Ameristar Casino St. Charles

Reigning Player of the Year Jake Long Wins MSPT Season 17 Ameristar Poker Open for First Career Title!

For the second time this season, the MSPT traveled to the Ameristar Casino St. Charles to host the Ameristar Poker Open 13-Gold event, headlined by the $1,110 Main Event.

A total of 468 entries were tallied across three starting flights, generating a $469,920 prize pool.

On Sunday, 54 players returned for Day 2 action, and after roughly 10 hours of play, it was reigning Player of the Year Jake Long who battled his way through the challenging final day field en route to winning a career-best score of $97,282 top prize and his first MSPT title!

“Feels great,” Long stated after his win. “I feel like it's been a long time coming. I mean, I didn’t have many chips to start the day, but I’ve had some really decent runs here in St. Louis, and I started getting cards at the right time, I got a good suck out against Charlie (Reichard) and especially during heads-up, so it just feels good to take it down.”

In just two short years on the tour, Long has already accomplished some impressive feats. After taking down one of the closest Player of the Year races in Season 16, he came back to add his first career title, bringing his MSPT earnings to $606,825, and has put himself in contention once again in this season's POY race as well.

“I just want to shout out the whole MSPT family, from Josh to Umut and DJ, Jerry, Bryan, my wife, obviously, and to everyone back home who’s been supporting me; you guys rock.”

This win also earned Long a record-extending 9th Gold Card on the tour, and he has also secured himself a seat in the $3,500 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 Ameristar Poker Open Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with all 54 players already in the money, so action kicked right into gear with Ken Sparks being the first body to drop, while MSPT Champ Anthony Scarborough and DJ Buckley were part of the first batches of eliminations, with Buckley notching his record-extending 93^rd Main Event cash, as he makes his way towards being the first player in tour history to earn 100.

The fast-paced action would continue with two-time MSPT Champ Angela Jordison (45^th Place - $2,300), MSPT Hall of Famer Gerald Cunniff (43^rd Place - $2,300), MSPT Champ Jeff Copeland (32^nd Place - $2,534), and fellow Hall of Famer and three-time MSPT Champ Josh Reichard (25^th Place - $2,910) all falling in quick succession of each other, with Reichard padding his Player of the Year standings after notching his 18^th cash on the season.

After Reichard hit the deck, there were only two former past Player of teh Year’s remaining in the field, until back-to-back champ Umut Ozturk bowed out in 21^st place for $4,036, WSOP bracelet winner Mike Wilklow (19^th Place - $4,036), Martin Kinder (16^th Place - $4,693), Dalton Jones (14^th Place - $5,632), and Mark Lafata (10^th Place - $7,040) as they all fell before the final table.

Final Table Action

Once the final table was set, Andros Ioakimides sat at the bottom of the chip counts, but was able to find a double-up through Maurice Hawkins before ultimately being set up by him to become the first final table elimination.

Following Ioakimides to the payout desk was Aaron Sanders, who got his chips in the middle with a made hand of nines, only to run into MSPT Champ Chris Audrain’s pair of kings, as he took home $11,733 for his first-ever MSPT main event cash.

The very next level saw the clash of the two top stacks after Stephen Green ran his pair of jacks into Mike Hurley’s pair of aces, ending his deepest MSPT Main Event run in seventh place for $15,018.

The fast-paced action would continue, as the last standing former champ Audrain would run his ace-queen into Long’s Big Slick, sending him home in sixth place for $19,242, marking his 15^th Main event cash, while WSOP circuit legend Hawkins would then fall to the bottom of the chip counts and got his chips in good in a battle of the blinds against Charlie Reichard, but ended up getting rivered to take a fifth-place exit for $25,343, marking his sixth Main Event cash to bring his tour total to $166,996.

With four players remaining, Reichard was starting to make some leeway up the chip counts, but hit a couple of road bumps during a few orbits to fall to the bottom of the chip counts, and he got his remaining stack in the middle after flopping an open-ended straight draw, but Hurley called and turned the nut flush to end his run in fourth place for $33,790.

Hurley would continue with his elimination spree after he picked up a pair of cowboys to drop Randy Terrell’s queen-ten on a queen-high flop, sending him home in third place for $45,758, leaving him heads-up against the reigning Player of the Year Long.

The heads-up match saw Hurley holding a 12:2 chip advantage over Long, but he was able to secure an early double with ace-queen against ace-jack, and then found a massive double after turning a full house to secure his first Main Event title along with a career score of $97,282, while Hurley was sent home with a second-place finish for $66,500.

This wraps up our coverage of this year’s Ameristar Poker Open, but Season 17 of the MSPT continues as we head back to Sin City for the 2026 Nevada Poker State Championship (September 10^th – 13^th), and our reporting team will be on hand providing updates staright from the floor at the Venetian Poker Room, so make sure to come back!

