The Venetian

Eric Baldwin Secures Third MSPT Title in the Season 14 Venetian Finale ($90,692)

The final Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Main Event of the year has come to an end at Venetian Las Vegas and walking away the victor is none other than Eric Baldwin who defended his title to walk away with his third MSPT Championship along with $90,692.

Baldwin came into the final day sitting in the middle of the pack in chips and really didn’t start to catch steam until the final two tables and contributes a nice run of cards paved the way to victory.

“I love it when you guys here and that I run so well in MSPT’s,” Baldwin said jokingly after his win before continuing, “This is such a great tour, and it’s just ran really well especially here at the Venetian, and being from Wisconsin, it’s just awesome to play with all the players who travel from all over the country that come here to play it.”

The victory puts Baldwin in elite company as he now sits it a third place tie with three MSPT titles and is excited to get back at it next season.

“This is what I love doing and I always get excited when I see the MSPT on the Venetian schedule so I’m looking forward to the next stop here in February.”

MSPT Season 14 Finale Venetian Final Table Results

The final day came back with 61 players already in the money so action kicked right into gear with Alex Milgrom being shot down by Dung Ho’s cowboys in one of the first hand of the day.

Action across the final tables continued with players dropping like wildfire as the march to the final table was on.

Among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday were two-time WSOP bracelet winner Shannon Shorr (10th Place - $8,853), bracelet winner Ben Moon (14th Place - $6,025), Lovell “Da Wiz” Wilkerson (22nd Place - $4,314), and Season 14 Player of the Year Umut Ozturk (23rd Place - $4,314).

Final Table Action

The fast-paced action kept rolling with Ky Nguyen becoming the first final table elimination after he jammed his pocket sixes into Ankush Mandavia’s superior pocket tens.

The very next level saw Luke Wasikowski get his short stack in the middle holding a suited queen-jack only to miss his flush draw against the defending champ Baldwin.

After Wasikowski's departure, Bill Croft lost a battle of the blinds against Mandavia and was sent home in seventh place while Ho was able to ladder up making a sixth place exit.

In the very next level, Mandavia was the next one who found himself on the chopping block after he failed to connect with his two over cards against Baldwin’s pocket sixes and was sent home in fifth place for $28,688.

With four players remaining, the chips were pretty evenly dispersed between them, that was until Victorino Torres tried to bluff Bogdan Chornyy off of trip jacks and found himself taking a fourth place departure for $37,604.

Chornyy held over half the chips in play when three-handed action started with Baldwin sitting second in chips, leaving WSOP bracelet winner Darren Rabinowitz needing to make a move and he did, holding a made hand of fours.

Unfortunately for Rabinowitz, he was counterfeited on the turn by Chornyy and was awarded $49,861 for his third place efforts.

The heads-up battle begun with Chornyy holding a 2:1 chip advantage, but Baldwin was determined to defend his title and chipped away at Chornyy until the final hand where he flopped an eight to secure his third MSPT title.

MSPT Player of the Year

The MSPT Season 14 Player of the Year race went down to the wire, and it was MSPT Hall of Famer Ozturk who was able to claim the top spot after his fellow Hall of Famer Rob WazWaz was eliminated late in Friday’s Day 1b flight.

Ozturk and WazWaz had been neck-to-neck throughout the season, leapfrogging each other throughout the year racking up a record 16 cashes with five final table appearances apiece.

With his cash today, Ozturk has now cemented himself in the record book for most cashes in a single season with 17 and has brough his MSPT career earnings up to $327,507.

This wraps up our coverage of a very exciting 14th season but make sure to join us for the Season 15 opener January 4^th - 14^th as Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) will be making its way to Sycuan Casino Resort to host a 19-trophy event Showdown Series headlined by the $1,110 Main Event being reported by the MSPT live reporting team so make sure to tune in!

Bogdan Chornyy Eliminated in 2nd Place ($66,870)

Bogdan Chornyy raised all in for 3,500,000 and Eric Baldwin called.

Bogdan Chornyy:
Eric Baldwin:

Chornyy was ahead until the flop fell pairing Baldwin’s eight.

