Seneca Niagara Casino

Veerab Zakarian Wins Inaugural MSPT Seneca for $63,340!

The MSPT first-ever visit to New York attracted 264 entrants to Seneca Niagara Casino, and after a full weekend of play, it was 22-year-old Veerab Zakarian of Ontario, Canada that walked away as champion for $63,340.

“I feel pretty good, I didn’t expect to win,” Zakarian said. “It feels pretty good, you know. I just know I ran really good today. I’m just thankful.”

It was a career-high score for the Toronto poker pro. Prior to the win, he had $227,514 in live tournament earnings including a prior best of $40,000 for finishing runner-up in the 2014 Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic Main Event. Other highlights on his poker résumé include $29,394 for finishing third in the 2016 Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic Main Event, $25,000 for winning the 2017 Empire State Hold’em Championships Event #1: $570 NLH, and $21,960 for taking second in the 2018 Lucky Hearts Poker Open Event #6: $1,150 Purple Chip Bounty.

Interestingly, Zakarian is good friends with MSPT Season 8 Player of the Year Chris Meyers. In fact, Meyers credits Zakarian for keeping him in the game by encouraging him to stay on the grind during a rough patch. That led to Meyers winning the 2017 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship.

“I’m happy he won and I get to do something he did,” Zakarian said of his win. “He’s talked very nice about me in interviews so now I get to do the same thing.”

Final Table Results
1^st Veerab Zakarian (Toronto, Canada) $63,340
2^nd Paul Butski (Scio, NY) $39,169
3^rd Adam Foster (Rochester, NY) $28,181
4^th Aaron Olshan (Amherst, NY) $20,683
5^th Matthew Dziomba (Kenmore, NY) $15,512
6^th Steve Anderson (Clarklake, MI) $11,893
7^th Budwey Salhab (Williamsville, NY) $9,049
8^th Derrick Brown (Mount Clemens, MI) $7,239
9^th Thomas Smolinski (West Seneca, NY) $5,688
10^th Brian Soja (New Brighton, MN) $4,654

On Day 2, 51 players returned to action, but with only 27 of them slated to get paid, nearly half the field walked away empty handed including Scotty Gaddi, Henry Zou, Buck Ramsay, Greg Ostrander, Andy Spears, Dan Wagner, Frank Lagodich, 2017 MNPokerMag POY Todd Melander, and bubble boy Darwin Smith, who fell after a two-hour long bubble.

Among those to finish in the money but fall short of the final table were Day 1B chip leader Maria Parlatore (11^th - $4,654), MSPT Season 8 Player of the Year Chris Meyers (14^th - $3,878), MSPT Season 5 Majestic Star champ Ken Baime (24^th - $2,379), and Day 1A chip leader Ilan Kandiah (27^th - $2,172).

The final table got off to a quick start with 2018 MSPT Iowa State Poker Champion Brian Soja bowing out when his pocket queens lost a race to ace-king. Not long after, Thomas Smolinski lost his short stack with ace-five to Zakarian’s pocket kings. For Soja, this was his 5th MSPT main event cash and 4th final table (finishing 2^nd, 10^th, 1^st, 10th).

In the very next hand, Zakarian picked up pocket rockets to send Derrick Brown, who got it in with king-ten, out in eighth place. This was Brown’s 2^nd MSPT main event cash and 1^st final table. Budwey Salhab - earning his 1st mspt cash - followed him out the door in seventh when his ace-jack failed to win a flip against Adam Foster’s pocket nines.

Michigan’s Steve Anderson, the last MSPT regular in the field, was the next to go after shoving king-jack only to have Zakarian once again wake up with aces. That allowed Zakarian to chip up to over half the chips in play. For Anderson, this was his 8th MSPT main event cash and his 4th final table (finishing 5^th, 7^th, 7^th, 6th).

Zakarian then used Big Slick to dispatch Matt Dziomba, who held king-queen, before Paul Butski took care of Day 1C chip leader Aaron Olshan, the result of the former’s ace-queen holding against the latter’s king-queen.

