For the first time this season, the MSPT traveled to Iowa's Grand Falls Casino, to play host to a four-event trophy series, headlined by the $1,110 Main Event.
An incredible turnout of 513 entries were recorded over two days, making it the third largest event in venue history for the tour and on Sunday, just 55 players returned for Day 2 with their eyes set on the title.
The final day saw 11 former champs return to the felt after roughly nine hours of play, Angela Jordison who was the one to navigate her way to his second career title along with a payday good for $95,381.
“I was short and card dead,” a shocked Jordison said as after starting off the final table last in chips.
“I lost a big hand right before the final table against TJ in a blind verus blind,” Jordison stated, “I had ace-eight with the nut draw while he had ace-nine with a pair, and I bricked out to be the short stack at the final.”
While sitting at the bottom of the counts, the short stack didn’t seem to faze Jordison, as all her off felt studying came into play.
“To come in short, it’s really something I’ve been working so much on lately, the ICM chops and these short stack situations really came into play here and it really helped me out. All that prep that I do off the felt, the stuff that seems to be really boring or worthless, really came in clutch here.”
While Jordison started moving her small stack around and picking up chips, the cards then started to fall her way as she caught double-up after double-up before ultimately collecting every chip in play.
“It feels really good.. really really good... really great,” a happy Jordison stated after securing another victory. “I was pretty disappointed after seeing the Hall of Fame changes,” Jordison added, “It was something I was gunning for and then felt like it was almost unattainable, like great now I’m never going to get it.”
Jordison then continued to say, “It also took a lot of pressure off of me because I was really pushing to get it this year but after seeing the new requirements I just got to play and have fun.”
The victory not only notched Jordison her second MSPT title, which is a new requirement for the Hall of Fame but also marked her 17th Main Event MSPT cash which brought her career total to $463,714!
Day 2 Action
The final day came back with 55 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with Jon Hanner’s pocket kings getting cracked in the very first hand, making him the first elimination of the day.
A spree of eliminations then occurred which saw 2018 Grand Falls champ Ryan Skluzak becoming the first MSPT champ to fall (45th Place - $2,398) while fellow champs Mo Nuwwarah (37th Place - $2,398) & Anthony Scarborough (36th Place - $2,646), MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (30th Place - $2,646), and two-time MSPT champ Taylor Howard (29th Place - $2,646), fell in quick succession, with Scarborough adding another 100 POY points to pad his first place spot.
The fast-paced action kept rolling, as MSPT champ Justin Lynch (20th Place - $4,482), 2023 Grand Falls champ Curtis Vierstraete (17th - Place $6,541), MSPT Hall of Famer Rob WazWaz (15th Place - $5,920), and 2022 Grand Falls champ Beau “Don K. Nado” Wilshire (13th Place - $5,920) all fell by the wayside setting up the stacked final table.
Final Table Action
After the players returned from their dinner break two double ups needed to happen before Minnesota’s Paul Cross lost a race to WSOP bracelet winner TJ Murphy to become the first final table elimination.
A few hands later saw the MSPT’s top casher DJ Buckley lose a race to Jason Peterson take an eighth place finish, and then Peterson followed him to the payout desk after he was flushed out on the river by Steve “Cherokee” Funderman.
Six-handed action saw two former champs still in contention with Jordison and Jason Sell butting heads in two occasions which saw Jordison coming out on top during both occasions.
The first one saw Jordison’s made hand of deuces hold strong to collect a double and then she finished off Sell after she turned quad tens.
Start of day chip leader Kevin Berthelsen came into the final table second in chips but had a rollercoaster of three hands in a row which ultimately saw him take a fifth place finish for $26,757.
Shortly after Berthelsen’s departure, Iowa’s Fundermann jammed his suited Big Slick into Murphy’s pair of cowboys and ended up walking to the payout desk in fourth place for $35,687.
Three-handed action saw Murphy and Jordison holding the majority of the chips in play between the two, leaving Aaron Knudson needing to make a move.
Knudson then found a suited ace to roll with only to have Murphy river a four-card straight to eliminate him in third place exit for $47,197.
After Knudson’s elimination, a heads-up ICM deal was agreed upon as the two stacks were virtually identical until Jordison flopped a straight to eliminate Murphy in second place for $75,753 while Jordison secured her second Main Event title in under one year!
This wraps up our coverage of yet another amazing tournament so make sure you join us next when we make our first stop to Riverside, Iowa for their $1,110 Main Event at the Riverside Casino March 25th - 30th!