JACK Cleveland Casino

Adam Friedman Wins Championship, Spencer Wright Finishes Second

Adam Friedman managed to pull off winning his first MPST title in one hand.

Spencer Wright bet out 265,000 and Friedman made the call.

The flop came out . Friedman checked and Wright then bet out 400,000.

Friedman went all-in for 9,300,000 and Wright instantly made the call. Wright turned over and Friedman needed help with . Wright survived the but the hit the river gave Friedman the flush and the title.

With the victory, Friedman takes the MSPT JACK Cleveland Casino Championship and takes home $121,405. Spencer Wright finishes in 2nd place and scores $74,585.

Congratulations to our newest MSPT Champion - Adam Friedman!

That’s all for us from Cleveland. Thank you to all of the players and staff at JACK Cleveland Casino for an incredible event. We’ll see you at our next stop Majestic Star in eastern Chicago!

Heads up - Chip counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Adam Friedman	9,400,000	3,400,000
Spencer Wright	2,600,000	2,775,000

Wright Has His Rail Too

Ragozzino had his rail, but don’t discount the rail of Spencer Wright, who is now heads up with Adam Friedman for an MSPT Main Event title. Dennis Brady, who finished 37th in this event has hung around to root on his buddy. They met playing the final table of the FireKeepers 500 last year and immediately became friends.

Brady has just found his way into a can of Dr. Pepper and is ready to cheer on Wright heads up. Either way, this has been a great run and great memory. This is what tournament poker is all about.

Here we go...

Agostino Ragozzino Eliminated In 3rd Place ($54,343)

The ride for Agostino Ragozzino and friends is over.

Adam Friedman pulled off eliminations on back-to-back hands with Ragozzino going all-in for his remaining 280,000 chips. Ragozzino held against the of Friedman. The board ran out ending a Cinderella ride for Ragozinno.

Agostino Ragozinno finishes in 3rd place taking home $54,343.

Daniel Swartz Eliminated In 4th Place ($40,468)

Daniel Swartz’s time is up at the final table.

Swartz bet out 170,000 chips and Adam Friedman raised to 480,000. Swartz re-raised all-in for 950,000 and Friedman made the call. Swartz turned up and Friedman led with . The board ran out finishing off Swartz.

Daniel Swartz finishes in 4th place winning $40,468.

Matthew McKenzie Eliminated In 5th Place ($30,640)

Adam Friedman from the cutoff raised to 170,000. Matthew McKenzie then raised all-in for about 700,000 and was quickly called by Friedman.

Friedman tabled , dominating McKenzie’s .

There was a sweat on the flop, but the board ran out pure for Friedman, , giving him the knockout and adding to his chip lead.

Matthew McKenzie finished In 5th Place winning $30,640

The Tale of Ragozzino Rail

That crowd of people the JACK Cleveland Casino Poker Room is hearing repeatedly chanting “Augie, Augie, Augie” is a group from Girard, OH who made the trip here to Cleveland to support Agostino Ragozzino. Twelve friends inclduing Ragozzino got together to play a home game to send one of them to this event which Ragozzino won to get the seat. The group will be splitting the winnings of Ragozzino.

Ragozzino had been short-stacked most of the way in the entire tournament but his pals made the leap of faith even though it could have been a very short day for him. And now here he sits in third place just four eliminations away from an MSPT title and the gang splitting a six-figure score. It’s an awesome story of friendship and kinda makes you want to shout out a little “Augie” yourself.

Five players remain alive as play continues this evening.

Grand Falls Casino Outside Sioux Falls, SD to Host $1,100 Main Event September 6-8

The MSPT is headed back to Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa, located just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota! Beginning August 15, Grand Falls Casino will play host to a series of satellites that’ll culminate with a $1,100 buy-in, $150,000 GTD Main Event (September 6-8).

The $1,100 Main Event will feature two starting flights beginning with Day 1A at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 6. Day 1B will take place at the same time on Saturday, September 7. Both days will play 15 levels. The surviving players from both flights will then return at 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 8 to play down to a winner.

View Complete Event Schedule

Ryan Skluzak

Last year’s MSPT event at Grand Falls Casino attracted 226-entrants and saw two-time South Dakota State Poker Champion Ryan Skluzak defeat 2018 MSPT Player of the Year Aaron Johnson. The duo engaged in an epic, 2.5 hour-long heads-up match during which each held a big chip lead. In the end, Skluzak prevailed to capture the title and $54,427 first-place prize.

In August 2017, the $1,100 Main Event drew 216 runners and saw 25-year-old Ahmed Taleb take down the title for $54,098 in his first-ever MSPT cash. Since then, Taleb has went on a tear both on the tour and in the poker world.

More recently, a $350 MSPT Grand Falls Regional Event earlier this year attracted 339 entries and saw South Dakota’s Eric Atchison come out on top. For Atchison this was his second MSPT cash and his largest career score.

The upcoming tournament will mark the eighth time the MSPT will have hosted a Main Event at Grand Falls. The first took place back in 2012 when Dan Sun topped a field of 215 entrants to win $60,486 and become the MSPT's first back-to-back champion.

Other winners of the MSPT Grand Falls Casino include Josh Smith, who topped a field of 218 to win $59,221 in August 2013; MSPT Pro Blake Bohn, who outlasted 200 other entrants to win in August 2014 for $54,607; Alan Curl, who topped a field of 238 entrants to win it in 2015 for $64,655; and Fishing Hall of Famer Ted Takasaki who topped a field of 187 runners to capture a $52,360 first-place prize.

Inspired by the lavish casino resorts of Las Vegas, Grand Falls sets a new standard of entertainment and fun for the Sioux Falls, South Dakota region. The resort’s world-class golf course – which is open now – is constructed on 155 acres of rolling terrain directly adjacent to the casino. Inside the casino, players will find more than 750 slots machines, 27 gaming tables including blackjack, craps and roulette, and an eight-table poker room.

We’ve worked out a special MSPT Rate at the high-end Grand Falls Casino Hotel. Thursday, September 5 is $99.95, while Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7 are $159.95. Call 712-777-7777 to book now.

One Break Leads To Another

Daniel Swartz came out of the break looking for a double and he found it in a three-outer.

Swartz moved all-in for 810,000 chips and Adam Friedman looked him up. Friedman led with against Swartz’s . Friedman led through the flop but Swartz hit the on the turn to steal the lead away from Friedman. The came out on the turn and Swartz doubled up to 1,700,000 (21 bb) and pulled Friedman back down to 3,500,000 (43 bb).

Five players remain in the hunt for the title as we hit the 9 PM hour here in Cleveland this evening.

Chip Counts on Break

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Adam Friedman	4,285,000	2,700,000
Spencer Wright	3,350,000	2,775,000
Agostino Ragozzino	2,200,000	1,700,000
Matthew McKenzie	1,600,000	1,500,000
Daniel Swartz	810,000	2,600,000