The Venetian

Miguel Lopez Bags Heaps to Lead 19 Players After Day 1B of the Inaugural MSPT Nevada Poker State Championship

Another full day of action occurred during Day 1b of the inaugural MSPT $1,100 Nevada Poker State Championship at the Venetian Resort, with over 15 full levels coming to completion when the hard stop was reached.

The second of three flights drew 167 runners, bringing the two-day total to 292 thus far with one flight remaining.

Of those 167 entries, just 19 players remained when pens went to slips, and it was Miguel Lopez who secured the final elimination of the night with a pair of aces to soar to the top of the chip counts, bagging a whopping 962,000, which is good enough for the overall chip lead so far.

Lopez’s tower was over double that of David Brownworth’s 442,000 stack, who ended the night second in chips, while the tightly contested POY race got even more interesting after both Jake Long (396,000), and back-to-back Player of the Year Umut Ozturk (325,000) found a Day 2 berth with MSPT champ Kfir Nahum (322,000) rounding out the top five stacks.

Others who will be joining the aforementioned five include Jonathan Frisch (321,000), Jay Yates (275,000), Carol Harmon (170,000), WSOP bracelet winner Billy Kopp (167,000), three-time bracelet winner Jesse Yaginuma (153,000), and Craig Mason (98,000), as they are just a few more of the players to add their names to the Day 2 roster along with the 14 who have already advanced from Day 1a.

Among those not as lucky at the felt included Matt Affleck, WSOP bracelet winner Kathy Liebert, two-time bracelet winner Dan Heimiller, McCabe Mayo, and MSPT champ Brad Gafford, with at least a few, if not all, of them likely to be seen back in action for the final flight.

The final starting flight for the Nevada Poker State Champion is tomorrow, starting at 11:10 a.m. local time.

The surviving players from the three starting flights will then return for Day 2 at 11:00 a.m. Sunday, September 28^th at 11:00 a.m. and will play down to a winner.

MSPT Season 16 Nevada Poker State Championship Remaining Schedule

We will be back tomorrow for coverage of Day 1c right here on MSPTPoker.com from the Venetian Las Vegas!

Make sure to be a part of history at The Venetian Poker Room as the first-ever Nevada Poker State Champion will be crowned!

End Day 1B Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Miguel Lopez	962,000	505,000
David Brownworth	442,000	393,000
Jacob Long	396,000	307,000
Umut Ozturk	325,000	225,000
Kfir Nahum	322,000	325,000
Jonathan Frisch	321,000	433,000
Wesley Nally	292,000	240,000
Marcus Stein	284,000	225,000
Jay Yates	275,000	290,000
Ryan Stiner	185,000	222,000
James Butt	182,000	130,000
Carol Harmon	170,000	167,000
Billy Kopp	167,000	160,000
Jesse Yaginuma	153,000	200,000
Steven Zazaian	147,000	225,000
Josh Zucchet	147,000	177,000
Craig Mason	98,000	84,000
Edward Giguere	88,000	100,000
Naushad Ali	45,000	134,000

Ryan Franklin Runs into Miguel Lopez's Aces and Falls on the Bubble

There was all in action between Miguel Lopez from late position, and Ryan Franklin from the cutoff, with Franklin’s 250,000 stack at risk.

Ryan Franklin:
Miguel Lopez:

It was a bad sight for Franklin, as Lopez rolled over a pair of aces with the flop not changing much.

While the turn did give Franklin some hope with a Broadway draw, the completed the board on the river and ended his night on the bubble.

Miguel Lopez - 962,000
Ryan Franklin - 0

Ozturk Flops Aces to Double Through Zazaian

Back-to-back Player of the Year Umut Ozturk raised all in for 147,000 from the cutoff, and Steven Zazaian looked him up from the button.

Umut Ozturk:
Steven Zazaian:

Ozturk was at risk needing help, and found it after an ace appeared in the window on the flop.

The dealer kept things sweaty with the turn, but the completed the board on the river and secured his double-up.

Umut Ozturk - 325,000
Steven Zazaian - 147,000

MSPT Champ Nahum Cools Off Giguere for a Double

There was all in action preflop between Edward Giguere from early position and MSPT champ Kfir Nahum from the cutoff, with Nahum’s 155,000 stack at risk.

Kfir Nahum:
Edward Giguere:

Nahum woke up with aces at the perfect time, as faded the runout to double through Giguere.

Kfir Nahum - 325,000
Edward Giguere - 55,000

Day 1A Chip Counts

Yesterday’s starting flight saw 2025 MSPT Icon Nick Pupillo bag the top stack with 641,000, leading the 14 players who advanced from a 125-entry field, and the 19 players who made it through today will join that group on Sunday, September 28^th, at 11:00 a.m. for Day 2.

Day 1A Chip Counts

Hand-for-Hand

After the elimination of MSPT champ Jeff Platt, just 20 players remain, meaning, the hand-for-hand process has started.

Ozturk Sets Up Frisch for a Double

Back-to-back Player of the Year Umut Ozturk was all in preflop for 111,000 from the cutoff, and Jonathan Frisch looked him up from late position.

Umut Ozturk:
Jonathan Frisch:

Ozturk rolled over the superior made hand, and didn’t have a sweat as the runout gave him top set to double through Frisch.

Jonathan Frisch - 250,000
Umut Ozturk - 225,000

❄️ WINTER POKER CLASSIC ❄️

Please note the $500K GTD Main Event is opening weekend (Dec. 4-7) during this series

: Running Aces Casino, Hotel & Racetrack - Columbus, MN

: December 2-14, 2025

: $500K GTD Main Event

: Winter Poker Classic

: 18 Gold Card Events

msptpoker.com

Running Aces Poker Tournaments

England Set Up by Platt

MSPT champ Jeff Platt opened for 8,000 from middle position, only to call a 22,000 three-bet from fellow champ Kyna England from the cutoff.

The two went heads-up to a flop, and action was checked to the turn.

This time, Platt check-called a 21,000 bet from England, and the completed the board on the River.

Platt then quickly check-called a final bet from England, and she tabled only to have him roll over for a set of threes to scoop the pot.

The battle left England short after the hand, and she was eliminated shortly after.

Jeff Platt - 250,000
Kyna England - 0