Riverside Casino

Mike Estes Wins MSPT Season 16 Iowa Poker State Championship for First Career Title ($153,551)

For the second time this season, the MSPT traveled to Riverside Casino to host the Season 16 Iowa Poker State Championship, and the turnout did not disappoint.

A total of 815 entries (128 from Day 1a; 278 from 1b; 409 from 1c) were tallied through three starting flights and generated a $789,494 prize pool.

On Sunday, 91 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 12 hours of action, it was business owner/ tour grinder Mike Estes who battled his way through the challenging final day field en route to a career-best $153,551 first-place prize and his first MSPT title!

“Phenomenal, best I’ve felt in eight years”, Estes said after being asked how it feels closing out his first MSPT title.

“How does that spade come! Best spade I’ve ever seen in my life”, an ecstatic Estes added with overwhelming emotions.

“The best part about this win was seeing Jess (Anderson) cry”, Estes said.

“I started playing poker back in 2012 in Tama, Iowa, and she’s been here with me at every stop since”, Estes continued, “I literally played for eight years (until 2020) without ever cashing a single tournament, and she was at every one of them. So during COVID, I really started diving into what I was doing wrong and how I could improve”.

After going to the drawing boards, Estes made his way back to the felt, making his first appearance on the tour in 2021, and notched his first career cash here at Riverside in Season 12.

Estes, since then, has racked up 23 Main Event cashes while making seven final table appearances, and now has secured his first MSPT title, bringing his career MSPT earnings to $431,217.

MSPT Season 16 Iowa Poker State Championship Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with 91 players already in the money, and action kicked right into gear with Zac Campbell being the first elimination of the day while Jay Goughnour and two-time MSPT champ Ken Baime followed him to the payout desk as part of the first batch of eliminations.

Riverside Season 14 third-place finisher Benjamin Frye would be a part of the next batch of eliminations, along with MSPT champ Bee Yang and Season 12 Riverside champ Timothy Gundrum.

At the same time, back-to-back Player of the Year Umut Ozturk and fellow MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson fell in succession to each other in 60th and 61st place, respectively, with Ozturk adding 150 POY points to jump into the top spot in the ICON standings.

The fast-paced action then hit a new gear, with players dropping like flies while other making moves to gain chips as two-time MSPT champ Dan Sun (54^th Place - $2,520) MSPT Hall of Famer & bracelet winner Rich Alsup (53^rd Place - $2,520), fellow bracelet winner TJ Murphy (47^th Place - $2,520), MSPT champ Anthony Scarborough (35^th Place - $3,465), and last year’s Riverside champ Jake Wilding (27^th Place - $4,567) all falling by the wayside.

Former champs would then continue to drop from the field as two-time champs Tim Thorp (22^nd Place - $5,591) & Taylor Howard (19^th Place - $6,615), Mark Larson (15^th Place - $9,449), and the MSPT’s top casher DJ Buckley (10^th place - $11,024) all fell before the final table.

Final Table Action

Once the player took their seats, action picked right up with three-time MSPT champ Nick Barksdale losing half his stack to WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway, only to lose the other half to Michael Kreutzer to become the first final table elimination.

A few hands later, MSPT Hall of Famer & bracelet winner Rob WazWaz would have the same fate as Barksdale, as he lost most of his stack with pocket tens against aces, and then turned a straight against soon-to-be champ Estes only to have him river a full house to end his run in eighth place.

The final table appearance marked WazWaz’s 21^st on the tour, padding his GOAT rankings while taking his career MSPT earnings to $789,962.

Justin Coliny came into the final table in the middle os the pack and was able to find a double-up before losing a race to Holloway to take a seventh-place finish.

After Coliny’s elimination, short-stack Jeff Kenny would lose against Kreutzer to take a sixth-place finish, while Steven Dill followed him out the door in fifth place for $39,372.

With four players remaining, the chips started shuffling around the table before Kreutzer lost a few crucial hands, only to be set-up in fourth place for $51,971 by Jake Long.

The chips were then pretty evenly dispersed between the three remaining players, as each started dishing out and catching doubles until Lonmg was able to hit running hearts to eliminate Holloway in third place for $69,610.,

Once the heads-up battle started, Long held a slight chip lead over Estes until all the chips went into the middle with Estes holding an ace-five against Long’s pair of nines.

Long was able to hold the lead after the flop and even turned a set, only to have Estes river a four-card flush to take a massive chip lead, which led to Long’s eventual departure in second-place for $94,499 while Estes secured the MSPT Season 16 Iowa Poker State Chmapionship for his first career title and score of $153,551.