After the elimination of Adam Foster, Zakarian began heads-up play with a 2-1 chip lead over Butski. The duo jostled for a bit before Butski called off holding ace-ten offsuit against Zakarian’s king-queen. Butski held through the flop and turn, but a king on the river put the final nail in his coffin.

Season 9 of the MSPT continues October 6-14 with the 2018 Michigan State Poker Championship at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan. That stop’s $1,100 Main Event, which will run from Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 14, is looking to eclipse a million-dollar prize pool for the fourth straight time.

Paul Butski Eliminated In 2nd Place ($39,169)

Paul Butski raised to 175,000 on the button, then called the three-bet shove for 900,000 effective when Veerab Zakarian put him to the test in the big blind.

Butski:
Zakarian:

Butski was looking to double back into contention, and held on the flop and turn. But Zakarian’s heater couldn’t be denied, and the hit the river to end Butski’s run in second and award the MSPT Seneca Niagara Casino title to Zakarian.

Paul Butski - Eliminated in 2nd place for $39,169

Paul Butski Closes The Gap

Veerab Zakarian raised to 100,000 on the button and Paul Butski called.

Butski checked the flop, and Zakarian bet 50,000. Butski called.

The fell on the turn, and Butski checked again. Zakarian bet 300,000 and Butski called.

Both players quickly checked the river and Butski tabled . Zakarian mucked.

Veerab Zakarian - 3.3 million (66 bb)
Paul Butski - 2 million (40 bb)

Adam Foster Eliminated in 3rd Place ($28,181)

Adam Foster moved all in for around 300K from the button and Paul Butski called from the big blind.

Butski:
Foster:

Foster got it in good but fell behind on the flop. The turn left Foster looking for a four on the river to stay alive, but he didn’t get it as the bricked.

Adam Foster – Eliminated in 3rd place for $28,181

Paul Butski Doubles Through Adam Foster

Paul Butski jammed for 570,000 from the button, and Adam Foster three-bet shoved for 750,000 from the small blind, forcing out Veerab Zakarian in the big blind.

Butski:
Foster:

Butski hit a king on the flop, but Foster picked up outs to a straight on the turn. The river improved Butski to two pair, and Foster was left with under four big blinds.

Paul Butski - 1.1 million (22 bb)
Adam Foster - 180,000 (4 bb)

Aaron Olshan Eliminated in 4th Place ($20,683)

Day 1C chip leader Aaron Olshan moved all in for roughly 400,000 under the gun and Paul Butski called from the button.

Butski:
Olshan:

Olshan was dominated and failed to get there as the board ran out an unhelpful .

Paul Butski - 1,000,000 (25 bb)
Aaron Olshan – Eliminated in 4th place for $20,683

Matthew Dziomba Eliminated In 5th Place ($15,512)

Veerab Zakarian raised to 80,000 from UTG, then snapped off a three-bet shove for 520,000 from Matthew Dziomba in the small blind.

Zakarian:
Dziomba:

Zakarian’s final table rungood continued on a board, and Dziomba hit the rail.

Veerab Zakarian - 3.1 million (78 bb)
Matthew Dziomba - Eliminated in 5th place for $15,512

Matthew Dziomba Doubles Through Adam Foster

Matthew Dziomba moved all in for 275,000 from the small blind and Adam Foster called from the big.

Foster:
Dziomba:

Dziomba was ahead and held when the board ran out .

Matthew Dziomba - 550,000 (14 bb)
Adam Foster - 700,000 (17.5 bb)

Aaron Olshan Doubles Through Veerab Zakarian

Veerab Zakarian jammed for 195,000 effective from the small blind and Aaron Olshan called.

Zakarian:
Olshan:

Sakarian flopped a seven on the flop, but Olshan found his three-outer on the turn, and Zakarian couldn’t come back on the river.

Veerab Zakarian - 2.6 million (65 bb)
Aaron Olshan - 450,000 (11 bb)

Updated Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Veerab Zakarian	2800000	2100000
Adam Foster	1170000	1300000
Paul Butski	550000	600000
Matthew Dziomba	530000	540000
Aaron Olshan	230000	300000