NATION'S #1 POKER TOUR JANUARY 2017 JANUARY 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 3 Letter from the Editor HOBNOB WITH CELEBRITIES AND POKER PROS ON THE MSPT BY CHAD HOLLOWAY The MSPT is entering its eighth season, and over the last eight years we’ve played Vol. 2/No. 1 host to some interesting players. While our core base always has been and always will be “Weekend Warriors”, we’ve had our fair share of poker pros, world champs, President and Publisher and celebrities on the tour. Bryan Mileski Among the big-name poker pros who’ve taken their shot at a MSPT title are Matt [email protected] Salsberg and Mukul Pahuja, who were the World Poker Tour Seasons 11 and 12 Editor-in-Chief Player of the Year respectively; European Poker Tour champ Martin Finger; 2009 Chad Holloway PokerStars Caribbean Poker champ Poorya Nazari, who earned $3 million for [email protected] that win; World Series of Poker bracelet winners Jeremy Ausmus, Dan Heimiller, and Keven Stammen; and even foreigners Serio Aido, Erwan Pecheux, Marvin Event Manager Eric Anderson Rettenmaier, and Ludovic Geilich. We’ve also had the privilege of hosting WSOP Main Event champs Carlos Art Director Mortensen (2001), Greg Raymer (2004), Jamie Gold (2006), Jerry Yang (2007), Joe Carolyn Borgen Cada (2009), and Ryan Riess (2013), as well as 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event champ [email protected] Annette Obrestad. Advertising Information In Season 7, NFL free agent running back Fred Jackson, who had a storied career [email protected] with the Buffalo Bills, was in action in the MSPT Meskwaki (he played college ball in Iowa), and at the very next stop we spotted Survivor alum Jim Rice in the field, Story Ideas who we talk to later in this issue. [email protected] The MSPT not only offers players a shot at a six-figure score for a modest $1,100 Our Mission buy-in, but also gives recreational players the opportunity to rub elbows with some MSPT Magazine is a monthly of the game’s best. We hope to see you in Season 8! magazine dedicated to serving poker players and gaming facilities Bryan Mileski Chad Holloway through MSPT news, results, tour- MSPT Founder MSPT Magazine Editor-In-Chief nament schedules, player profiles and professional tips. Coupled with our website, msptpoker.com, we are the Nation's #1 Poker Tour. Mid-States Poker Tour Lakeville, MN 612-743-9847 Mid-States Poker Tour is published on or near the first of each month. All claims or guarantees are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. All comments and views of contributing writers are their own and do not reflect official policy of Mid-States Pok- er Tour which assumes no liability for any advertisement not supplied camera ready by the advertiser. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written consent from the publisher and Copyright owners is prohibited. $695,000 DECEMBER 22, 2016 - JANUARY 8, 2017 VIEW COMPLETE SCHEDULE AT VENETIAN.COM/DEEPSTACK AND FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION AT VENETIANPOKERROOM.BLOGSPOT.COM THE BEST POKER ROOM IN LAS VEGAS JANUARY 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 5 $ Poker Bowl Preview 695,000 MSPT AND VENETIAN TO COMBINE FOR $300K GTD “POKER BOWL” FEBRUARY 2-4 IN LAS VEGAS BY MSPT POKER STAFF nless you’re at the Super Bowl itself, there’s no better 2016, the venue played host to the largest MSPT in history place to be for the “Big Game” than in Las Vegas! as 2,887 entrants took to the felt. Thomas Boivin emerged ULeading up to this year’s Super Bowl LI, the Mid- victorious in that event to win $352,153, the largest prize ever States Poker Tour (MSPT) and The Venetian will combine awarded on the MSPT. Other past winners of the MSPT The forces to host the first annual “Poker Bowl.” Venetian include Angelina Rich, who defeated 1,964 runners The $1,100 buy-in tournament will run from February 2-4, in 2015 to win $215,815, and Drake Bronk, who topped a field 2017 and feature a $300,000 guarantee. There will be two of 854 entrants to win 2014’s inaugural event for $163,870. starting flights—at Noon local time on Thursday, Feb. 2 and The first-ever “Poker Bowl” is a part of the Venetian’s Friday, Feb. 3—and then return on Saturday, Feb. 4 to play Deepstack Extravaganza, which will offer over $2.5 million down to a winner. That means players are guaranteed to have in guaranteed prize pools from January 30 – February 27. In Sunday free to watch this year’s Super Bowl. addition, we can reveal that the MSPT will once again return “For the past three years the summer’s MSPT Venetian has been a massive success, so it only made sense to