Canterbury Park

Illinois' Mark Collins Wins MSPT Canterbury Park for $102,076

The MSPT Canterbury Park began with 491 runners (236 from Day 1A, 255 on 1B) – which made it the second-largest MSPT Main Event at Canterbury Park in 15 visits (record is 493 from last December) – but when things concluded Sunday night, it was Mark Collins, a 44-year-old IT system administrator from Illinois, who emerged victorious to win $102,076.

“I play maybe once a month, $100 buy-in tournaments, that’s about it,” Collins said after the win “I’ve played three or four of these MSPTs.

Collins, who has been playing poker for eight years, had just $3,289 in tournament earnings before the win including $1,011 for finishing 73^rd in the MSPT Season 8 Potawatomi Regional Event.

He had Friday off from work, so he decided to travel up to frigid Minnesota and direct buy his way into the tournament. It proved a wise decision for the father of 23-year-old twin daughters as he left with a six-figure score, which he plans to use to pay off his house.

“You’ll definitely see me playing more,” said Collins when asked if he’s inspired to play more often. “I probably won’t win again, but you’ll see me playing.”

Final Table Results
1 Mark Collins (Moro, IL) $102,076
2 Bob Van Syckle (St. Paul, MN) $62,720
3 Sherry Hammers (Eden Prairie, MN) $45,198
4 Aaron Johnson (Red Wing, MN) $34,183
5 Joel Doering (Brooklyn Park, MN) $25,638
6 John Reading (Rochester, MN) $19,466
7 Gary Ewald (West Fargo, ND) $15,193
8 Charlie Workman (Savage, MN) $11,869
9 Gerald Cunniff (St. Paul, MN) $9,021
10 Umut Ozturk (St. Paul, MN) $7,122

Day 2 began with 94 players returning to action, but with only 54 of them slated to get paid, 40 of them would leave empty handed. They included two-time MSPT champ Jeremy Dresch, MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year Rich Alsup, and MSPT Season 5 Ho-Chunk champ Jason Sell.

Donnel Topness busted as bubble boy in 55^th place – the result of his kings getting cracked by Loki Abboud’s jacks all in preflop – and then the in-the-money finishes began to mount. Among those to earn a payday but fall short of the final table were Abboud (49^th - $2,136), Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer Mike Schneider (44^th -$2,326), MSPT Season 8 Regional Champ Paul Cross (35^th - $2,564), and MSPT Season 6 Canterbury Park winner Dan “DQ” Hendrickson (33^rd - $$2,564).

Speaking of Hendrickson, he was one of four players to have cashed all eight seasons of MSPT, the others being Matt Kirby, Jeremy Dresch, and Kou Vang. By cashing for the first time in Season 9, Hendrickson kept his streak alive, as did Vang, who finished in 14^th place for $5,697.

Others to make money were reigning Kimo Sabe Mezcal MSPT Player of the Year Chris Meyers (29^th - $2,564), MSPT Season 8 Potawatomi Regional champ Craig Trost (23^rd - $3,656), Brian Zupancich (13^th - $5,697), and final table bubble boy Anthony Ostapenko (11^th - $7,122).

The first elimination of the final table came when Umut Ozturk got his short stack all in with the against the of Sherry Hammers. Ozturk got it in good, but he fell behind on the flop. Neither the turn nor river helped him and he had to settle for 10^th place and $7,122, his first-ever MSPT cash.

Not long after, Day 1A chip leader Gerald Cunniff fell when he slow played two pair on the flop only to allow Collins to turn a set. The river was no help to a stunned Cunniff and he hit the rail in ninth place for $9,021.

Charlie Workman was next to go after shoving the button with ace-six and running into the ace-seven of Collins. The latter made a straight and that was all she wrote for Workman, who took home $11,869 for his eighth-place finish.

Not long after, Gary Ewald ran pocket sevens into Bob Van Syckle’s kings, and then World Series of Poker bracelet winner John Reading, who began the final table as the chip leader, fell when his failed to win a race against Bob Van Syckle’s after a runout. Reading, a Chip Leader Coaching student fresh off finishing third in the WSOP Circuit Potawatomi Main Event for $86,052, earned $19,466 for finishing in sixth place.

Joel Doering took his leave after his failed to win a race against the of Aaron Johnson, who followed him out the door in fourth place when his couldn’t suck out on Hammers’ . Doering and Johnson took home $25,638 and $34,183 respectively.

The score, which was Johnson’s 19^th Main Event and cash, brought his MSPT earnings up to $126,303 and allowed him to join the tour’s six-figure club.

