Golden Gates Casino

Carl Carodenuto Wins MSPT Golden Gates for $114,072; Wins Third Major Title in 11 Months

History was made tonight as Carl Carodenuto won an unprecedented third Mid-States Poker Tour title, not to mention a $114,072 first-place prize.

Carodenuto, who won the MSPT Canterbury Park in December and then successfully defended his title in April (in fields of 470 and 376 entries), wasn’t even going to come to the latest stop until his friend Rich Alsup called him up. Seeing as the two were tied in fourth on the MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year leaderboard with 2,300 points each, they decided to catch an early Saturday morning flight from Minnesota.

A day and a half later, they finished as champion and runner-up and vaulted to the top of the POY leaderboard.

“We found a last minute ticket,” said Carodenuto, who one week ago finished sixth in the MSPT Meskwaki. “It’s a quick 48-hour turnaround. Holy shit. Richie and I will for sure compete for POY, I just hope he doesn’t take the lead from me”

Not only did Carodenuto win a record third title – all of which have come in an 11-month period -- he also took the POY lead with two stops to go, vaulted to second on the tour’s all-time money list, and notched his fourth MSPT cash, all of which have been final tables!

Final Table Results
1 – Carl Carodenuto (Bloomington, MN) … $114,072
2 – Rich Alsup (New Hope, MN) … $68,919
3 – Josh Turner (St. Louis, MO) … $44,916
4 – Norman Straughn (Westminster, CO) … $31,132
5 – Adam Wilbur (Erie, CO) … $23,765
6 – Brian Gallegos (Denver, CO) … $18,291
7 – Bobby Garcia (Denver, CO) … $15,210
8 – Alex Greenblatt (San Francisco, CA) … $12,595
9 – Jackson McAllister (Denver, CO) …$10,647
10 – Kai Wang (Denver, CO) … $8,080

The MSPT’s second stop of Season 7 at Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado was a big one. The $1,100 Main Event attracted 490 entrants over three starting flights (98 on Day 1a, 183 on 1b, and 209 on 1c), of which 92 players returned for Day 2 action on Sunday.

With 45 players slated to get paid, more than half the field would leave empty handed. Among those to fall short of a cash were former MSPT champs Mark Sandness and Rodger Johnson, 2015 World Series of Poker Milly Maker champ Adrian Buckley, and Jim Rice, a contestant on the hit TV show Survivor: South Pacific (Season 23).

After David Hampel fell on the money bubble, the in-the-money eliminations came quick including WSOP Colossus II champ Ben Keeline (39^th - $2,377), MSPT Pro Matt Alexander (35^th - $2,852), April’s MSPT Golden Gates runner-up Jason Vanstrom (32^nd - $2,852), Day 1a chip leader Scott Stewart (25^th - $3,565), Season 6 champ Kane Lai (22^nd - $3,565), and final table bubble boy Aaron Thomas (11^th - $8,080).

Carodenuto, who was at his second MSPT final table in a week, kicked things off in style by eliminating Kai Wang on just the third hand. However, on the fourth hand he was the victim of a cooler running queens into the pocket aces of five-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner Josh Turner.

From there, Jackson McAllister and Alex Greenblatt, the Day 1b and 1c chip leaders respectively, took their leave, and not long after Bobby Garcia hit the rail. After Brian Gallegos fell in sixth, a huge pot occurred between Carodenuto and chip leader Adam Wilbur. The latter shoved after rivering kings and eights only to find out Carodenuto had flopped kings and queens.

Wilbur lost a flip to bust a short time later, and one hand after that Alsup took care of Norman Straughn in fourth. During three-handed play, Carodenuto once again flopped kings and queens, and it led to the demise of Turner, who had flopped kings and tens.

Heads-up play was an interesting one. Carodenuto began with 6.5 million to Alsup’s 2.5 million, but no matter where they finished they were going to be No. 1 and 2 on the MSPT Season 7 POY leaderboard. In the final hand, Alsup made a move with six-four, and despite flopping a pair, lost when Carodenuto rivered an ace with ace-ten.

With that, Carodenuto made history and removed any doubt that he is one of the biggest poker breakouts of the year. Congrats to Carl Carodenuto on winning his third MSPT title!

