NATION'S #1 POKER TOUR MARCH 2018 MARCH 2018 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 3 Letter from the Editor REMEMBERING MINNESOTA POKER LEGEND JIM BOONE Vol. 4/No. 2 President and Publisher BY MSPT POKER STAFF Bryan Mileski [email protected] Friday, February 2, the poker world Onlost a friend, player, and truly unique Editor-in-Chief character. Jim Boone, 54, of Lakeville passed Chad Holloway away unexpectedly stemming from heart [email protected] attack complications. Art Director Boone was a familiar face on the MSPT Carolyn Borgen where he amassed $73,440 in 11 cashes [email protected] between 2014-17. That included two final Advertising Information table appearances, the first being sixth in the [email protected] MSPT Season 6 Meskwaki Casino for $18,820 and the other third in the MSPT Season 7 Story Ideas Running Aces for $32,321. [email protected] Boone also had success outside the MSPT. Our Mission In 2014, he placed fifth in the Fall Poker MSPT Magazine is a monthly Classic Championship Event for $22,007, and magazine dedicated to serving in March of last year he took down the 2017 poker players and gaming facilities Minnesota State Poker Championship Series through MSPT news, results, tour- Event #1: $300 NLHE 6-Max for $9,887. More Jim Boone nament schedules, player profiles recently, Boone topped a field of 273 entries and professional tips. Coupled with to win October’s 2017 Fall Poker Classic $235 Seniors (50+) event for $13,053. All our website, msptpoker.com, we told, Boone had $185,263 in lifetime earnings. are the Nation's #1 Poker Tour. “You meet a lot of characters in the poker world, but none better than Jim,” Mid-States Poker Tour said friend Jason Sell, winner of the MSPT Season 5 Ho-Chunk. “We all loved his Lakeville, MN endless stories, his cheesy one liners, and his crazy antics at the table. But what 612-743-9847 we loved the most was his positive attitude and the way he made everyone feel like Mid-States Poker Tour is published on or they were his best friend.” near the first of each month. All claims or guarantees are the sole responsibility of Sell continued: “I think it was obvious that he enjoyed the camaraderie more the advertiser. All comments and views of than the poker, or craps for that matter. His generosity was overwhelming, always contributing writers are their own and do not reflect official policy of Mid-States Pok- wanting to help people. It’s a unique quality that is hard to find in people. Jim lived er Tour which assumes no liability for any advertisement not supplied camera ready by life to the fullest and loved every minute of it. Jim, my friend, your presence will be the advertiser. Reproduction or use in whole missed, on and off the felt.” or in part without written consent from the publisher and Copyright owners is prohibited. Boone is survived by his wife of 30 years, Nancy, and five children Jennifer (Roger) Cox, Joseph (Amariliz) Boone, Steffanie Boone, Betsy Boone, Samantha (Mark) Minter; 13 grandchildren; father, Jerry Briski; siblings, Brenda Jonak, Brian Boone, Cheryl Burgess, Monica Lucking and Jen Dubose; many nieces; nephews; and friends. The MSPT, on behalf of our family and players, offers its condolences to Jim’s family. PAGE 4 Mid-States Poker Tour MARCH 2018 Event Recap ABDUL “DULIE” AMER WINS 2018 MSPT CLEVELAND POKER OPEN FOR $118,350 IN INAUGURAL STOP AT JACK CLEVELAND CASINO BY CHAD HOLLOWAY he $1,100 buy-in MSPT Cleveland Poker Open, the tour’s first-ever stop in Ohio, drew 581 entries to JACK TCleveland Casino. That made it both the largest poker tournament field and prize pool in Cleveland history! After three starting flights and Sunday’s Day 2, it was 34-year-old Abdul “Dulie” Amer who emerged victorious to capture a $118,350 first-place prize. It was the first MSPT cash for Amer, who hails from Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the win, he had $95,595 in tournament earnings including a previous best of $25,230 for finishing third in a 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open $560 NLHE event. “I haven’t scooped a tournament in forever, just always get deep but hard to break through, especially in these bigger ones with good players,” Amer said after the win. “It was a well-run tournament. It was a good time. Everything at JACK Abdul “Dulie” Amer Cleveland was great. Everyone was nice and professional.” Amer, who is good friends with poker pros Nick