Canterbury Park

Monkey Off His Back: Rob Wazwaz Wins Record-BReaking MSPT Canterbury Park for $109,375

The second MSPT Season 9 $1,100 Main Event at Canterbury Park drew a record 526 entries (259 on Day 1A, 267 on 1B), which not only made it the largest MSPT ever held at the venue in 16 stops, but also became the largest major poker tournament ($1K+ buy-in) in Minnesota history.

Fittingly, the title came down to two legends in the Minnesota poker community in 40-year-old Rob Wazwaz and the state’s all-time money leader Blake Bohn. Wazwaz was making his record ninth MSPT final table, and after many close calls – he finished fourth in the same event back in December and placed second in a Season 8 stop at Running Aces – he finally managed to claim an MSPT title, this one good for $109,375.

“My favorite tournament I’ve ever won is this one right now, best honor ever,” Wazwaz said after the win. “Being 0-8 on the MSPT, knowing I didn’t play the ones right back then, that I wasn’t as good back then. I should’ve done better.”

He continued: “The cards I picked up were amazing, obviously I ran really hot, but I really tried hard to win this one because I couldn’t stand that I’d never won an MSPT, I just couldn’t stand it. I had to add it to my résumé, I felt it was incomplete, all the MSPT I had played without winning.”

Prior to the win, Wazwaz had $174,209 in lifetime MSPT earnings, but he now has $283,584, which puts him 10^th on the MSPT all-time money list. It was just the latest win for Wazwaz, who has nearly $1.3 million in lifetime earnings. Earlier this month, he won Running Aces’ Spring Poker Classic $500 Main Event for $32,268, and last May took down the HPT Chicago for $173,385.

Final Table Results
1^st Rob Wazwaz (Minneapolis, MN) $109,375
2^nd Blake Bohn (Eden Prairie, MN) $67,203
3^rd Peyton Smith (Egan, MN) $48,430
4^th Brian Zupancich (Silver Bay, MN) $36,628
5^th Tom Stambaugh (Nevis, MN) $27,471
6^th Robert Mitchell (Salt Lake City, UT) $20,858
7^th Ryan Hartmann (Minneapolis, MN) $16,279
8^th Barbara Sargent (Fort Worth, TX) $12,718
9^th Vlad Tkachuk (Ukraine) $9,666
10^th Rob Maier (Little Canada, MN) $7,631

Day 2 saw 94 players return to action and 40 of them left empty-handed before the money was made. Among those to bust early were 2017 Fall Poker Classic champ Dennis Stevermer, Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer Mike “Schneids” Schneider, two-time MSPT champ Jeremy Dresch, start-of-the-day chip leader Carl Carodenuto, and bubble boy Steve Alonso, who got it in with ace-jack against king-jack only to see a king spike on the river.

From there, the in-the-money finishes came quick and included former champ Jon Kim (11^th - $7,631), UCCS Mountain Lion Poker Club member Justin Cole (26^th - $3,408), Kimo Sabe Mezcal MSPT Season 8 POY Chris Meyers (30^th - $2,747), two-time MSPT champ Johnny Hayes (32^nd - $2,747), MSPT Season 8 Canterbury Park champ Mark Wadekamper (43^rd - $2,493), and Aaron Johnson (45^th - $2,493), who added 75 points to his current Player of the Year lead.

Another player to cash was Kou Vang, who finished in 22^nd place for $3,917. It marked the 24^th MSPT cash of his career and put him just one away from becoming the first player inducted into the MSPT Hall of Fame, which requires “a minimum of 25 MSPT Main Event Cashes and 1 MSPT Win or 1 MSPT Player of the Year” and “a minimum of 10 MSPT Main Event Final Tables and 1 MSPT Win or 1 MSPT Player of the Year.” Vang won the MSPT Season 2 Canterbury Park for $64,645.

Final Table Action

The final table began with four players over seven figures and the rest shorter. That made for some interesting table dynamics and a lot of action.

Rob Maier was the first to fall after getting his short stack in with the and failing to win a race against Bohn’s . Not long after, 18-year-old high school student and top-ranked Minnesota chess player Peyton Smith scored a double elimination when he called two all-ins holding the . Vlad Tkachuk had he and Barbara Sargent the , but neither were able to crack the nines after a run out.

Wazwaz then put a bad beat on Ryan Hartmann, who was at his fifth MSPT final table. Hartmann got it in with the against the of Wazwaz, but a flop sent him out the door in seventh place for $16,279.

The short-stacked Robert Mitchell then took his leave in six place, and MSPT Season 2 Northern Lights champ Tom Stambaugh followed him out the door in fifth. It happened when Stambaugh jammed his last 10 big blinds with the and got called by Smith’s . The board came and that was all she wrote for Stambaugh.

Brian Zupanchich, who was making his first final table appearance after playing the tour for the better part of seven years, then ran his pocket eights smack dab into Wazwaz’s aces to fall in fourth place for $36,628.

The final three players all had a lot of chips, but Wazwaz pulled away when he and Smith clashed. The former had pocket kings and the latter Big Slick. Wazwaz just called a three-bet and a bet on the flop before jamming over the top of a big turn bet for Smith, who was forced to fold. Wazwaz then finished off Smith with the against the wunderkind’s . The board ran out and Smith missed to bust in third place for $48,430.

