$

Awarded to date

Sycuan Casino Resort

January 13 - 16, 2022
Main Event: 460 Entrants
Winner: Gianluca Pace
recap_icon

EVENT RECAP

Gianluca Pace of Encinitas, California is the winner of the MSPT $1,110 Main Event at Sycuan Casino Resort in San Diego. The tournament attracted 460 runners as part of the Showdown Series in the MSPT’s kick-off to Season 13.

Pace took home an extra $23,500 after the final four agreed to a deal that split up the prize pool based on the size of their chip stacks. Along with Pace, Anthony Pitesa, Huy Nguyen, and DJ Buckley left the trophy and 10% of the prize pool behind to play for, with the Encinitas-native coming out on top. In addition to their share of the prize pool, all four players earned 1,200 Player of the Year points to kick off the 2022 campaign.

It was Pace’s first win in a large tournament after years of grinding the poker scenes in Oceanside and San Mateo. “I’m going to enjoy this moment,” said Pace in a post-win interview with PokerNews. “I am going to take this one moment at a time. I’m very happy.”

Final Table Action

Christopher Skinner fell in ninth place when he shoved with ace-king and ran into Pitesa’s pocket kings. Skinner’s bustout kicked off an eight-handed final table, where Scott Subak was first to the rail when his kings were cracked by Pace’s set of eights.

Jason Hickey wasn’t far behind in seventh place after shoving his ace-king into another pocket pair of cowboys from Pitesa. A few minutes later, MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup shoved with ace-nine, but Pitesa was waiting once again, this time with pocket queens.

The run propelled Pitesa to a commanding chip lead, but DJ Buckley fought into the mix with a few big pots and the elimination of Lena Evans, who shoved with nines but lost to Buckley’s tens. Poker fans might recall Evans as the founder of the women's group Poker League of Nations.

The final four cut an ICM chop deal of which Pitesa claimed the lion’s share before the 10% left to play for, but he was out when his ace-deuce came up short against Nguyen’s ace-king. Buckley, who would make the MSPT Hall of Fame with a victory, followed when his ace-queen couldn’t improve against Pace’s jacks.

With Buckley out of the way, Pace eliminated Nguyen in short order to take down his first MSPT Main Event title. Congratulations to Gianluca Pace on his victory at the MSPT Main Event at Sycuan Casino Resort in San Diego!

result

The RESULTS

Rank
Player Name
City
State
Amount
Points
1
CA 
$74,562
1,200
2
CA 
$61,194
1,200
3
MN 
$58,630
1,200
4
CA 
$41,487
1,200
5
CA 
$21,346
1,100
6
MN 
$16,454
1,000
7
CA 
$12,896
900
8
CA 
$10,673
800
9
CA 
$8,672
700
10
Vista 
CA 
$8,672
700
11
CO 
$7,115
600
12
CA 
$7,115
600
13
Alpine 
CA 
$5,781
500
14
CA 
$5,781
500
15
CA 
$4,669
400
16
CA 
$4,669
400
17
CA 
$3,780
300
18
CA 
$3,780
300
19
CA 
$3,780
300
20
ND 
$3,780
300
21
CA 
$3,780
300
22
CA 
$3,780
300
23
CA 
$3,780
300
24
CA 
$3,780
300
25
Santee 
CA 
$3,113
200
26
CA 
$3,113
200
27
ME 
$3,113
200
28
CA 
$3,113
200
29
NV 
$3,113
200
30
CA 
$3,113
200
31
CA 
$3,113
200
32
CA 
$3,113
200
33
CA 
$2,668
100
34
CA 
$2,668
100
35
CA 
$2,668
100
36
CA 
$2,668
100
37
CO 
$2,668
100
39
CA 
$2,668
100
40
CA 
$2,668
100
41
CA 
$2,312
50
42
CA 
$2,312
50
43
CA 
$2,312
50
44
CA 
$2,312
50
45
Reno 
NV 
$2,312
50
46
Covina 
CA 
$2,312
50
47
Kihei 
HI 
$2,312
50
48
CA 
$2,312
50