Riverside Casino

Ben Pettinger Wins Iowa State Poker Championship ($149,856)

The MSPT returned to Riverside Casino and hosted the Iowa State Poker Championship which was definitely one for the memory books.

A total of 774 entries were tallied and generated a $749,280 prize pool.

On Sunday, 91 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 12 hours of action, it was Ben Pettinger coming out on top to win the $149,856 top prize and his first MSPT title.

Season 14 MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship Final Table Results

With 81 slated to get paid, only 10 players needed to exit before players reached the money.

Among those to leave empty-handed were MSPT champs Joe Matheson, & Ken Pates, Dan Dombrowski, and Joe Bangart just to name a few.

Players continued to drop like wildfire, so fast that the hand-for-hand process never occurred and the march to the final table began.

Among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday, were Steve Buell (11th Place - $11,164), Brad Sailor (12th Place - $11,164), MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (13th Place - $8,991), four-time MSPT champ Dan Bekavac (26th Place - $4,346), and defending Riverside champ Michael Berk (39th Place - $2,772).

Final Table Action

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Once the players returned from their dinner break, it only took three hands before Greg Asche jammed his short stack into the middle holding a made hand of fives and was called by Pettinger holding ace-queen.

Asche's fives held strong until the river when Pettinger made Broadway making him the first elimination at the final table.

After Asche's departure, fellow short-stack Bert Sampson got his remaining chips in with a pair of threes only to run into Ken Baime's pocket tens.

In the same level, Bruce Simmons was involved in a three-way pot and got his 1.4 million stack in the middle with bottom pair and was called by Pettinger holding top pair and kicker. Simmons was unable to pull ahead and departed in seventh place.

Two-time MSPT champ Baime decided he rode his short stack long enough, getting it in with a king-four off suit from the small blind and was called by the MSPT Hall of Famer Blake Bohn from the big blind holding a dominating king-nine suited.

Baime was able to pull ahead after pairing his four on the flop, but Bohn also picked up a gutshot straight draw and completed it on the river to eliminate Baime in sixth place.

After being able to climb the pay ladder, John McNee's trip queens were flushed by Bohn on the river and made his departure in fifth place for $38,213.

Four-handed action saw Bohn start accumulating chips and held almost half of what was in play when 2021 MSPT Riverside champ Tim Gundrum jammed the turn with king-high and was called by Pettinger with a pair of sevens and a flush draw.

Gundrum wasn’t able to connect with the river, and was denied his second title as he took a fourth-place finish for $50,127.

Pettinger was able to close the gap between Bohn and himself after Gundrum's elimination while Benjamin Frye laid wait to pounce on Bohn's aggressive style only to jam into his pocket kings and ended up taking an third place finish for $75,435.

From there, the heads-up match saw chips shuffle between the two players with Pettinger winning two key pots to secure his first MSPT trophy and payday good for $149,856 while the MSPT Hall of Famer finished runner-up for $92,156.

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is making its way back to Hollywood Casino St. Louis, Missouri August 1st - 6th for its $300K GTD $1,110 Main Event, and the MSPT live reporting team will be on hand providing updates for the so make sure to come back!.

Blake Bohn Eliminated in 2nd Place ($92,156)

Blake Bohn limped-in from the button and Ben Pettinger raised to 700,000. Bohn clapped back with a 6,200,000 three-bet jam and Pettinger called.

Blake Bohn:
Ben Pettinger:

Bohn was racing for his record breaking fifth title and didn’t mind the flop that was paired bringing possible chop outs.

Unfortunately for Bohn, the dealer turned the leaving the MSPT Hall of Famer drawing dead to the river.

Ben Pettinger - 19,350,000
Blake Bohn - Eliminated

Pettinger Takes the Chip Lead

Blake Bohn limped in from the button and then called the 700,000 three-bet from Ben Pettinger.

The flop was checked to the turn where Bohn check-raised to 2,400,000 after Pettinger fired out a 800,000 bet and was called.

After the paired the board on the river, both players checked and Pettinger tabled to win the pot.

Ben Pettinger - 13,150,000
Blake Bohn - 6,200,000

Jacks Are Good for Pettinger

Blake Bohn opened for 425,000 and then called a 1,150,000 three-bet from Ben Pettinger.

The board was checked down and Pettinger tabled to win the pot.

Blake Bohn - 11,000,000
Ben Pettinger - 8,350,000

Benjamin Frye Eliminated in 3rd Place ($67,435)

Blake Bohn raised to 300,000 from the button, and then snap-called Benjamin Frye’s three-bet from the small blind.

Benjamin Frye:
Blake Bohn:

Frye was behind needing help and found some after the flop gave him the nut flush draw.

Unfortunately for Frye, both the turn and river were bricks and ended his Main Event in third place for $76,435.

Blake Bohn - 12,470,000
Ben Pettinger - 6,875,000
Benjamin Frye - Eliminated

Bohn Jams the River

Blake Bohn and Ben Pettinger saw a flop for 650,000 apiece and action was checked to the turn.

Pettinger led out for 600,000 and then called the 1,200,000 raise from Bohn bringing the river.

Pettinger check one last time to Bohn only to release his hand after he moved all-in.

Blake Bohn - 7,950,000
Ben Pettinger - 6,500,000
Benjamin Frye - 4,900,000

Three Handed Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Isaac (Ben) Pettinger	7,200,000	7,285,000
Blake Bohn	6,850,000	8,100,000
Benjamin Frye	5,300,000	6,400,000

Tim Gundrum Eliminated in 4th Place ($50,127)

Tim Gundrum opened for 300,000 from the cutoff and Ben Pettinger defended his big blind to see a flop.

Both players checked, and the dealer turned the .

Pettinger led out for 300,000 and then called Gundrum’s 2,000,000 all-in raise.

Tim Gundrum:
Ben Pettinger:

Gundrum was at risk needing help but the river wasn’t it and he made his exit in fourth place for $50,127.

Ben Pettinger - 7,285,000
Tim Gundrum - Eliminated

Pettinger Check Raises the River

Blake Bohn opened for 300,000 from the cutoff and was called by Ben Pettinger from the small blind, along with Tim Gundrum from the big blind.

The flop was checked to Bohn who continued for 200,000 and only Pettinger check-called to see the turn.

Action went check-check, and the completed the board on the river.

This time, Pettinger check-raised to 1,000,000 after Bohn fired out a 400,000 bet and Bohn released his hand.

Blake Bohn - 7,950,000
Ben Pettinger - 4,560,000

Bohn Trips Up Frye, Extends Chip Lead

Benjamin Frye opened for 250,000 from the cutoff and Blake Bohn defended his big blind to see a flop.

Action went check-check, and the paired the board on the turn.

Bohn check-called a 375,000 bet from Frye and the completed the board on the river.

Both players checked, and Bohn tabled to scoop the pot with trip threes.

Blake Bohn - 7,750,000
Benjamin Frye - 5,560,000