Heads-up play was a short affair given Wazwaz’s insurmountable chip lead. Eventually, he jammed the button with the and Bohn called off with the . The board ran out and Bohn had to settle for second place and $67,203.

That brought Bohn’s MSPT lifetime earnings up to $373,270, second only to MSPT Venetian champ Nader Kakhmazov’s $395,888.

“He’s the best,” Wazwaz said of Bohn. “It was akin to defeating a great athlete. In all fairness, I caught way better cards than Blake. I owe it all to Blake for buying me drinks. First time of all my MSPT final tables I’ve ever drank. I knew when he offered I had to change it up and here I am.”

Season 9 of the MSPT continues this weekend with a $350 Regional Event at Grand Falls Casino, which is situated just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The MSPT will return to Canterbury Park in August for a $350 Regional Event, the same tournament last year that set the record for largest poker tournament by attendance (1,169 entries) in Minnesota history.

Blake Bohn Eliminated In 2nd Place ($67,203)

Rob Wazwaz open-shoved for Blake Bohn’s last million, and Bohn shrugged, then called.

Wazwaz:
Bohn:

“Keep clean, dealer!” Wazwaz said before the was in fact, clean for Wazwaz.

The on the turn had Bohn say, “Eight, nine, five or king!” while Wazwaz said, “Jack or deuce!”

The river was safe, and Wazwaz said, “Finally! One for nine!” Wazwaz wins his first MSPT Title on his ninth final table, while Blake Bohn has to settle for runner-up.

Blake Bohn - Eliminated in 2nd place for $67,203

Peyton Smith Eliminated In 3rd Place ($48,430)

Peyton Smith limped the small blind, and Rob Wazwaz raised to 330,000 from the big blind. Smith three-bet shoved for 1.5 million and Wazwaz called.

Smith:
Wazwaz:

“Now we really gotta do the Waz Pure!” Wazwaz said after a flop gave Smith a gutshot. The turn was safe for Wazwaz, and the river means that Smith, an eighteen-year-old high school student and future poker prodigy, has to settle for third place in his first MSPT Main Event.

Rob Wazwaz - 9.45 million
Peyton Smith - Eliminated in 3rd place for $48,430

Rob Wazwaz Approaching Eight Million

Peyton Smith limped from the small blind, then called when Rob Wazwaz raised to 255,000.

Smith checked a flop, then folded to a 225,000 bet from Wazwaz.

Rob Wazwaz - 7.85 million
Peyton Smith - 1.6 million

Big Pot Between Rob Wazwaz And Peyton Smith

Rob Wazwaz raised to 175,000, and Peyton Smith three-bet to 550,000 from the big blind. Wazwaz called.

Smith bet 450,000 on a flop, and Wazwaz called.

Smith fired 1.1 million on the turn, and Wazwaz jammed to put Smith at risk for his last two million. Smith folded.

Rob Wazwaz - 7 million
Peyton Smith - 2 million

Brian Zupancich Eliminated In 4th Place ($36,628)

Brian Zupancich jammed for 750,000 from the cutoff, and Rob Wazwaz snapped him off in the big blind.

Zupancich:
Wazwaz:

“I can’t use my one time!” Zupancich said upon seeing Wazwaz’s hand.

The flop brought little help for Zupancich, who said, “Throw a nine out there, just for fun.”

The was not a fun card for Zupancich, and the ended his day in fourth.

Rob Wazwaz - 4.6 million
Brian Zupancich - Eliminated in 4th place for $36,628

Updated Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Peyton Smith	4160000	4025000
Rob WazWaz	3905000	3000000
Blake Bohn	1700000	2715000
Brian Zupancich	760000	750000

Time For A Break

The final four players are off on a ten-minute break. Stay tuned for updated chip counts.

Tom Stambaugh Eliminated In 5th Place ($27,471)

Tom Stambaugh jammed his last 545,000 from the hijack, and Peyton Smith looked him up in the cutoff.

Stambaugh:
Smith:

Stambaugh paired up on the flop, but as has been a theme at this final table, the turn brought a host of outs for Smith, with a double-gutter and a flush draw in addition to his set outs. The straight came in on a river, and Stambaugh bows out.

Peyton Smith - 4.025 million
Tom Stambaugh - Eliminated in 5th place for $27,471

Robert Mitchell Eliminated In 6th Place ($20,858)

Robert Mitchell jammed for 330,000 from the hijack, and Brian Zupancich called off his last 130,000 on the button.

Mitchell:
Zupancich:

There was something for everyone after the flop gave Mitchell two pair and Zupancich a pair and a flush draw.

The turn had Zupancich say, “Using my one time right now!”

The one time came in as the river counterfeited Mitchell and Zupancich doubled up.

The next hand, Mitchell got his last 200,000 in with king-nine against Rob Wazwaz’s ace-jack, and Mitchell flopped a nine, but Wazwaz flopped a jack, and Mitchell bows out in sixth.

Brian Zupancich - 320,000
Robert Mitchell - Eliminated in 6th place for $20,858