The turn wasn’t the worst card for Chornny as it gave him the spade flush draw, but the completed the board on the river and ended eliminated him in second place for $66,870 while Baldwin secured his third MSPT title.

Eric Baldwin - 13,750,000
Bogdan Chornyy - Eliminated

Baldwin Turns the Tides

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Eric Baldwin	8,300,000	4,180,000
Bogdan Chornyy	5,450,000	9,570,000

Darren Rabinowitz Eliminated in 3rd Place ($49,861)

WSOP bracelet winner Darren Rabinowitz raised all in from the small blind and Bogdan Chornyy looked him up from the big blind.

Darren Rabinowitz:
Bogdan Chornyy:

Rabinowitz was ahead holding a made hand of fours but had a sweat after the flop came paired bringing possible counterfeit outs.

Unfortunately for Rabinowitz, the sweat didn’t last long as the dealer turned the , and then dropped the on the river ending his Main Event in third place for $49,861.

Bogdan Chornyy - 9,570,000
Eric Baldwin - 4,180,000
Darren Rabinowitz - Eliminated

Rabinowitz Out Flops Baldwin Again for Another Double

Eric Baldwin raised all in from the small blind and Darren Rabinowitz called off his 1,255,000 stack from the big blind.

Darren Rabinowitz:
Eric Baldwin:

Rabinowitz was behind holding live cards and found a lucky lady on the flop to put him in the lead.

The turn was safe for Rabinowitz, as was the that paired the board on the river securing him another double-up through Baldwin.

Eric Baldwin - 2,800,000
Darren Rabinowitz - 2,550,000

Victorino Torres Eliminated in 4th Place ($37,604)

There was heads-up action between Bogdan Chornyy from the button and Victorino Torres from the big blind with a board showing.

Torres led out for 350,000 and then called a 850,000 raise from Chornyy to see the complete the board on the river.

Torres instantly moved his 2,165,000 stack into the middle and Chornyy called after using one time bank. Torres didn’t like the call as he tabled for a missed spade draw while Chornny tabled to send him packing.

Bogdan Chornyy - 8,395,000
Eric Baldwin - 4,100,000
Darren Rabinowitz - 1,255,000
Victorino Torres - Eliminated

Rabinowitz Catches Another Double from Baldwin

Darren Rabinowitz raised from the cutoff only to have Eric Baldwin three-bet to 900,000 from the small blind.

Action folded back to Rabinowitz who moved his 980,000 stack in the middle and Baldwin called.

Darren Rabinowitz:
Eric Baldwin:

Rabinowitz was behind, that was until an ace appeared in the window on the flop to put him out in front.

The board completed with running on the turn and river keeping Rabinowitz’s tournament hope alive.

Eric Baldwin - 4,000,000
Darren Rabinowitz - 1,995,000

Ankush Mandavia Eliminated in 5th Place ($28,688)

Eric Baldwin raised from the small blind and then called fellow bracelet winner Ankush Mandavia’s 1,785,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Ankush Mandavia:
Eric Baldwin:

Mandavia was behind looking to connect with either of his two over cards, but the feat was easier said than done as the runout eliminated him in fifth place for $28,688.

Eric Baldwin - 5,400,000
Ankush Mandavia - Eliminated

Rabinowitz Flips Well Against Baldwin

Eric Baldwin raised to 300,000 from the cutoff and then called fellow bracelet winner Darren Rabinowitz’s 525,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Darren Rabinowitz:
Eric Baldwin:

Rabinowitz was ahead holding a made hand of fours and the runout kept his Main Event hopes alive.

Ericc Baldwin - 3,600,000
Darren Rabinowitz - 1,225,000

Dung Ho Eliminated in 6th Place ($22,142)

Dung Ho raised all in for 375,000 from the cutoff and was called by Bogdan Chornyy from the button, along with Ankush Mandavia from the big blind.

The board was checked to showdown and Chornyy tabled to win the pot eliminating Ho in sixth place for $22,142.

Bogdan Chornyy - 4,650,000
Ankush Mandavia - 2,800,000
Dung Ho - Eliminated