Ameristar East Chicago

MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson Wins Season 16 Ameristar East Chicago Main Event for Second Career Title!

The MSPT returned to Ameristar Casino in East Chicago for a third and final time this season, hosting a 12-Gold Card Event Series.

Our featured $1,110 buy-in, $300K GTD Main Event headlined the series, attracting 514 entrants after three starting flights, and on Sunday, only 58 players returned for Day 2 action.

After roughly 12 hours of play, it was Minnesota native and MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson, who navigated his way through the challenging field to come out on top to win the $92,000 top prize and his second MSPT title!

“Feels Amazing,” Johnson stated after his victory, which comes almost one month after he fell short of securing his second title at the beginning of the month to Indiana native Anthony Kastelic.

“That was painful,” Johnson stated after finishing runner-up Riverside Casino Resort, “I haven’t won a tournament since 2019.”

Johnson went on to say, “Winning one is great, but the second is validation, it's vindication, and being able to get my second one after a half decade feels amazing.”

It was a bittersweet victory for Johnson, who notched his 65^th Main Event cash under his belt to bring his MSPT lifetime earnings to $798,056, and is just one victory away from joining the Legends Club!

MSPT Season 16 Ameristar East Chicago Final Table Results

The final day came back with 58 players already in the money, and action kicked right into gear with Greg Koutelidakis securing a double elimination of Loki Abboud and Nikolay Kirev in the first hand of the day.

At the same time, two-time MSPT champ Ken Baime and inaugural Spade Poker Champion Merritt Kuhn followed him to the payout desk as part of the first batch of eliminations.

Players then continued dropping like wildfire with back-to-back Player of the Year Umut Ozturk’s tournament coming to an end in 43^rd place for an extra 75 POY points, while fellow MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard followed him to the payout desk in 38^th place for the same amount of points and $2,393.

After Ozturk and Reichard’s departures, Jake Long had his eyes set on padding his top spot in the race himself, but was only able to get a few spots above the two (22^nd Place - $3,760) to add an extra 200 points to his name, while George Dietz (19^th Place - $4,443), Brett ‘Pops’ Reichard (11^th Place - $7,324), and Chris Moore (10^th Place - $7,324) just missed out on the final table.

Final Table Action

The final table started with Yoon Kim sitting at the bottom of the chip counts, and he wasn’t able to get anything started after his ace-jack offsuit lost to Angel Saurez’s ten-eight of hearts, making him the first final table elimination.

Kojo Enu came into the final table with the second shortest stack, but was able to get a pay jump after Jerry Miller moved his average chip stack in the middle from under the gun with an ace-queen, only to have Xi Nguyen wake up with a pair of cowboys on the button to send him home in eighth place.

A few hands later, Enu would see his tournament come to an end after he lost a race to soon-to-be champ Johnson, while Saurez followed him to the payout desk shortly after in sixth-place.

A few levels would then pass, and chips would shuffle around until MSPT champ Lee Rzentkowski found an unlucky pair of sevens to be flushed out the door in fifth place by Johnson, while both Matt Miller and Xi Nguyen would fall in quick succession in fourth ($35,157) & third place ($46,485) respectively, setting the stage for the heads-up battle.

The heads-up duel began with Suggs holding a slight chip lead over Johnson, prompting a quick ICM deal to be proposed and agreed upon to speed up play.

Once the two came to an agreement, chips started shuffling between them, which saw each hold the chip lead until Johnson started connecting with rivers to walk away with his second MSPT Main Event title, while Suggs finished runner-up for $77,482.

This wraps up our coverage of yet another fantastic event, and the MSPT will be making one more stop this season as we are headed back home to the tundra for the 2025 Winter Poker Classic at Running Aces Casino in Columbus, MN, December 2^nd - 14^th, so make sure to come back to see how the season finale unfolds!

Mike Suggs Eliminated in 2nd Place ($77,483)

MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson raised to 600,000, and Mike Suggs defended to see a flop.

Suggs then check-raised to 1,300,000 after Johnson fired out a 300,000 continuation bet, and Johnson called to see the pair the board on the turn.

Without hesitation, Suggs moved his remaining stack into the middle and was met with a quick call from Johnson.

