The Venetian

Sam Vizza Wins MSPT The Venetian Las Vegas

The 2018 MSPT Venetian Fall $1,100 Main Event, which was held over NFL Kickoff Weekend, attracted 315 entries and saw 30-year-old poker pro Sam Vizza, a Las Vegas grinder by way of Chicago, emerge victorious after a five-way deal at the final table.

“I probably played about 50 tournaments at The Venetian over the summer. They run the best stuff,” Vizza said after the win. “Whenever the Venetian runs a big blind ante I run well. I kept holding in this tournament. I chipped up and played tighter than a lot of the people.”

Vizza’s first MSPT cash was a career-best, easily surpassing the $18,408 he won for finishing runner-up in April’s DeepStack Extravaganza II Event #30: $250 NLH. He also won the 2018 May Extravaganza Event #5: $400 NLH at The Venetian for $8,865.

Final Table Results

1^st - Sam Vizza (Chicago, IL) $52,348* ($70,638 scheduled payout)
2^nd - Eyal Al Revah (North Hollywood, CA) $38,652* ($43,612 scheduled payout)
3^rd - Alex Winter (Roseville, MN) $36,210* ($31,634 scheduled payout)
4^th - Tamas Lendvai (Las Vegas) $33,420* ($23,342 scheduled payout)
5^th - Minh Nguyen (Las Vegas, NV) $26,102* ($17,506 scheduled payout)
6^th - Stan Jablonski (Bullhead, AZ) $13,514
7^th - Corey Hochman (Phoenix, AZ) $10,442
8^th - Eric Baldwin (Las Vegas, NV) $8,292
9^th - Stan Webb (Mitchellville, IA) $6,419
10^th - Darren Rabinowitz (Las Vegas, NV) $5,190

_{*Denotes five-way ICM chop}

Day 2 saw 41 players return to action, and with only 36 slated to get paid, five of them would leave empty-handed. They included Morgane Portier, Todd Rodgers, Hesam Alagha, Francisco Romero, and bubble boy Ben Palmer, who got it in with Big Slick against Big Slick and got flushed out.

Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Minnesota’s Vic Peppe (29^th - $2,150), Day 1B chip leader Mavrick Yoo (24^th - $2,457), 1997 WSOP Main Event runner-up John Strzemp (21^st - $3,225), Day 1A chip leader Eric Blair (19^th -$3,225), and John Morgan (12^th - $5,190).

Among those at the final table were two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Eric Baldwin, Vegas grinder and Venetian regular Darren Rabinowitz, poker personality and executive Stan Jablonski, poker pro Corey Hochman, and Minnesota’s Alex “F’in” Winter, who was at his third MSPT final table in five weeks!

The final table began with Vizza holding the chip lead, but both Baldwin and Winter were hot on his heels. Unfortunately for Baldwin, things didn’t go his way and he bowed out in eighth place after getting it in with a flopped open-ender against Winter’s overs and flush draw. Winter wound up making a Broadway straight and Baldwin had to settle for $8,292 in prize money.

Like, Rabinowitz, Hochman, and Jablonski were all among the first half final table causalities. When the action was five-handed, the remaining players agreed to a five-way ICM chop. As the chip leader, Vizza was crowned champ and claimed $52,346 in prize money.

Meanwhile, Winter, who finished seventh in the 2018 MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship and fourth in the MSPT Grand Falls, officially finished in third place moving him into second on the Kimo Sabe Mezcal MSPT Season 9 Player of the Year leaderboard w/ 3,650 points. However, he is still a ways behind Aaron Johnson, who has 5,117 points.

Season 9 of the MSPT continues next weekend at Minnesota’s Canterbury Park. It’s there a $1,100 buy-in, $300K GTD Main Event will be held. The week after that, the tour will head out East for the first-ever stop at Seneca Niagara Casino in Western New York.

Final Five Strike a Deal

The final five players have struck a deal to end the tournament.
As chip leader, Sam Vizza is our champion.

Break Time

The final five players are now on a short break.