Hammers, the better half of MSPT regular Tom Hammers, began the day on a short stack of just 40,000 but held on to make her first final table. Hammers was seeking to become just the second woman to win a tour title, but those hopes came to a halt in third place. That is when she three-bet all in holding the only to run it into the of Collins. The board ran out and Hammers had to settle for third place and $45,198 in prize money.

Heads-up play began with Collins holding a big lead of Van Syckle, who was making his second appearance at a MSPT Main Event final table is after finishing seventh in the MSPT Season 4 Running Aces for $12,407.

In what would be the final hand of the tournament, which took place in Level 32 (80,000/160,000/20,000), Collins raised to 380,000 on the button holding the and then called when Van Syckle moved all in for 1.5 million with the .

Van Syckle was primed to double, but the flop gave Collins the lead with a pair of sixes. The turn left Van Syckle looking for a queen on the river to stay alive, but it wasn’t in the cards as the bricked on the river. Van Syckle earned $62,720 for his runner-up finish.

Season 9 of the MSPT continues in March with a $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 guarantee March 23-25 at Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa. Click here for a look at that schedule.

Bob Van Syckle Eliminated In Second Place ($62,720)

Mark Collins raised to 380,000 on the button, then called the all-in shove from Bob Van Syckle in the big blind for his last 1.5 million.

Collins:
Van Syckle:

Van Syckle looked poised to double up with his queen kicker, but the paired up Collins and propelled him into the lead. Van Syckle didn’t find a queen on the turn, and the ended the tournament, and Van Syckle’s run in second place.

Bob Van Syckle - Eliminated in Second Place for $62,720

Sherry Hammers Eliminated In Third Place ($45,198)

Mark Collins raised to 350,000 on the button, then called the three-bet shove of Sherry Hammers for 1.5 million.

Collins:
Hammers:

Hammers was in dire need of a lady, but none would be found on a board.

Mark Collins - 7.8 million (49 bb)
Sherry Hammers - Eliminated in Third place for $45,198

Mark Collins Flops It

Mark Collins raised to 380,000 from the small blind, and Sherry Hammers called from the big blind.

The two checked to the river on a board, then Collins bet 500,000. After a little time in the tank, Hammers called.

Collins tabled for a flopped full house, and Hammers mucked.

Mark Collins - 5.4 million (35 bb)
Sherry Hammers - 2.4 million (15 bb)

Sherry Hammers Doubles Through Bob Van Syckle

Sherry Hammers raised to 425,000 from the small blind, then called a three-bet shove for her 1.86 million chip stack when Bob Van Syckle shoved from the big blind.

Hammers:
Van Syckle:

Hammers had the jacks, and they held up on a board.

Sherry Hammers - 3.78 million (24 bb)
Bob Van Syckle - 1.6 million (10 bb)

Aaron Johnson Eliminated In Fourth Place ($34,183)

Aaron Johnson shoved his last 570,000 from the button, and Sherry Hammers three-bet shoved for a million from the small blind, chasing Bob Van Syckle out of his big blind.

Johnson:
Hammers:

Hammers had the superior kicker, and it proved to be the difference on a board, and Hammers was able to knock out the dangerous Johnson in fourth.

Sherry Hammers - 1.715 million (14 bb)
Aaron Johnson - Eliminated in Fourth place for $34,183

Mark Collins Closes The Gap On Bob Van Syckle

Bob Van Syckle raised to 260,000 from the small blind, and Mark Collins called from the big blind.

Both players checked a flop, and Van Syckle led for 300,000 when the hit the turn. Collins called.

Van Syckle checked the on the river, and Collins bet 300,000. Van Syckle called.

“King,” Collins said, tabling for king high with the three jacks. Van Syckle mucked.

Bob Van Syckle - 3.995 million (33 bb)
Mark Collins - 3.895 million (32 bb)

Mark Collins Makes Queen-Five Work

Mark Collins raised to 310,000 from the small blind, and Aaron Johnson called from the big blind.

Both players checked the flop, and Collins bet 250,000 on a turn. Johnson called.

Collins bet another 250,000 on the river, which Johnson snapped off with a single chip.

Collins tabled for trips, and Johnson mucked.

Mark Collins - 2.64 million (22 bb)
Aaron Johnson -930,000 (8 bb)

Updated Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Bob Van Syckle	3840000	3750000
Mark Collins	2480000	2050000
Aaron Johnson	2100000	2100000
Sherry Hammers	1405000	1600000

Let's Take A Break

The remaining four players are on a ten-minute break.