Sycuan Casino Resort

Nicole Lilomaiava Wins MSPT Season 17 Sycuan 100 GRAND STACK Series $1,110 Main Event for First Title!

For the second and final time this season, the MSPT traveled west to the beautiful Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon, California, for the 100 GRAND STACK Series!

The 10-Gold Card event series was headlined by the $1,110 buy-in, $100K GTD 100 GRAND STACK Series Main Event, and a total of 220 entries were tallied, generating a $211,900 prize pool.

Sunday saw the final 26 players return for Day 2 action in hopes of claiming the title for themselves, and after a seven-hour day, it was start-of-day chip leader Nicole Lilomaiava who rose to the occasion to secure her first MSPT title, along with a $51,936 first-place prize!

“Feels pretty amazing,” Lilomaiava said about winning her first career title. “I only, realistically, get to play one tournament a month, so to be able to win this one feels really good.”

The victory not only marked Lilomaiava’s first win, but it was also her largest score to date, and she became the first woman to win a Main Event title since Angela Jordison grabbed her second title back in March of 2025.

With the win Lilomaiava, also secured herself a seat into 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 Sycuan 100 GRAND STACK Series $1,110 Main Event Final Table Results

Day 2 Action

The final day came back with all 26 players already in the money, so action kicked into gear when David Leese was the first player to drop, followed by Shun Wakita and Gary Bousquet, starting a spree of eliminations.

The next batch of players that followed to the payout desk included the likes of flim writer & director Matt Salsberg (23^rd Place - $2,077), Leo Vaisburg (19^th Place - $2,327), Tim Acker (16^th Place - $2,708), Rip Fritzer (15^th Place - $3,116) and last year’s 100 GRAND STACK Champ Peter Brown (12^th Place - $3,302), setting the stage for the final table.

Final Table Action

The final table started with Brad Miller sitting down with only three big blinds, but he was able to ladder up a few spots after Rudy Cervantes became the first final table elimination after his pocket nines were reeled in by Armando Mesina’s pocket jacks, and Daryn Brush followed him staright to the payout desk in eighth place after he lost a flip to soon-to-be champ Lilomaiava.

Shortly after, Miller bowed out in seventh place after he was all-in blind from the big blind, while 2023 Sycuan Champ Derrick Yamada found himself in need to make a move and did, only to be out-kicked by Lilomaiava in sixth place.

The fast-paced action continued as the MSPT’s leading casher, DJ Buckley won a heads-up battle against Luke Richard to send him home in fifth place, only to fall to the same fate against Lilomaiava to take a fourth-place exit.

Buckley not only notched another cash, extending his all-time lead to 95, but also marked his 15^th final table appearance, tying for the sixth-most in tour history.

After the back-to-back eliminations, Lilomaiava took a commanding chip lead into three-handed play, holding a 2:1 chip advantage over both opponents, only to double them both and fall to the bottom of the counts.

Only that wouldn’t deter her, as she caught a quick double-up and watched Giovanni Bucciero finish off Mesina with a pair of aces in third place, leaving her heads-up for the title.

The heads-up duel began with Bucciero holding almost a 2:1 chip advantage over Lilomaiava, but she was on the benefit of the tournament-changing cooler to give her a commanding chip lead in the duel, which ultimately led to Bucciero taking a runner-up finish, while Lilomaiava took home a career best finish, along with her first titlle!

This wraps up our coverage of our last event at Sycuan this season, but make sure you join us next when we cross the U.S. border for the second time in tour history, as we are headed to PlayGround in Montreal for the $1,000,000 GTD Canadian Poker Championship, October 15^th - 19^th, and as always, our live reporting team will be on hand providing updates, so make sure to come back and tune in!

Giovanni Bucciero Eliminated in 2nd Place ($32,286)

Nicole Lilomaiava raised to 900,000 and then called Giovanni Bucciero’s three-bet jam.

Giovanni Bucciero:
Nicole Lilomaiava:

Bucciero was ahead holding a pair of nines, and the flop kept him out in front.

However, things quickly turned for Bucciero after the dealer dropped the , leaving him needing a nine on the river to stay alive.