The MSPT continues next weekend with another $1,100 Main Event at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To learn more about that event, which features a $200,000 guarantee, click here.

Rich Alsup Eliminated in 2nd Place ($68,919)

After jostling back and forth for a dozen or so hands, Carl Carodenuto and Rich Alsup just played a big one.

It began when Carodenuto raised to 215,000 from the button and Alsup three-bet all in for 2.3 million. Carodenuto paused for a few beats, shrugged his shoulders as he’s prone to do, and then said, “Call.”

Carodenuto:
Alsup:

Alsup was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but he was drawing to two live cards. He managed to pair one on the flop, and the turn brought him one step closer to a double. That is when the spiked on the river to give Carodenuto a historic third win!

Rich Alsup – Eliminated in 2nd Place for $68,919

Josh Turner Eliminated in 3rd Place ($44,916)

Carl Carodenuto raised the button to what looked to be 230,000 and Josh Turner defended from the big blind.

When the flop fell , Turner checked and Carodenuto continued for 200,000. Turner then check-raised to 685,000, Carodenuto just called, and the appeared on the turn.

Turner shoved all in for 2.25 million and Carodenuto called.

Carodenuto:
Turner:

Like he did against Adam Wilbur a short time earlier, Carodenuto held better kings up. The river was not the ten Turner was looking for, and he shook hands with the two remaining players before taking his leave in third place.

Carl Carodenuto – 6.5 million
Rich Alsup - 2.5 million
Josh Turner – Eliminated in 3rd Place for $44,916

Three-Handed Chip Counts

Carl Carodenuto - 3.6 million
Josh Turner - 3.3 million
Rich Alsup - 2.1 million million

Norman Straughn Eliminated in 4th Place ($31,132)

In the very next hand after Adam WIlbur exited in fifth place, Norman Straughn followed him out the door in fourth.

It happened on a flop when Straughn moed all in for 680,000 and Rich Alsup called.

Alsup:
Straughn:

Straughn seemed to know his goose was cooked when Alsup called, and it was as neither the turn nor river delivered salvation.

Norman Straughn – Eliminated in 4th Place for $31,132

Adam Wilbur Eliminated in 5th Place ($23,765)

Josh Turner raised to 190,000 under the gun and Adam Wilbur three-bet all in for 1.1 million. Action folded back to Turner and he called.

Turner:
Wilbur:

It was a race, but Wilbur needed to improve to stay alive. It wasn’t meant to be though as the board ran out a clean .

Josh Turner - 3.8 million
Adam Wilbur - Eliminated in 5th Place for $23,765

Shots of the Final Five

Carl Carodenuto vs. Adam Wilbur in 4-Million Pot

Oh, how things have changed!

Adam Wilbur raised to 100,000 under the gun and Carl Carodenuto called from the button. Josh Turner came along from the big blind and three players saw a flop. Two checks opened the door for Carodenuto to bet 200,000, and only Wilbur called to see the turn.

Wilbur check-called another bet, this time 400,000, and then simply moved all in on the river. Carodenuto-snap called off his remaining 1.08 million and Wilbur showed the for two pair. Unfortunately for him, it was no good as Carodenuto had flopped a bigger two pair with the .

Carl Carodenuto - 4.1 million
Adam Wilbur - 1.25 million

Brian Gallegos Eliminated in 6th Place ($18,291)

Two-time MSPT champ Carl Carodenuto raised to 135000 from the hijack and then snap-called when Brian Gallegos moved all in for 500,000 from the small blind.

Gallegos:
Carodenuto:

Gallegos was looking to pair his kicker or find some other help, but that didn’t happen as the board ran out to send him home in sixth place.

Carl Carodenuto - 1.8 million
Brian Gallegos – Eliminated in 6th Place for $18,291

Josh Turner Closing the Gap on Chip Leader

Josh Turner raised to 125,000 from the button and Norman Straughn opted to defend his big blind.

When the flop came down , Straughn check-called a bet of 140,000 and then promptly checked the turn. Turner slid out a bet of 260,000, and that did the trick as Straughn released.

Turner is slowly but surely closing the gap between him and chip leader Adam Wilbur.

Josh Turner - 2.8 million
Norman Straughn - 1 million