This wraps up our coverage for this year’s Iowa Poker State Championship, but Season 16 of the MSPT continues this week as we head to Bally’s Black Hawk next (July 31^st - Auguist 3^rd) and our reporting team will be on hand providing updates for the Colorado Poker State Championship, so make sure to come back and tune in!

Jake Long Eliminated in 2nd Place ($94,499)

Mike Estes raised all in for 11,300,000 and was called by Jake Long holding 11,700,000.

Mike Estes:
Jake Long:

Estes was at risk needing help, with not much coming after the flop hit the felt.

However, the dealer kept things interesting after they turned the , improving Long to top set while keeping Estes live with a spade flush draw, but it just wasn’t meant to be for Long, as the came crashing down on the river, securing Estes the massive chip lead while Long was left with 400,000 and eliminated the very next hand.

Mike Estes - 24,450,000
Jake Long - Eliminated

Chad Holloway Eliminated in 3rd Place ($69,610)

WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway raised all in for 4,400,000 from the small blind, and Jake Long looked him up from the big blind.

Chad Holloway:
Jake Long:

Holloway rolled over a dominating suited ace, but the flop came paired with one heart.

Unfortunately for Holloway, the dealer would then turn the , giving Long the nut flush draw, and followed with the on the river, ending his run in third place for $69,610.

Jake Long - 11,700,000
Mike Estes - 11,300,000
Chad Holloway - Eliminated

Estes Doubles Through Long in Battle of the Blinds

Jake Long raised to 4,200,000 from the small blind, and Mike Estes called off his 4,100,000 stack from the big blind.

Mike Estes:
Jake Long:

Estes was ahead holding an ace and took a commanding lead after the flop paired it.

The then paired the board on the turn, securing Estes’ double before the completed the board on the river.

Mike Estes - 8,700,000
Jake Long - 4,400,000

Michael Kreutzer Eliminated in 4th Place ($51,971)

After losing a race against WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway, Michael Kreutzer got his remaining 3,000,000 stack in the middle from the button and was called by Jake Long from the cutoff.

Michael Kreutzer:
Jake Long:

Kreutzer was at risk needing help, but the flop gave Long a set of fives, leaving him needing a three to stay alive.

Unfortunately for Kreutzer, neither the turn nor the river were cards he wanted to see as his tournament run came to an end.

Jake Long - 10,350,000
Chad Holloway - 10,000,000
Mike Estes - 4,100,000
Michael Kreutzer - Eliminated

William Henricks Strolls Away the Top Senior!

At the halfway point of the 16th season, the MSPT traveled back to Riverside Casino to host its second trophy event series during the 2025 Iowa Poker State Championship.

In Event #5: $300 No-Limit Seniors, 172 walkers strolled to the tables and created a $42,140 prize pool that was reserved for the top 18 seniors.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Susan Lang (10^th Place - $801), Jeffrey Martin (12^th Place - $801), James Martin (13^th Place - $674), Vincent Wolrab (16^th Place - $590), and Victor Hoffman (18^th Place - $590).

In the end, it was Illinois native William Henricks who came away with the top senior to take down the $11,378 toip prize, along with the fifth MSPT Gold Card of the series!

Final Table Results

Chip Shuffle

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Jacob Long	7,400,000	8,300,000
Chad Holloway	6,400,000	8,000,000
Michael Kreutzer	6,100,000	3,800,000
Michael Estes	4,600,000	7,200,000

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MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship at Ameristar East Chicago, August 12-17

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Steve Dill Eliminated in 5th Place ($39,372)

WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway raised all in from the button, and Steve Dill called off his shorter stack from the big blind.

Steve Dill:
Chad Holloway:

Dill rolled over an inferior made hand and wasn’t able to improve on the runout, ending his tournament.

Chad Holloway - 6,000,000
Steve Dill - Eliminated

Jeff Kenny Eliminated in 6th Place ($29,923)

After just receiving a double-up from Jake Long, Jeff Kenny was all-in once again for 1,800,000 from the button, and was called by Michael Kreutzer from the cutoff.

Jeff Kenny:
Michael Kreutzer:

Kenny was racing for his tournament life and was nearly left in the dust after a deuce appeared in the window on the flop, which kept him live with a Broadwauy draw.

The turn left Kenny needing some lady luck on the river, but the completed the board and ended his tournament.

Michael Kreutzer - 8,000,000
Jeff Kenny - Eliminated