$

Awarded to date

The Venetian

June 17 - 21, 2019
Main Event: 2472 Entrants
Winner: Linglin Zeng
recap_icon

EVENT RECAP

By the end of the MSPT’s 151st Main Event – a $1,600 buy-in, $3,000,000 GTD tournament held at The Venetian in Las Vegas that attracted 2,472 entries, it was Linglin Zeng of China that took home the lion’s share of the prize pool after a three-way deal netted her $393,506. She becomes the second female MSPT Main Event champion ever, along with Angelina Rich, who also netted her title via a three-way chop at a MSPT Main Event at The Venetian.

Earlier in the tournament and just before the deal was made, Zeng said, “I made a huge fold against Mike Shin; he check-raised me then shoved the river.” This hand proved to be a pivotal one, as it allowed Shin, who jumped into first-place in the MSPT Hayvin Poker POY race with his third-place finish, to climb out of the danger zone just before the chop happened. Zeng said she’d get it out of Shin on what he held that hand; “I’ll find out, I need to go ask him. I think he had it.”

Not one to rest on her laurels, Zeng, a former nurse turned poker player, said she’s “ready for the WSOP Monster Stack tomorrow!” She’s already had some success this summer as well, saying, “I went deep in the $1,500 six-max, fourteenth-place, then I almost didn’t play this one. I played the WSOP Double Stack, in Day 3 I was chip leader. I lost a few hands, for some reason I just got so mad and dumped all my chips in one level. I was so mad at myself, and someone told me about this tournament at Venetian, and I was just so fired up to redeem myself. I wasn’t even going to play at all.” Describing her style, she said “I’m very aggressive, loose and aggressive. I’m super loose, I usually play cash; tournaments aren’t really my thing.” Finally, she acknowledged her rail which included her boyfriend, saying, “I have a lot of friends supporting me, I was very grateful.”

Starting in Day 2, a number of players walked away with a cash, including Day 1a chip leader Ben Diebold (39th - $10,251), MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup (56th - $7,777), two-time WSOP bracelet winner Elio Fox (68th - $7,070), former MSPT Venetian champ Thomas Boivin (74th - $6,363), CSOP founder Matt Stout (81st - $6,363), former WSOP November Niner Dan Ott (105th - $5,302), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (123rd - $5,302), Felipe Davila (138th - $4,949), “Mad” Marvin Rettenmaier (221st - $3,888), three-time MSPT champ Matt Kirby (242nd - $3,888) and 2014 WSOP Main Event champ Martin Jacobson (249th - $3,888).

Unfortunately for 22 of the 32 players that returned for Day 3 action, they would not be a part of one of the biggest final tables in MSPT history, behind only two events from last year’s MSPT The Venetian series in terms of total prize pool. Some of those falling short included Day 1c chip leader Oleg Eltsov (11th - $42,420), Jack O’Neill (13th - $33,582), Rudy Sawa (17th - $31,461), Lokesh Garg (18th - $31,461), 2018 WSOPE champ Jack Sinclair (21st - $26,159), Harry Arutyunyan (23rd - $21,397), and Dominick Sarle (29th - $12,726).

Final Table Action

Coming into the final table, it was an international affair, as six different countries had representation, including three from China, two each from the United States and Italy, and Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom were all represented as well. First to fall was Jiawei Liu, who lost a flip with ace-jack suited against the overwhelming chip leader coming into the final table, Linglin Zeng and her pocket tens. Liu settled for $42,420 for his tenth-place finish.

Knowing he had already laddered once, Brady Osterman called off his last twelve big blinds after Oliver Price jammed, and when his ace-jack failed to catch up to Price’s ace-queen, Osterman was out the door in ninth-place. The $54,792 in prize money will represent more than four-fifths of his lifetime tournament earnings, according to Hendon Mob.

Suddenly, the bustouts at the final table came to a screeching halt, as eighth-place wouldn’t fall for another ninety minutes. It was Donis Agnelli that would be out next, grinding down to two big blinds before Mike Shin’s ace-queen bested Agnelli’s ace-four. The native Italian took home $68,932 for his efforts.

Leaving just a few hands later would be Spain’s Javier Zarco, who tried to steal Oliver Price’s big blind with queen-three, only for Price to wake up with Big Slick and felt Zarco in seventh for $88,374. The 2015 WSOP Millionaire Maker runner-up and 2017 The Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza $3,500 event champ padded his $2.2 million in lifetime tournament earnings with this score.