Guagenti Mike Shanahan flatted from the big, Edwards got out of the and Adam Friedman, can often be found playing pot-limit way, and Brooks discovered the bad news. Omaha cash games when he’s not spending time with his wife Shanahan: A♠A♥ and two kids, one three years old and the other just eight Brooks: A♣K♦ months. Brooks was looking for a miracle, but he didn’t get one as “I’ll take care of about $50K to bookies, I’m a big sports the board ran out a dry 7♥7♦9♦Q♥3♠. gambler,” Amer joked when asked about what he’ll do with Not long after Luke Edwards four-bet shoved with the the six-figure score. “No plans, probably put it in the bank A♦K♦ and received a call from Amer, who held the 7♦7♥. It and keep it rolling.” was a flip, and Edwards failed to improve as the board ran The day began with a dozen players needing to fall before out a lowly 4♣10♦8♣6♠8♦. Edwards took home $10,708 for his the money was made. Among those to leave empty handed ninth-place finish. were Bobby Noel, Edward Mogilnicki, Andy Spears, and bub- Minnesota’s Brian Berthiaume, who was at back-to-back ble boy Tarik Adam. Main Event final tables after finishing fifth in December’s Some notable players to cash the tournament were 2017 MSPT Season 8 finale at Canterbury Park, was the next to go MSPT Indiana State Poker Champ Satish Thakur (62nd - after racing with A♠Q♦ against the 6♣6♠ of Shanahan. The $2,142), Day 1B chip leader David Michael (47th - $2,254), leg- board ran out K♦5♠5♥K♠2♣ and Berthiaume had to settle for endary Cleveland radio show host Michael “Triv” Trivisonno eighth place and $13,526 in prize money. (38th - $2,423), Mike Ross (28th - $2,705), Day 1C chip leader From there, the short-stacked John Michalak shoved his Aaron Obstein (17th - $5,636), Day 1A chip leader Frank Lago- last eight big blinds from the button with the Q♦9♦ only to run dich (14th - $6,763), and final table bubble boy Kenneth Cop- it into the Q♣Q♠ of Dan Wagner in the big blind. Michalak pens (11th - $8,454). picked up a straight draw on the 5♠J♣K♥ flop, but he missed On just the third hand of the final table, Luke Edwards it when the K♣ blanked on the turn followed by the 6♠ on the raised to 65,000 from the cutoff and Randall Brooks respond- river. Michalak earned $17,471 for finishing seventh. ed by three-betting all in for 620,000 from the small blind. Mike Pempin exited in sixth place for $2,543—the result of MSPTPOKER.COM MARCH 2018 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 5 JACK Cleveland Casino getting his short stack all in against two players and having them checking it down—and then Ronnie Lamb bowed out JACK Cleveland Casino in fifth place after jamming his short stack with the ♦K 5♦ Buy-in: $1,100 ♣ 581 Entrants from the small blind and getting a call from Shanahan, who held the 8♥7♥ in the big. The board ran out 3♦7♣J♠5♠10♥ and Place Name City, State Prize that was all she wrote for Lamb. 1 Abdul Amer Columbus, OH $118,350 Four-handed play was an action-packed affair, and during 2 Daniel Wagner Buffalo, NY $72,701 it MSPT Season 8 FireKeepers champ Mike Shanahan went 3 Adam Friedman Gahanna, OH $52,976 from the big to the short stack. That is when he jammed for 1.1 4 Mike Shanahan Avon, IN $39,450 million under the gun with the A♣Q♠ and Wagner called from 5 Ronnie Lamb Denver, CO $29,869 the button with the 8♥8♣. Shanahan was unable to improve on the 10♠5♥6♠4♥8♦ runout, and the last former champ in the 6 Michael Pempin Strongsville, OH $22,543 field hit the rail in fourth place for $39,450. 7 John Michalak Cleveland, OH $17,471 Interestingly, the score brought Shanahan’s MSPT earnings 8 Brian Berthiaume Cottage Grove, MN $13,526 up to $278,607, which put him into 10th place on the tour’s all- 9 Luke Edwards Columbus, OH $10,708 time money list. 10 Randall Brooks Detroit, MI $8,454 Falling in third place after losing a flip with the Q♦J♦ against the 10♦10♠ of Wagner was World Series of Poker it got to Level 33 (100,000/200,000/30,000), which is when Amer bracelet winner Adam Friedman. While he came up short of raised to 400,000 holding the A♣8♣ and called when Wag- his first MSPT title, he did join the MSPT six-figure club by ner shoved for 4.6 million with the A♠5♠. The board ran out earning a tour-high $52,976 (his previous best was $45,000 for 4♦K♥3♣10♠8♦ and Wagner had to settle for second place and finishing third in a Season 5 FireKeepers Casino stop, which a $72,701 consolation prize.