Bally's Black Hawk Casino

Antonio Vargas Wins MSPT Season 16 Colorado Poker State Championship for First Career Title!

For the second time this season, the MSPT traveled to Bally’s Casino to host the Season 16 Colorado Poker State Championship, and the turnout did not disappoint.

A total of 875 entries were tallied and generated an $847,250 prize pool.

On Sunday, 98 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 12 hours of action, it was start-of-day chip leader, Antonio Vargas, who battled his way through the challenging final day field en route to a career-best $141,255 first-place prize after a heads up deal and his first MSPT title and Gold Card!

“It’s truly amazing”, Vargas said after his victory, “I came very close in this event last year, so to be able to close this one out, words can’t describe it.”

The overwhelmed Vargas was filled with emotion after a heartbreaking third-place finish in last January’s Main Event, Vargas came back intending to walk away champion, and he did just that, as he is the new Colorado Poker Stat Champion!

MSPT Season 16 Colorado Poker State Championship Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with 98 players already in the money, and action kicked right into gear with John Palermino being the first elimination of the day while Andrew Peragallo and Miguel Navarro followed him to the payout desk as part of the first batch of eliminations.

Players then continued dropping like flies while other making moves to gain chips as MSPT champ’s Beau "Don K. Nado" Wilshire (61^st Place - $2,490), Justin Lynch (56^th Place – $2,656) & Anthony Scarborough (52^nd Place - $2,656), all fell in quick succession, along with two-time MSPT champ Timothy Thorp (39^th Place - $2,988).

Only two former champs would remain in the field after Thorp’s departure, with Eric Maier falling in 15^th place for $9,960, while January’s runner-up finisher Zach Gutierrez (18^th Place - $8,300), Isaiah Easter (11^th Place - $11,620), and Colin Gordon (10^th place - $11,620) all fell before the final table.

Final Table Action

Once the player took their seats, action picked right up with Erik Macias getting his short stack in the middle holding an ace, only to run into Cody Mondeau’s pocket aces to become the first final table elimination.

A few hands later, final table chip leader Andrew Dea saw his chips deplete after a failed bluff against Zack Whitney saw him ultimately take a disappointing eighth-place exit.

Next up on the chopping block was Mondeau, who got flushed out on the river by Rich Dixon to take a seventh-place finish, while the last former champ standing, John Schroer departed shortly after in sixth place for $31,539.

After Schroer’s elimination, Thomas Fuller found a strong hand in the big blind to risk his remaining stack only to have Rich Dixon roll over a pair of aces to end his run in fifth place for $41,499.

With four players remaining, Rahul Lal found a spot in a battle of the blinds against Whitney to get his short stack in the middle, only to be flopped dead to take a fourth-place departure for $54,779.

The chips were then pretty evenly dispersed between the three remaining players until Vargas got paid on a flopped flush against Dixon to take the chip lead, and then finished him off in third place for $73,371.

After Dixon hit the deck, it didn’t take long for the final two to agree upon an ICM deal, which saw Whitney take home a second-place finish for $120,190, while Vargas secured the MSPT Season 16 Colorado Poker State Championship for his first career title and score of $141,255.

This wraps up our coverage of this year’s ColoradoPoker State Championship, but Season 16 of the MSPT continues as we head to Grand Falls, Iowa, next (August 6th-10th), and our reporting team will be on hand providing updates for the $300K GTD $1,110 Main Event, so make sure to come back!

Zack Whitney Eliminated in 2nd Place ($120,190)

After a quick discussion, the two remaining players agreed on an ICM chop with Zack Whitney taking home a second-place finish for $120,190, while Antonio Vargas will take home the Season 16 Colorado Poker State Championship and $141,255.

Rich Dixon Eliminated in 3rd Place ($73,371)

Rich Dixon was all in from the big blind and was called by Antonio Vargas from the small blind.

Rich Dixon:
Antonio Vargas:

Dixon was behind holding two live cards, but couldn’t find either on the runout, as his tournament run came to an end.

Antonio Vargas - 17,550,000
Zack Whitney - 8,700,000
Rich Dixon - Eliminated

Vargas Flushes Dixon to Take the Chip Lead

Rich Dixon raised the button, and Antonio Vargas defended to see a flop.

Action went check-check, and the fell on the turn.

This time, Vargas check-raised to 1,700,000 after Dixon fired out a 500,000 bet, and Dixon called.

Once the paired the board on the river, Vatgas led out with another 1,700,000 bet, and Dixon looked him up.

Vargas then tabled for the flush, and it was good as Dixon tossed into the muck.

Antonio Vargas - 12,300,000
Rich Dixon - 3,000,000

Rahul Lal Eliminated in 4th Place ($54,779)

Rahul Lal was all in preflop for 2,200,000 from the big blind and was called by Zack Whitney from the small blind.

Rahul Lal:
Zack Whitney:

Lal was racing for his tournament life, only to fall way behind after the flop fell, improving Whitney to a full house.

The turn was then all she wrote for Lal, as it left him drawing dead too the river.

Zack Whitney - 11,300,000
Rahul Lal - Eliminated

Thomas Fuller Eliminated in 5th Place ($41,499)

Rich Dixon raised from the cutoff and then called Thomas Fuller’s 2,000,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Thomas Fuller:
Rich Dixon:

Fuller didn’t like seeing Dixon roll over a pair of aces, but didn’t mind the flop that fell, giving him a gutshot straight draw.

The then paired the board on the turn, leaving Fuller needing a ten on the river to stay alive, but the completed the board and ended his run.

Rich Dixon - 9,100,000
Thomas Fuller - Eliminated

John Schroer Eliminated in 6th Place ($31,539)

MSPT champ John Schroer got his remaining 120,000 in the middle after a flop from the button and was called by Zack Whitney from the hijack.

John Schroer:
Zack Whitney:

Schroer was behind holding kicker issues, and neither the turn nor the river improved his hand, ending his run.

Zack Whitney - 9,500,000
John Schroer - Eliminated

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Cody Mondeau Eliminated in 7th Place ($24,070)

Cody Mondeau was all in from the big big blind and was called by Rich Dixon from the button.

Cody Mondeau:
Rich Dixon:

Mondeau was behind needing help, but the runout flushed him out the door in seventh place.

Rich Dixon - 4,000,000
Cody Mondeau - Eliminated

Andrew Dea Eliminated in 8th Place ($19,085)

Andrew Dea opened for 325,000 from the cutoff, and Zack Whitney defended his big blind to see a flop.

Whitney check-raised to 1,000,000 after Dea fired out a 325,000 continuation bet, and Dea called.

Once the hit the turn, Whitney led out with another 1,000,000 bet, only to be faced with an all-in raise from Dea.

“F’ it, I call”, Whitney said as he put his 4,900,000 stack at risk and tabled his hand.

Zack Whitney:
Andrew Dea:

“How do you call that?” a stunned Dea said just as the paired the board on the river to secure Whitney’s double, while Dea fell to the bottom of the chip counts.

The very next hand, Dea got his remaining chips in the middle against Thomas Fuler, only to come up short to take an eighth-place exit.

Zack Whitney - 11,500,000
Andrew Sea - Eliminated