Out the door next was Yilong Wang, who fell victim to three straight all-in defeats, including having Shin dead to three outs after the turn in one hand, before Shin pinged his king on the river to crack Wang’s tens. Wang then couldn’t get his ace-eight to overcome Alessio Sabatini’s kings, and he was left with sixth-place and $113,119.

Less than an orbit later, Price got his last thirteen bigs in with sevens against the pocket sixes of Zeng. Zeng proved how hot she was running when she flopped a set and turn quads to leave the UK product with fifth-place and $143,519 to add to an established career that includes over $1.7 million in career earnings.

Sweden’s Michael Tureneic was the next to go, when his ace-jack was dominated by the ace-queen of Sabatini. Tureneic was dead by the turn, and the fourth-place finisher adds $187,353 to his whopping $4.4 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Three-handed play lasted for a few levels before the trio looked at the numbers for a deal. In the end, they decided on the payouts listed below.

result

The RESULTS

Rank
Player Name
City
State
Amount
Points
1
 
 
$393,506
2,000
2
 
$356,000
1,800
3
IL 
$334,000
1,700
4
 
$187,353
1,600
5
 
 
$143,519
1,500
6
 
 
$113,119
1,400
7
Madrid 
 
$88,374
1,300
8
 
 
$68,932
1,200
9
Mesa 
AZ 
$54,792
1,100
10
 
$42,420
1,000
11
 
 
$42,420
1,000
12
 
 
$42,420
1,000
13
 
$33,582
900
14
VT 
$33,582
900
15
 
$33,582
900
16
 
 
$31,461
800
17
MI 
$31,461
800
18
NV 
$31,461
800
19
MO 
$26,159
700
20
CA 
$26,159
700
21
London 
 
$26,159
700
22
CA 
$21,917
600
23
CA 
$21,917
600
24
NY 
$21,917
600
25
 
 
$17,675
500
26
 
 
$17,675
500
27
FL 
$17,675
500
28
 
$12,726
500
29
NY 
$12,726
500
30
NV 
$12,726
500
31
 
 
$12,726
500
32
 
$12,726
500
33
NY 
$12,726
500
34
 
 
$12,726
500
35
 
 
$12,726
500
36
 
 
$12,726
500
37
TX 
$10,251
450
38
 
$10,251
450
39
SC 
$10,251
450
40
 
 
$10,251
450
41
IL 
$10,251
450
42
NJ 
$10,251
450
43
 
 
$10,251
450
44
NV 
$10,251
450
45
Edmond 
OK 
$10,251
450
46
 
 
$8,837
450
47
MA 
$8,837
450
48
OR 
$8,837
450
49
 
 
$8,837
450
50
GA 
$8,837
450
51
TX 
$8,837
450
52
NV 
$8,837
450
54
 
 
$8,837
450
55
LA 
$7,777
400
56
MN 
$7,777
400
57
CA 
$7,777
400
58
 
 
$7,777
400
59
FL 
$7,777
400
60
 
 
$7,777
400
61
 
 
$7,777
400
62
CA 
$7,777
400
63
 
 
$7,777
400
64
NV 
$7,070
400
65
 
 
$7,070
400
66
 
 
$7,070
400
67
TX 
$7,070
400
68
NY 
$7,070
400
69
CA 
$7,070
400
70
 
$7,070
400
71
Davie 
FL 
$7,070
400
72
Tampa 
FL 
$7,070
400
73
FL 
$6,363
350
74
 
$6,363
350
75
CA 
$6,363
350
76
Toledo 
OH 
$6,363
350
78
CA 
$6,363
350
79
 
 
$6,363
350
80
FL 
$6,363
350
81
NV 
$6,363
350
82
 
 
$6,009
300
83
Cabo 
 
$6,009
300
84
 
$6,009
300
85
 
 
$6,009
300
86
 
$6,009
300
87
CA 
$6,009
300
88
 
 
$6,009
300
89
FL 
$6,009
300
90
FL 
$6,009
300
91
 
 
$5,656
250
92
 
 
$5,656
250
93
 
$5,656
250
94
FL 
$5,656
250
95
CA 
$5,656
250
96
 
 
$5,656
250
97
 
 
$5,656
250
98
OH 
$5,656
250
99
CA 
$5,656
250
100
IL 
$5,302
200
101
AZ 
$5,302
200
102
NV 
$5,302
200
103
 
$5,302
200
104
 
$5,302
200
105
PA 
$5,302
200
106
PA 
$5,302
200
107
FL 
$5,302
200
108
OH 
$5,302
200
109
MN 
$5,302
200
110
 
$5,302
200
111
 
 
$5,302
200
112
 
 
$5,302
200
113
MD 
$5,302
200
114
Leeds 
 
$5,302
200
115
NC 
$5,302
200
116
 
 
$5,302
200
117
NV 
$5,302
200
118
MD 
$5,302
200
119
IL 
$5,302
200
120
Athol 
MA 
$5,302
200
121
 
