FireKeepers Casino

Sai Mudduluru Wins MSPT Season 17 Michigan Poker State Championship!

The MSPT traveled to FireKeepers Casino for the first time this season to host the Season 17 Michigan Poker State Championship, and the turnout was another mouth dropper.

The nine-Gold Card Series was headlined by the $1,110 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD Main Event, which was one to remember, with 2,551 entries generating an impressive $2,472,970 prize pool.

After an action-packed weekend, it was Michigan native Sai Mudduluru who emerged victorious to claim his first MSPT title along with a career-best $357,936 first-place prize.

“Feels great,” Mudduluru said after his victory, “I started the final table kind of going downwards after losing a flip, but I was able to stay composed and had a big hand with trips into my full house, making my life easy from there.”

As a Lansing native, Mudduluru doesn’t get out to travel much for poker, but when the MSPT comes into town, he makes sure to play.

“This is my home casino,” Mudduluru stated, “I honestly only play five or six tournaments a year, so when you guys come here, I make sure to play it every time.”

The win marked Mudduluru’s seventh Main Event cash on the tour, all of which have come from this very casino, with his first dating back in 2013 when he made the final table here back in Season 9.

Not only did the win mark Mudduluru’s largest career score, but he also will receive a $3,500 seat into the MSPT Championship Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO), which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, Nov. 18 – Dec. 2, boasting a $2,000,000 GTD Main Event!

MSPT Season 17 Michigan Poker State Championship Final Table Results

Final Day Action

The final day came back with all 274 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with players like Alec Magdan, three-time bracelet winner Dash Dudley, two-time MSPT Champ Greg Himmelbrand , and MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk all falling in the first batch of eliminations.

The rush of players to the payout line continued as fellow Hall of Famers Kou Vang (220^th Place $2,345), Aaron Johnson (169^th Place $2,962), Rob WazWaz (167^th Place $2,798), and Chris Moon (106^th Place $3,703) all had their final day cut much shorter than anticipated.

With the march to the final table in full swing, others to fall along the way albeit with a payday, was decorated Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (95^th place - $3,950), Season 16 Player of the Year Jake Long (76^th place - $4,443), New Years Poker Open Champ Matt Wantman (41^st place - $7,159), Season 14 Michigan Poker State Champion Travis Young (33^rd place - $8,640), ”Wild” Bill Romer (24^th Place - $13,824), and MSPT Champ Dan Sepiol (11^th place - $30,857).

Final Table Action

Once players took their seats at the final table in the customized poker room, it didn't take long for action to kick into gear with Raymond Mancini becoming the first final table elimination after he jammed into Brett “Pops” Reichard’s pair of aces, while short-stack Bhanuchandar Sadineni followed him out the door shortly after in eighth place for $48,136.

Wisconsin’s Kirby Rogers started the day with 67,000 in chips but was able to maneuver his way to a seventh-place finish after being out-kicked by Grant Juric for $59,245.

Six-handed action saw Howie Guo get his stack in the middle after flopping middle pair, only to be called by Mudduluru’s top pair to end his run for $78,993.

After starting off the final table with a double-up, Todd Wildig was looking to secure another with a made hand of jacks, only to run into Mudduluru’s superior pair of ladies to take a fifth-place finish for $102,938.

With four players remaining, Reichard and Mudduluru stood within a big blind of each other, and the two would tussle, which saw Reichard end up on the wrong side of cooler, ending his run in fourth place for $130,832.

From that moment, Mudduluru held over eight percent of the chips in play and made quick work of both Huy Dinh ($172,920) and Juric ($225,85) to claim a career score of $357,936, while becoming the MSPT Season 17 Michigan Poker State Champion!

This wraps up our coverage of another eventful tournament, so make sure you join us when we make our way back to Venetian Las Vegas July 11^th - 19^th, with back-to-back tournaments boasting a $1,000,000 prize pool’s and, as always, full coverage being provided by the MSPT reporting team, so make sure to come back and tune in!

Grant Juric Eliminated in 2nd Place ($225,858)

Sai Mudduluru raised all-in, and Grant Juric called off his remaining stack.

Grant Juric:
Sai Mudduluru:

Juric was trailing Mudduluru’s made hand of fives, and the flop didn’t change that fact.

The turn didn’t improve Juric, as he was left needing any ace or three on the river to keep his hopes alive.

