John “Farmboy” Kurfman Wins MSPT Indiana Poker State Championship; 1st to Claim Two Gold Cards
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For the second time in 2025, the Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) traveled to Ameristar Casino in East Chicago, this time for the $1,110 buy-in Season 16 Indiana Poker State Championship. The tournament drew 534 entries and awarded a $516,480 prize pool.
On Sunday, 59 survivors from three starting flights returned to battle to a winner, and after a long day, it was Midwest grinder John “Farmboy” Kurfman coming out on top to win the title and a career-high $90,324.
“It feels great”, Kurfman told MSPT reporter Anthony Thompson after the win, “I’ve gotten two of these gold cards in the last two weeks while the POY leader doesn’t have any, so that makes it even better,” Kurfman jokingly said before walking away with his trophy.
Indeed, Kurfman became the first player to claim a second of the recently-launched MSPT Gold Cards after taking down his first three weeks earlier at the MSPT Riverside in Event #6: $300 Ultimate Stack for $10,129.
MSPT Gold Cards are awarded to winners of MSPT Series events. These Cards are highly coveted by poker players and represent a significant accomplishment in the poker world, representing skill and success.
The first Gold Card won will be the custom Ace of Spades, the second will be the 2 of Spades, the third will be the 3 of Spades, and so on. After winning 13, the next suit will be presented.
MSPT Season 16 Indiana Poker State Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize | POY Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John “Farmboy” Kurfman | $90,324 | 1,400 |
| 2 | Jason Mendoza | $84,000* | 1,400 |
| 3 | Pawel Kotara | $48,087 | 1,300 |
| 4 | Paul Choi | $36,368 | 1,200 |
| 5 | Ben Stuart | $27,276 | 1,100 |
| 6 | Mike Holm | $20,710 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Ariel Pressman | $16,164 | 900 |
| 8 | Varkey James | $12,628 | 900 |
| 9 | Lee Rzentkowski | $9,597 | 700 |
*Denotes heads-up deal.
Others to cash the tournament were Matt Shepsky (13th - $6,061), 2025 Iowa Poker State Champion Mike Estes (15th - $6m061), MSPT Podcast Presented By PokerNews host co-host Kyna England (19th - $4,597), and current MSPT Season 16 POY points leader Jake Long (22nd - $3,889).
According to updates from the event, Long fell after three-bet jamming from the big blind with the K♥K♣ and the original raiser, Paul Choi, called from the button with the A♣8♥. The 6♥5♥10♥ flop kept Long in firm control, but disaster struck when the A♠ appeared on the turn. The 2♣ river was no help to long, and he had to settle for 22nd place for $3,889 and 200 POY points.
Long now sits atop the MSPT Season 16 Player of the Year leaderboard with 5,521 points ahead of both two-time defending POY Umut Ozturk (4,967 points) and Anthony Scarborough (4,884 points).
MSPT Ameristar East Chicago Side Event Winners
| Tournament | Entries | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $300 Epic Stack NLH | 306 | Nicholas Pontarelli | $12,664 |
| Event #2: $300 Pot-Limit Omaha | 117 | Marla Grapas | $8,598 |
| Event #3: $250 Ultimate Stack NLH | 81 | James Langton | $5,184 |
| Event #4: $300 Ultimate Stack NLH | 195 | Mike Holm | $11,112 |
| Event #5: $300 Mixed PLO/NLH | 90 | Dimitrios Diamantopoulos | $7,055 |
| Event #6: $250 Ultimate Stack NLH | 49 | Joan Sandoval | $3,235 |
| Event #7: $1,110 MSPT Main Event | 534 | John "Farmboy" Kurfman | $90,324 |
| Event #8: $250 Monster Stack NLH | 65 | Frank Swierczynski | $4,000 |
| Event #9: $250 Monster Stack NLH | 79 | Glenn Deering | $5,371 |
| Event #10: $250 Monster Stack NLH | 67 | Robert Matheny | $4,285 |
| Event #11: $300 Seniors (50+) Monster Stack | 128 | David Elisofon | $6,377 |
| Event #12: $300 Ultimate Stack NLH | 143 | Joseph Saltanovitz | $8,174 |
| Event #13: $200 Last Chance NLH | 43 | Stephen Squires | $2,251 |
What’s Coming Up?
Here’s a look at the remaining MSPT Season 16 schedule.
| Date | Location | Event | GTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 19-24 | Hollywood Casino St. Louis | MSPT Festival | $300,000 |
| August 26-Sept. 1 | JACK Cleveland Casino | MSPT Festival | $750,000 |
| August 28-Sept. 7 | Sycuan Casino Resort San Diego | 100 Grand Stack Series | $400,000 |
| Sept. 25-28 | Venetian Las Vegas | Nevada Poker State Championship | $300,000 |
| Sept. 30-Oct. 5 | Potawatomi Casino Milwaukee | Wisconsin State Poker Championship | $1,000,000 |
| Oct. 7-12 | FireKeepers Casino Battle Creek, Michigan | MSPT Spade Poker Championship | $1,500,000 |
| Oct. 9-19 | Playground Montreal, Canada | Canadian Poker Championship | $1,000,000 |
| Oct. 28-Nov. 2 | Riverside Casino Iowa | MSPT Festival | $500,000 |
| Dec. 4-14 | Running Aces Casino Minnesota | Winter Poker Classic Series | $600,000 |
*Images courtesy of MSPT photographer Tyler Abrams.