 
$5,302
200
122
CA 
$5,302
200
123
Melun 
 
$5,302
200
124
HI 
$5,302
200
125
MO 
$5,302
200
126
 
 
$5,302
200
127
China 
 
$4,949
150
128
 
$4,949
150
129
IL 
$4,949
150
130
FL 
$4,949
150
131
DE 
$4,949
150
132
AZ 
$4,949
150
133
UT 
$4,949
150
134
 
 
$4,949
150
135
NV 
$4,949
150
136
 
$4,949
150
137
CA 
$4,949
150
138
Lima 
 
$4,949
150
139
Katy 
TX 
$4,949
150
140
 
 
$4,949
150
141
NV 
$4,949
150
142
CA 
$4,949
150
143
 
$4,949
150
144
CA 
$4,949
150
145
ME 
$4,949
150
146
 
 
$4,949
150
147
MA 
$4,949
150
148
 
$4,949
150
149
KY 
$4,949
150
150
London 
 
$4,949
150
151
CA 
$4,949
150
152
 
 
$4,949
150
153
 
$4,949
150
154
 
 
$4,595
100
155
UT 
$4,595
100
156
 
 
$4,595
100
157
 
 
$4,595
100
158
 
 
$4,595
100
159
Athens 
 
$4,595
100
160
 
 
$4,595
100
161
NV 
$4,595
100
162
 
 
$4,595
100
163
Austin 
TX 
$4,595
100
164
Winona 
MN 
$4,595
100
165
Sofia 
 
$4,595
100
166
Fresno 
TX 
$4,595
100
167
Miami 
FL 
$4,595
100
168
 
 
$4,595
100
169
 
 
$4,595
100
170
 
 
$4,595
100
171
 
$4,595
100
172
 
 
$4,595
100
173
 
 
$4,595
100
174
NY 
$4,595
100
175
Tokyo 
 
$4,595
100
176
 
 
$4,595
100
177
Austin 
TX 
$4,595
100
178
 
 
$4,595
100
179
NV 
$4,595
100
180
 
$4,595
100
182
KY 
$4,242
75
183
 
$4,242
75
184
CA 
$4,242
75
185
Miami 
FL 
$4,242
75
186
CT 
$4,242
75
187
 
 
$4,242
75
188
NV 
$4,242
75
190
 
$4,242
75
191
NE 
$4,242
75
192
Lille 
 
$4,242
75
193
 
 
$4,242
75
194
NV 
$4,242
75
195
CA 
$4,242
75
196
 
 
$4,242
75
197
Fargo 
ND 
$4,242
75
198
 
$4,242
75
199
Israel 
 
$4,242
75
200
 
 
$4,242
75
201
CA 
$4,242
75
202
 
 
$4,242
75
203
CA 
$4,242
75
204
 
$4,242
75
205
 
 
$4,242
75
206
CA 
$4,242
75
207
Presto 
PA 
$4,242
75
208
NY 
$4,242
75
209
TX 
$4,242
75
210
NY 
$4,242
75
211
 
 
$4,242
75
212
OH 
$4,242
75
213
 
$4,242
75
214
NY 
$4,242
75
215
NV 
$4,242
75
216
NC 
$4,242
75
217
 
 
$3,888
50
218
MA 
$3,888
50
219
 
 
$3,888
50
221
NV 
$3,888
50
222
Casper 
WY 
$3,888
50
223
Dallas 
TX 
$3,888
50
224
 
 
$3,888
50
225
MI 
$3,888
50
226
 
 
$3,888
50
227
TX 
$3,888
50
228
IL 
$3,888
50
229
NV 
$3,888
50
230
 
 
$3,888
50
231
 
 
$3,888
50
232
NV 
$3,888
50
233
CA 
$3,888
50
234
CA 
$3,888
50
235
CA 
$3,888
50
236
Auburn 
AL 
$3,888
50
237
 
$3,888
50
238
London 
 
$3,888
50
239
 
 
$3,888
50
240
PA 
$3,888
50
241
NY 
$3,888
50
242
MN 
$3,888
50
243
AZ 
$3,888
50
244
 
$3,888
50
245
NV 
$3,888
50
246
 
 
$3,888
50
247
Marne 
MI 
$3,888
50
248
 
 
$3,888
50
249
 
 
$3,888
50
250
 
 
$3,888
50
251
 
 
$3,888
50
252
FL 
$3,888
50