Golden Gates Casino

Jason Beasley Wins 2017 MSPT Denver Poker Open at Golden Gates Casino for $88,134!

The 2017 MSPT Denver Poker Open at Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado saw 413 entrants (88 on 1A, 147 1B, and 178 1C) pony up the $1,100 buy-in to compete in the tour’s third-to-last event of the season.

On late Sunday night, 38-year-old roofing salesman and part-time poker player Jason Beasley, originally from Oregon but now residing in Denver, came out on top to win an $88,134 first-place prize.

“I feel good,” said Beasley, who has 19-year-old daughter and helps raise his two-year-old granddaughter. “It’s a little bit different rush from cash games. This is my biggest win. My dad has been a leather-ass grinder for over 40 years. He was watching the live stream back in Oregon.”

The win marked Beasley’s first MSPT cash, though he had $159,358 in tournament winnings before the win. That included a previous best of $66,820 for winning the 2005 Fall Poker Round Up in Pendleton, Oregon.

Final Table Results
1 – Jason Beasley (Denver, CO) $88,134
2 – Mike Monetti (Littleton, CO) $54,483
3 – Jon Wurden (Fisher, MN) $39,660
4 – Gerald Cunniff (St. Paul, MN) $29,245
5 – Cooper Wanty (Ann Arbor, MI) $22,034
6 – Mike Wheeler (Denver, CO) $16,823
7 – Will Mietz (Black Hawk, CO) $13,220
8 – Bruce Russell (Loveland, CO) $10,416
9 – Nils Bardsley (Denver,CO) $7,612
10 – Andrew Geffen (Westminster, CO) $6,410

Day 2 saw 78 players return to action, but only 45 of them would get paid. Among those to leave empty handed were Las Vegas poker pro Tim West, MSPT Season 3 Running Aces champ Rodger Johnson, and MSPT Season 7 Golden Gates Regional winner “Money” Mike Maruna, just to name a few.

After Eric Maier exited as the bubble boy in 46th place, the result of his Big Slick failing to hold against Nils Bardsley’s queen-seven, the in-the-money finishes came quick. They included recent World Series of Poker Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe Main Event winner Max Young (45^th - $2,303), MSPT Golden Gates Regional Champ Gerald Morrell (36^th - $2,404), start-of-the-day chip leader Jay Daignault (26^th - $2,804), MSPT Season 6 Golden Gates Regional champ Bobby Sanoubane (18^th - $4,407), and 2016 MSPT Michigan State Poker Champ Brett Blackwood (11^th - $6,410).

At the final table, Andrew Geffen was the first to fall after jamming queen-ten suited smack dab into Cooper Wanty’s aces. Not long after, Nils Bardsley first lost sixes into nines, and then busted in ninth places after running fours into fives.

Bruce Russell followed them out the door in eighth place after flopping trip jacks only to discover he had an inferior kicker to Mike Monetti, and Will Mietz was hot on his heels after getting it in with queens against Monetti’s kings.

From there, Mike Wheeler fell in sixth place when his pocket eights failed to hold against Beasley’s Big Slick, and then Wanty bowed out in fifth after he got his short stack in with six-three suited and failing to get there against Monetti’s queen-deuce.

The elimination of Gerald Cunniff in fourth place, the result of his king-two of spades not improving against Monetti’s ace-seven of spades, and Jon Wurden in third, he missed an open-ended straight draw, set up a heads-up match between Monetti and Beasley.

Monetti started with more chips, but the lead would change hands several times before things came to a head in Level 31 (60,000/120,000/20,000). Long story short, it happened when Monetti flopped an open-ended straight draw and Beasley got sticky with ace-king suited. Monetti bluffed the river, which was an ace, and Beasley picked him off.

Just two stops remain on Season 8 of the MSPT beginning with the 2017 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship at Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Hotel & Casino this coming weekend. Then, from December 8-10, the MSPT will be at Minnesota’s Canterbury Park for our $1,100 buy-in, $200K GTD season finale.

Mike Monetti Eliminated In Second Place ($54,483)

Jason Beasley limped the button, and Mike Monetti checked his option.

The flop fell , and Monetti led out for 400,000. Beasley didn’t take long to make the call.

The fell on the turn. Monetti continued for another 400,000. Beasley thought briefly, then called.

The river was the , and Monetti simply said, “All-in,” for around 2.6 million.

“God!” Beasley said, standing up at the situation. He looked around for a bit, then said, “Call.”

“You’re good.” Monetti said.

Beasley tabled for aces and fours, and Monetti could only muster for a missed straight draw. The chip stacks were counted up and confirmed, and Monetti was officially eliminated as our runner-up here at the Denver Poker Open.

Mike Monetti - Eliminated in Second Place ($54,483)

Updated Heads Up Chip Counts

Mike Monetti - 4.26 million (35.5 bb)
Jason Beasley - 4 million (33 bb)

Break Time

Jason Beasley and Mike Monetti are on a quick ten-minute break.

Jason Beasley Evens The Gap

Jason Beasley raised to 250,000 on the button, then Mike Monetti three-bet to 600,000 from the big blind. Beasley stuck out a four-bet to 1.55 million.

“Little over a million left.” He told Monetti.

Monetti thought for a bit, then called the four-bet.

Monetti checked the flop, and Beasley instantly announced “All in.”

Monetti mucked, telling Beasley “I whiffed.”

Mike Monetti - 4.16 million (41.6 bb)
Jason Beasley - 4.1 million (41 bb)

Heads Up Chip Counts

Mike Monetti - 5.26 million (52.6 bb)
Jason Beasley - 3.01 million (30 bb)

Jon Wurden Eliminated In Third Place ($39,660)

Jason Beasley raised to 250,000 on the button, and Jon Wurden called from the big blind.

Wurden open-shoved his last 700,000 on a flop and Wurden called him down.

Wurden:
Beasley:

“Give him an ace!” Wurden said.

The left Wurden looking for a jack or an ace, but the busted him in third place.

Jason Beasley - 3.01 million (30 bb)
Jon Wurden - Eliminated in Third Place ($39,660)

Updated Three Handed Chip Counts

Mike Monetti - 4.8 million (48 bb)
Jason Beasley - 2 million (20 bb)
Jon Wurden - 1.5 million (15 bb)

Gerald Cunniff Eliminated In Fourth Place ($29,245)

Mike Monetti raised to 225,000 from UTG, and Gerald Cunniff three-bet shoved for 350,000 on the button, which Monetti called.

Monetti:
Cunniff:

“C’mon spades!” Monetti said.

The flop had two of them, and the turn meant Cunniff would need to pair up to win the pot. The ended Cunniff’s tournament in fourth place, and Monetti continues to accrue a mountain of chips.

Mike Monetti - 5.4 million (67.5 bb)
Gerald Cunniff - Eliminated in Fourth Place ($29,245)

Jason Beasley Doubles Through Jon Wurden

Jon Wurden raised the button to 200,000, then called the shove of 845,000 from Jason Beasley in the small blind.

Wurden:
Beasley:

Beasley flopped a pair on the flop, and held on a turn and river, much to the delight of his rail, including Bobby Sanoubane, who finished 18th in this very event.

Jason Beasley - 1.8 million (22.5 bb)
Jon Wurden - 1.2 million (15 bb)