Unfortunately for him, the that fell paired the board and ended his Main Event run.

Sai Mudduluru - 78,530,000
Grant Juric - Eliminated

Huy Dinh Eliminated in 3rd Place ($172,920)

Sai Mudduluru raised all-in from the button, and Huy Dinh called off his stack from the big blind.

Huy Dinh:
Sai Mudduluru:

Dinh was ahead holding the better hand, but the flop gave Mudduluru top pair to take the lead.

The turn left Dinh needing any queen or jack to fall on the river to stay alive, but the completed the board and ended his run.

Sai Mudduluru - 74,530,000
Grant Juric - 4,000,000
Huy Dinh - Eliminated

MSPT Top GOAT

Our MSPT GOAT Leaderboard tracks those who have amassed the most points ALL TIME (vs World Ranking = last 50 Main Events only with a weighted multiplier favoring more recent)

Josh Reichard took over the #1 spot this season, surpassing Rob WazWaz, who had held it down since nearly the inception!

Full Leaderboard

Brett "Pops" Reichard Eliminated in 4th Place ($130,832)

Sai Mudduluru raised the button, and Brett “Pops” Reichard defended his big blind to see a flop.

Action was then checked to the turn, where Reichard check-raised to 7,000,000 after Mudduluru fired out a 2,000,000 bet, and was called.

Once the completed the board on the river, Reichard moved his 16,000,000 stack into the middle, and Mudduluru called holding just 1,000,000 more in chips.

Reichard rolled over for trip sixes, but it was no good, as Mudduluru tabled for a full house, ending “Pops” increduble Main Event run.

Sai Mudduluru - 47,300,000
Brett “Pops” Reichard - Eliminated

Todd Wildig Eliminated in 5th Place ($102,938)

Brett “Pops” Reichard opened for 1,000,000 from the hijack, only to have Todd Wildig three-bet jam 10,400,000 next to act from the cutoff, and Sai Mudduluru go over the top for 16,000,000 from the small blind.

With action back on Reichard, he decided to release into the muck, and the other two hands were tabled.

Todd Wildig:
Sai Mudduluru:

Wildig was behind holding the inferior made hand, and the runout ended his tournament.

Sai Mudduluru - 29,000,000
Todd Wildig - Eliminated

Yisidro Bustillos Wins Event #8 for First Gold Card!

Over the past week, players have been inside the FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, MI, duking it out for the MSPT Season 17 Michigan Poker State Championship!

In Event #8: $250 Nightly NLH, 128 night agents took to the field and generated a $25,600 prize pool that was divided out between the top 15 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Marvin Henry (10^th Place - $525), James Grimes (11^th Place - $525), Jian Le Huang (12^th Place - $525), Terrance Austen (13^th Place - $435), Matt Moffit (14^th Place - $435), and Ioan-Mihai Taizs (15^th Place - $435).

In the end, it was Michigan native Yisidro Bustillos who secured the top prize, along with his first Gold Card!

Final Table Results

Howie Guo Eliminated in 6th Place ($78,993)

Howie Guo was all-in after a flop from the big blind and was called by Sai Mudduluru from the cutoff.

Howie Guo:
Sai Mudduluru:

Guo was behind after flopping middle pair, and the turn followed by rive, marked his exit from the final table.

Sai Mudduluru - 20,000,000
Howie Guo - Eliminated

Kirby Rogers Eliminated in 7th Place ($59,245)

Kirby Rogers raised all-in for 2,550,000 from late position, and Grant Juric called from the button.

Kirby Rogers:
Grant Juric:

Rogers rolled over a dominated hand, and things got worse after the flop fell, giving Juric top two-pair.

With Juric holding a commanding lead, the was turned, leaving Rogers drawing dead to the river.

Grant Juric - 11,000,000
Kirby Rogers - Eliminated

Bhanuchandar Sadineni Eliminated in 8th Place ($48,136)

Bhanuchandar Sadineni tossed out his last 1,025,000 from the hijack and found three callers that saw a flop.

Action was checked to the turn, where Grant Juric moved his remaining stack into the dry put, giving Sadineni isolation.

Bhanuchandar Sadineni:
Grant Juric:

Sadineni was left drawing dead after seeing Juric roll over a flush, and the river sent him out the door.

Grant Juric - 8,000,000
Bhanuchandar Sadineni - Eliminated