Back-to-BAck Big Hands

Sam Vizza raised to 100,000 under the gun and called when Eyal Al Revah raised to 285,000 from the small blind. Both players checked the flop and then Al Revah bet 400,000 in the dark headed to the turn. Vizza called and Al Revah checked dark before the completed the board on the river. Vizza checked behind.

“King high,” said Al Revah, which prompted Vizza to table the for the win.

In the very next hand, Tamas Lendvai raised from the cutoff and called when Al Revah moved all in for 550,000 from the button.

Al Revah:
Lendvai:

The board ran out king-high and Al Revah shipped the double.

Sam Vizza - 2,700,000 (67.5 bb)
Eyal Al Revah - 1,100,000 (27.5 bb)
Tamas Lendvai – 800,000 (20 bb)

Minh Nguyen Gets Caught Bluffing

Eyal Revah limped from UTG, Minh Nguyen limped the small blind, and Tamas Lendvai checked his option in the big blind.

Action checked to Revah on the flop, and he bet 105,000. Nguyen called and Lendvai folded.

Both players checked the turn, and after the hit the river, Nguyen counted out a bet of 300,000 and placed it in the middle, with Revah making an immediate call.

Nguyen tabled for a busted flush draw, and Revah showed for the winner.

Eyal Revah - 1.6 million (40 bb)
Minh Nguyen - 540,000 (14 bb)

Stan Jablonski Eliminated In 6th Place ($13,514)

Alex Winter raised to 90,000 from UTG, and Stan Jablonski three-bet jammed for 263,000 from the hijack. Sam Vizza cold-called from the cutoff, and action folded back to Winter.

“Man, I hope you have something good...” Winter told Vizza before folding.

Jablonski:
Vizza:

The flop had Jablonski calling for a jack to give him an open-ended straight draw, but the turn meant only a queen would keep his tournament alive. The river didn’t do it for Jablonski, and he headed to the payout desk.

Sam Vizza - 1.5 million (38 bb)
Stan Jablonski - Eliminated in 6th place for $13,514

Alex Winter Makes Strong Call on River

Alex Winter opened for 70,000 on the button and Sam Vizza defended his big blind to see a flop. Vizza check-called a bet of 100,000 and then action went check-check on the turn.

When the put four clubs on board, Vizza bet 120,000 and Winter thought a bit before calling. Vizza showed the and a happy Winter tabled the for the win.

Alex Winter - 1,300,000 (43 bb)
Sam Vizza - 1,250,000 (42 bb)

Corey Hochman Eliminated In 7th Place ($10,442)

Sam Vizza raised to 75,000 from the hijack, and Minh Nguyen called from the cutoff. Corey Hochman three-bet jammed for 458,000 from the big blind, and Vizza four-bet shoved to put Nguyen at risk for his last 500,000. Nguyen folded what he later claimed to be .

Vizza:
Hochman:

Nguyen had some regret after the flop would’ve gave him trips. Hochman needed a queen or running straight cards to survive, but went to get paid after the turn and river left him empty-handed.

Sam Vizza - 1.6 million (53 bb)
Corey Hochman - Eliminated in 7th place for $10,442

Eric Baldwin Eliminated in 8th Place ($8,292)

Alex Winter raised to 70,000 from middle position and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Eric Baldwin defended his big blind to see a flop.

Baldwin moved all in for his last 260,000 and Winter snap-called.

Winter:
Baldwin:

Baldwin had an open-ended straight draw, but the turn actually gave Winter the straight, Baldwin was drawing dead and wished the table luck after the was run out on the river.

Alex Winter - 1,050,000 (35 bb)
Eric Baldwin – Eliminated in 8th Place for $8,292

Stan Webb Eliminated In 9th Place ($6,419)

Stan Webb ripped his last 135,000 from the button, and after a short stint in the tank, Corey Hochman three-bet jammed for 300,000 in the small blind, chasing out Eyal Revah in the big blind.

Webb:
Hochman:

Webb lost half of his outs after the flop paired Hochman, and he couldn’t find a king on the turn or river, and Hochman scored the knockout.

Corey Hochman - 495,000 (17 bb)
Stan Webb - Eliminated in 9th place for $6,419