Unfortunately for Bucciero, the that fell wasn’t a card he wanted to see, ending his Main Event run in second place.

Nicole Lilomaiava - 22,000,000
Giovanni Bucciero - Eliminated

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Last year’s MSPT Spade Poker Championship attracted 2,773 runners, and it was Merritt Kuhn of St. Louis, MO, who secured $339,115

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: FireKeepers Casino - Battle Creek, MI

: October 13-18, 2026

: Poker Championship

: $1,110 Main Event / $1,000,000 GTD (1.5X POY) (MAJOR)

$3,500 MSPT CHAMPIONSHIP SEAT ADDED TO MAIN EVENT 1ST PLACE

: 9 Gold Card Tournaments

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Cooler Flop Sees Another Change at the Top

After a series of raises, Nicole Lilomaiava and Giovanni Bucciero took to a flop, and all the chips went into the middle, with Lilomaiava holding 5,950,000 effective.

Nicole Lilomaiava:
Giovanni Bucciero:

It was a massive cooler in the heads-up battle, as Bucciero’s top set of kings was out-flopped by Lilomaiava’s flush, and the turn floowed by river secured her the massive pot to take a commanding chip lead.

Nicole Lilomaiava - 15,800,000
Giovanni Bucciero - 6,200,000

Armando Mesina Eliminated in 3rd Place ($23,267)

Giovanni Bucciero raised to 400,000 from the button, and then called Armando Mesina’s three-bet jam from the small blind.

Armando Mesina:
Giovanni Bucciero:

It was a cooler for Mesina, as Bucciero rolled over a pair of aces, and the runout made him the third-place finisher.

Giovanni Bucciero - 13,625, 000
Nicole Lilomaiava - 8,375,000
Armando Mesina - Eliminated

Most MSPT Main Event Titles!

Since 2011, MSPT Hall of Famer Blake Bohn has been a force to be reckoned with on the tour, earning himself $981,619, along with a record five Main Event titles

Full Leaderboard

Ask and You Shall Receive

After doubling up both opponents in three-handed action, Nicole Lilomaiava fell to the bottom of the chip counts and got her remaining 4,250,000 into the middle on a board from the big blind, and Armando Mesina called from the small blind.

Nicole Lilomaiava:
Armando Mesina:

Mesina was ahead with the nuts, but Lilomaiava asked for a “nine or a ten,” and the dealer answered her prayer as they dropped the on the river, giving her a full house and regaining the final table chip lead.

Nicole Lilomaiava - 9,100,000
Armando Mesina - 5,100,000

DJ Eliminated in 4th Place ($17,243)

Nicole Lilomaiava raised from the cutoff and then called DJ Buckley’s 2,260,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

DJ Buckley:
Nicole Lilomaiava:

Buckley found an ace to roll with but had kicker issues with Lilomaiava holding the dominant hand, and the flop didn’t change much.

The river then left Buckley needing help on the river, but the completed the board and ended his run.

Nicole Lilomaiava - 11,650,000
DJ Buckley - Eliminated

Luke Richard Eliminated in 5th Place ($12,880)

DJ Buckley raised the button and then called Luke Richard’s three-bet jam from the small blind.

Luke Richard:
DJ Buckley:

Richard was behind needing help, and found some after the flop gave him more outs with a gutshot straight draw.

Unfortunately for him, neither the turn nor the river improved his hand, ending his Main Event run.

DJ Buckley - 3,210,000
Luke Richard - Eliminated

MSPT Champ Derrick Yamada Eliminated in 6th Place ($9,764)

MSPT Champ Derrick Yamada raised all-in from the hijack, and Nicole Lilomaiava gave him action from the cutoff.

Derrick Yamada:
Nicole Lilomaiava:

Yamada was behind with kicker issues, and things got worse after the flop paired Lilomaiava’s king.

The dealer then brought some hope for Yamada after they turned the , as it gave him a gutshot straight draw, but the came too late on the river, ending his run at a second title.

Nicole Lilomaiava - 8,700,000
Derrick Yamada - Eliminated