always dreams about winning so it’s pretty awesome to be able to do it.”

Secord came into the day in the middle of the pack but was able to ride out the storm until coming away with his first MSPT title in only his third ever Main Event and the timing couldn’t have been better.

“My wife Torri and I just had a kid a few days ago,” stated Secord as he continued to say, “I had this marked down on my calander for a while and she was kind enough to let me play so I know she’ll be siked when she see’s I won.”

With 90 slated to get paid, only 12 players needed to exit before players reached the money. Among those to leave empty-handed were Luke McCorry, Mike Puccio, Bob Van Scykle, and Alex Maas, just to name a few.

Only one full level needed to pass before the hand-for-hand process began with Gary Ewald missed Broadway against Jon Hanner to burst the bubble.

After Hanner felted Ewald on the money bubble, the march to the final table began.

Among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday included MN State Poker Championship runner-up Rory Linton (12th Place - $11,739), two-time MSPT champ Jeremy Dresch (13th Place - $10,062), Season 14 POY front-runner's Umut Ozturk (22nd Place - $5,953) & Rob WazWaz (42nd Place - $3,019) and defending five-time champ Blake Bohn (67th Place - $2,348).

Final Table Action

After the final table was set, it didn't take long for Mike Han Wang to get his short stack in the middle holding a king-queen offsuit and was called by Hanner holding a suited ace-nine.

Wang was unable to connect with either of his live cards and made was the first player eliminated at the final table.

Following Wang's departure was Robert Schoonover who jammed his pocket tens into soon to be champ Secord's pocket aces.

Next on the chopping block was Steve Houle who got his chips in the middle after flopping a top pair of kings but was called by Michael Crawford who held a dominating ace-king, ending his Main Event in seventh place for $24,317.

Shortly after, Pej "Primo" Niyati found a premium in a made hand of jacks only to run into Michael Crawford's cowboys. Niyati was unable to make a set, and his Main Event run ended in sixth place for $31,864.

The very next hand saw Hanner ship his short stack in the middle for a battle of the blinds but unfortunately for him, he was sent home by fellow Minnesotan Loki Abboud, taking $41,926 for his fifth-place finish.

Unfortunately for Abboud, he would be the next to fall after his dominating ace-queen was turned by Chou Chang's ace-ten, and he made his exit in fourth place for $55,342.

Three-handed action saw Secord holding over half the chips in play while Crawford sat in a comfy second, that was until Chang went on a double-up spree and leapfrogged Crawford after he jammed into his aces and was sent home in third place for $74,125.

From there, the heads-up battle saw Secord continue to build his stack, applying pressure to Chang until he finally held all the chips in play as he sent Chang home in second place for $100,627.

MSPT Race for Player of the Year

The MSPT is headed back to the Venetian Las Vegas December 28th - 30th for the Season 14 finale and is the last event for players gather points for the Player of the Year.

MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk was able to take back the lead from fellow Hall of Famer Rob WazWaz after both players made it deep into the money during the Main Event.

WazWaz and Ozturk have been neck-to-neck throughout the season, racking up a record 16 cashes with five final table appearances apiece, and both will be looking to make a deep run in the final event to claim the top spot.

Make sure you tune in to find out who will be walking away the top dog of the season.