offer players to The Venetian in June for a summer event with exact dates another chance at a huge payday,” said MSPT President to be determined. Bryan Mileski. “What better time to hold a poker tournament “We are excited to partner with the MSPT for two events then the days leading up to the biggest sporting event of the in 2017, the first being February 2-4 with Poker Bowl I and DECEMBER 22, 2016 - JANUARY 8, 2017 year. The ‘Poker Bowl’ gives our players the perfect excuse to then again June during DeepStack Extravaganza III,” said visit Las Vegas for Super Bowl weekend!” The Venetian poker room manager Tommy LaRosa. “These The “Poker Bowl” will mark the first time the MSPT has are sure to be can't miss events on the poker calendar with visited The Venetian outside of the summer months. In June some of the largest fields and prize pools of the year.” VIEW COMPLETE SCHEDULE AT VENETIAN.COM/DEEPSTACK AND FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION AT VENETIANPOKERROOM.BLOGSPOT.COM THE BEST POKER ROOM IN LAS VEGAS MSPTPOKER.COM DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? GRAND CLASSIC BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT $8,400 estimated total purse! Thursday, January 26 • Grand Casino Hinckley • Registration starts at 3 p.m. — first come, first served. • $30 original entry & re-entry fee. • Space is limited to 280 entries. Must be a Grand Rewards Member. Membership is free & easy — see Grand Rewards to sign up today! File Name Bleed Size (w x h) Designer Account Executive GCS-16-130993_MSPT_Grand-Classic-BlackJack_(8-375x10-75)_a01 8.875x11.25 Ben Laura/Heidi Creation Date Final Size (w x h) Copywriter Proofreader 05/17/16 8.375x10.75 Andy Erin Modified Date Color(s) Creative Director Production December 22, 2016 2:38 PM 4c Dean Due Date Vendor/Publication DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? GRAND CLASSIC BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT $8,400 estimated total purse! Thursday, January 26 • Grand Casino Hinckley • Registration starts at 3 p.m. — first come, first served. • $30 original entry & re-entry fee. • Space is limited to 280 entries. Must be a Grand Rewards Member. Membership is free & easy — see Grand Rewards to sign up today! File Name Bleed Size (w x h) Designer Account Executive GCS-16-130993_MSPT_Grand-Classic-BlackJack_(8-375x10-75)_a01 8.875x11.25 Ben Laura/Heidi Creation Date Final Size (w x h) Copywriter Proofreader 05/17/16 8.375x10.75 Andy Erin Modified Date Color(s) Creative Director Production December 22, 2016 2:38 PM 4c Dean Due Date Vendor/Publication PAGE 8 Mid-States Poker Tour JANUARY 2017 Event Recap ALEX AQEL WINS SECOND-LARGEST MAJOR POKER TOURNAMENT IN WISCONSIN HISTORY; TAKES DOWN MSPT POTAWATOMI FOR $138,385 BY MSPT POKER STAFF he MSPT Potawatomi Hotel & Casino $1,100 buy-in Main TEvent attracted 596 entrants (269 Day 1a & 327 1b), which made it the second-largest major poker tournament ($1,000+ buy-in) in Wisconsin history behind the Spring 2015 MSPT Potawatomi, which drew 635 entrants. After three days of play, Chicago’s Alex Aqel, 32, emerged victorious to capture a $138,385 first-place prize. Aqel began Day 2 second in chips, and it didn’t take him long to assume the chip lead. Amazingly, he held it all day and used it to navigate all the way to the end. “I want to say I played amazing, but it wasn’t that hard to play,” said Aqel, who is engaged to be married this summer. “Tournament poker is swingy. Anything can happen. I just got really fortunate in a lot of spots. Deserving to win the tournament, no I don’t buy into that. Everyone else who played this tournament Alex Aqel deserved to win it just as much as I did.” Andy Rubinberg, Iowa State Poker champ John Sun, and Prior to the win, Aqel, who plays poker part time while poker pro Kou Vang, just to name a few. being invested in a tech firm with his brother, had $51,642 in Once Gabriele Patti fell as the bubble boy in 55th place, tournament earnings with his prior best cash being $11,989 the in-the-money eliminations came at a steady pace. Among for a runner-up finish to tour regular Ron Kruk in the 2013 World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Hammond $365 those to leave with a payday were 2016 WSOP 12th-place NLH Turbo. The victory in Milwaukee marked Aqel’s first finisher Mike Shin (48th - $2,306), author ofPositively Fifth MSPT cash. Street Jim McManus (44th - $2,595), two-time MSPT champ Day 2 saw 111 players return to action, each looking to Jeremy Dresch (41st - $2,595), and MSPT Season 6 champ Rich claim their portion of the $596,000 total prize pool, which was Alsup (40th - $2,595).