Mike Hurley Eliminated in 2nd Place ($66,500)

Mike Hurley raised, and reigning Player of the Year Jake Long defended to see a flop.

Fireworks then popped off after Long check-raised to 900,000 after Hurley fired out a 325,000 continuation bet, and Hurley clapped back with a 2,200,000 three-bet.

Long then moved his 6,435,000 stack into the middle, and Hurley flipped in a single chip for a call.

Jake Long:
Mike Hurley:

Long was ahead holding a set of deuces, and didn’t have a sweat after the paired the board on the turn, as it secured him the massive double-up before the meaningless completed the board on the river.

With Long holding the sizeable lead, the two players agreed on an ICM deal which saw Hurley take a second-place finish for $66,500, while Long secured the title, along with $97,282.

Jake Long - 14,580,000
Mike Hurley - Eliminated

Andrew Bakota Strolls Away the Top Senior

For the second time ever, the MSPT made its way to St. Charles, MO, and players have been duking it out for the Ameristar Poker Open!

In Event #5: $300 Seniors (50+) NLH, 223 senior citizens took to the trenches and generated a $ 54,635 prize pool, which was divided among the top 24 seniors.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were MSPT Hall of Famer Gerald Cunniff (11^th Place - $983), Caroline McCarter (14^th Place - $820), Darlyn Krause (17^th Place - $710), Don Berry (20^th Place - $612), and MSPT Champ Jeff Copeland (24^th Place - $546).

In the end, St. Louis native Andrew Bakota strolled away as the top senior to claim the top prize!

Final Table Results

Long Finds Much Needed Double

Jake Long was all-in for 2,550,000 and was called by Mike Hurley.

Jake Long:
Mike Hurley:

It was a dream scenario for Long as he rolled over a dominating ace, and the runout put him right back into the mix for the heads-up battle.

Mike Hurley - 8,780,000
Jake Long - 5,300,000

Randy Terrell Eliminated in 3rd Place ($45,758)

Randy Terrell was all-in after a flop from the big blind and was called by Mike Hurley from the button.

Randy Terrell:
Mike Hurley:

Terrell flopped top pair, but was still trailing Hurley’s made hand of kings, and didn’t find any improvement on the turn, nor the river, ending his Main Event run.

Mike Hurley - 12,080,000
Jake Long - 2,500,000
Randy Terrell - Eliminated

Charlie Reichard Eliminated in 4th Place ($33,790)

Charlie Reichard was all-in after a flop from the big blind and was called by Mike Hurley from the button.

Charlie Reichard:
Mike Hurley:

Reichard was behind and needed help, but the that fell on the turn gave Hurley the nuts, leaving him drawing dead to the river.

Mike Hurley - 9,600,000
Charlie Reichard - Eliminated

2026 MSPT Wisconsin Poker State Championship Series Set!

: Potawatomi Casino & Hotel - Milwaukee, WI

: September 22-29, 2026

: Wisconsin Poker State Championship

: $1,110 Main Event / $1,000,000 GTD
$3,500 MSPT CHAMPIONSHIP SEAT ADDED TO MAIN EVENT 1ST PLACE

: 11 Gold Card Tournaments

: https://msptpoker.com/.../book-today-for-the-upcoming...

Event Schedule: https://msptpoker.com/showpdf.ashx?eventID=495

Maurice Hawkins Eliminated in 5th Place ($25,343)

Action folded to Maurice Hawkins, who raised all-in from the small blind, and Charlie Reichard looked him up from the big blind.

Maurice Hawkins:
Charlie Reichard:

Hawkins was ahead holding an ace, and the flop kept him in the lead.

The then paired the board on the turn, keeping Hawkins out in front, and he was looking good to score a double until the completed the board on the river, ending his Main Event.

Charlie Reichard - 2,815,000
Maurice Hawkins - Eliminated

MSPT Champ Chris Audrain Eliminated in 6th Place ($19,242)

MSPT Champ Chris Audrain raised all-in from the hijack, and Season 16 Player of the Year Jake Long looked him up from the big blind.

Chris Audrain:
Jake Long:

“Not again,” Audrain exclaimed as he saw Long roll over a dominant hand, and things got worse after the flop paired Long’s king.

Audrain was left needing running help, but the that fell on the turn wasn’t it, as it left him drawing dead to the river.

Jake Long - 3,550,000
Chris Audrain - Eliminated

Stephen Green Eliminated in 7th Place ($15,018)

Maurice Hawkins opened under the gun for 210,000, only to have Stephen Green fire out a 575,000 three-bet next to act, and chip leader Mike Hurley four-bet jam from the small blind.

Hawkins quickly got out of the way, while Green thought for a few moments before calling off his 2,000,000 stack.

Stephen Green:
Mike Hurley:

It was a cooler situation for Green, as Hurley rolled over the better made hand, and the runout ended his Main Event.

Mike Hurley - 6,000,000
Stephen Green - Eliminated