Mike Suggs:
Aaron Johnson:

Suggs pulled ahead after turning trip eights, but he couldn’t fade another river as the fell and gave Johnson a better full house to end his tournament in second place for $77,483.

Aaron Johnson - 15,420,000
Mike Suggs - Eliminated

Dean Stilson Tames the Final Monster Stack!

For the third and final time this season, MSPT made its way to East Chicago, IN, for its last Gold Card Festival of 2025!

In Event #9:$250 Monster Stack NLH, a 136-player field took to the tables and created a $27,200 prize pool that was reserved for the top 15 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Jamie Payne (10^th Place - $558), Estafanous Boulos (11^th Place - $558), Flora Issa (12^th Place - $558), Skylar Galberth (13^th Place - $62), Luke Zhu (14^th Place - $462), and Chao Hui Ning (15^th Place - $462).

Taming the final Monster Stack was Dean Stilson, who took down the event outright for his first Gold Card of the series!

Final Table Results

Johnson Collects Back-to-Back Doubles to Take the Chip Lead

In the first hand, MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson raised all in for 3,225,000 from the button, and Mike Suggs called.

Aaron Johnson:
Mike Suggs:

Johnson rolled over a dominated hand, and the flop didn’t look promising.

The was then turned, leaving Johnson needing some help on the river to stay alive, and he found it after the dealer dropped the on the river to secure his double-up.

Right after that hand, all the chips would get into the middle once again, this time after a flop, with Johnson holding 6,225,000 effective.

Aaron Johnson:
Mike Suggs:

It was an action flop with Johnson already holding the goods while Suggs held an open-ended Royal straight flush draw, and two red cards would pursue on the turn and river , but they were the wrong suit for Suggs as he doubled-up Johnson once again to relinquish his chip lead.

Aaron Johnson - 12,450,000
Mike Suggs - 2,970,000

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Xi Nguyen Eliminated in 3rd Place ($46,485)

Xi Nguyen moved his 1,215,000 stack in the middle from the small blind, and MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson looked him up from the big blind.

Xi Nguyen:
Aaron Johnson:

Nguyen was at risk holding a suited connecting hand, with not much changing after the flop hit the felt.

The was then turned giving Nguyen a glimmer of hope with a diamond flush draw, but the that fell on the river was a brick, ending his run.

Mike Suggs - 8,840,000
Aaron Johnson - 6,500,000
Xi Nguyen - Eliminated

Matt Miller Eliminated in 4th Place ($35,157)

Matt Miller moved his 870,000 stack in the middle from the button, and Mike Suggs looked him up from the small blind.

Matt Miller:
Mike Suggs:

Miller was at risk holding two live suited connectors, but whiffed the runout, ending his tournament.

Mike Suggs - 8,840,000
Matt Miller - Eliminated

Season 16 ICON Standings

Last Season, MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk became the first player in tour history to win the Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons, while also winning the inaugural ICON of the Year award as well.

This season, Ozturk finds himself once again on top of the ICON leaderboard and holds a strong lead with just one series remaining this season.

MSPT Champ Lee Rzentkowski Eliminated in 5th Place ($26,368)

MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson raised all in for 2,250,000 from the button, and fellow MSPT champ Lee Rzentkowski called off his 2,220,000 from the small blind.

Lee Rzentkowski:
Aaron Johnson:

Rzentkowski was racing for his tournament life and picked up a sweat after the flop fell, giving Johnson the club flush draw.

The then paired the board on the turn, keeping things sweaty for Rzentkowski as it brought counterfeit possibilities, and as fate would have it, the fell on the river, completing Johnson’s flush to eliminate Rzentkowski.

Aaron Johnson - 4,600,000
Lee Rzentkowski - Eliminated

Johnson Dominates a Double

Photo: Aaron Johnson

Mike Suggs raised from the cutoff and then called MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson’s 1,360,000 three-bet jam from the small blind.

Aaron Johnson:
Mike Suggs:

Johnson was ahead, holding the better ace, and the flop didn’t change much.

The pairing the board on the turn gave Johnson a little sweat as it brought possible chop outs, but the completed the board and secured his double-up.

Mike Suggs - 4,700,000
Aaron Johnson - 2,800,000