Created (2/8/2026 12:45:48 AM by Anthony Thompson)
The MSPT returned to the beautiful Venetian Resort in Las Vegas for the second time this season to host the Season 17 $1,600 Poker Bowl X!
A total of 740 entries were tallied after three starting flights, and on Saturday, just 82 players returned to action for the final day in hopes of securing the top prize from the $1,050,800 prize pool.
When the dust finally settled, it was top pro Alex Foxen, who found himself back in the winner’s circle after walking away with the incredible victory for another six-figure payday, along with the MSPT Season 17 Venetian Poker Bowl trophy.
“Feels great,” Foxen said after his win, “Always feels good to get a victory and secure another title.”
The win secured one of the most decorated players in poker his second career MSPT title, and his first since 2018, earning himself 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!
“It’s really great to see the MSPT hosting bigger events and expanding their buy-ins, it should be a fun one,” Foxen added.
MSPT Season 17 Venetian Poker Bowl Final Table Results
| Place |
Player |
Prize |
POY |
| 1 |
Alex Foxen |
$165,235 |
1,800 |
| 2 |
Miquel Maines |
$122,698 |
1,600 |
| 3 |
Joe Serock |
$92,076 |
1,500 |
| 4 |
Justin Lapka |
$69,817 |
1,400 |
| 5 |
Nick Palma |
$53,495 |
1,300 |
| 6 |
Aaron Klausman |
$41,426 |
1,200 |
| 7 |
Hunter Cichy |
$32,422 |
1,100 |
| 8 |
Kenneth Kim |
$25,652 |
1,000 |
| 9 |
Dan Sepiol |
$20,519 |
900 |
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Day 2 Action
The final day came back with 82 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with short- stack David Somers being the first elimination of the day, while Rubin Chappell followed him to the payout cage shortly after.
Rubin Chappell
After Chappell hit the deck, a flurry of “payouts” could be heard throughout the room, as handfuls of players were walking to the payout table which included the likes of WSOP bracelet winner Nick Pupillo (68th Place – $3,751), MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Massey (49th Place – $4,589), MSPT Champ Zilong Zhang (43rd Place - $5,171), WSOP bracelet winner Will Givens (36th Place - $5,171), and two-time bracelet winner John Riordan (29th Place - $5,897) all hit the deck before the three table redraw.
Two-Time Bracelet Winner John Riordan
The final three tables were stacked with crushers, but fellow bracelet winner Francis Anderson (28th Place - $5,897), MSPT top Casher DJ Buckley (23rd Place - $7,948), Dan Stavila (19th Place - $9,391), 2025 Colorado Poker State Champ Antonio Vargas (13th Place - $13,571) and fellow MSPT Champ Alexander Wong (10th Place - $19,250) all fell before the final tabel was set (10th Place - $16,594).
Dan Stavila
Final Table Action
Just before the final table was set, MSPT Champ & bracelet winner Daniel Sepiol lost with a pair of snowmen against Hunter Cichy’s pair of kings, leaving him short to become the first final table elimination.
Following Sepiol to the payout desk was Kenneth Kim, whose pair of tens ran into Miquel Maimes’ pair of cowboys, sending him home in eighth place.
A few hands later, Cichy received a knockout blow after his pair of kings was cracked by two-time bracelet winner Justin Lapka’ ace-rag, sending him home in seventh-place, while short-stack Aaron Klausman received a few pay jumps before bowing out in sixth- place for $41,426.
Aaron Klausman
After a few levels had passed by, Nick Palma fell to the bottom of the chip counts, and in desperate need to make a move, he picked the wrong spot to do it as he jammed from the big blind after a flop with king-high, only to have Foxen roll over top two-pair and turn a full house to send him home in fifth place for $53,495.
From that point, the final four players were even in chip counts, until Lapka’s nut straight was flushed out by Maimes to take fourth place exit for $69,817.
Miquel Maimes
After Lapka’s departure, 2024 WSOP Main Event eighth-place finisher Joe Serock found himself on the wrong side of a cooler against Foxen to take a third place finish for $92,076.
The heads-up battle started with Foxen sitting at nearly a 2:1 chip disadvantage, but his aggressive style of play saw him switch the momentum before ultimately setting up Maimes in second place for $122,698, while Foxen secured his second career MSPT title.
This concludes our coverage for the Venation Poker Bowl X, but Season 17 of the MSPT continues this week as we head to JACK Cleveland Casino February 10th - 16th to host the Ohio Poker State Championship, and the MSPT team will be on hand providing updates for the $750K GTD $1,110 Main Event, so make sure to come back