After three starting flights and a grueling Day 2, Ryan Dykhouse bested a huge field of 517 entries to win the latest stop on the 2014 Mid-States Poker Tour schedule at FireKeepers.
The event would see 98 runners return for Day 2 to battle for the titles of Michigan State Poker Champion and MSPT Champion. Dykhouse made his way through to Day 2 via Day 1b and came into Day 2 smack-dab in the middle of the pack, ranked 49th in chips.
On Day 2, players reached the money four levels into play and it would take another six levels to reach the final table. On the way there, notable players lost to the cruelty of tournament poker included Patrick Steele (46th place), Michael Ross (35th), Dash Dudley (26th), and Jean Gaspard (16th).
The first full level of final-table play saw three players hit the rail, as Nik Stone, Chad Bienz and Jim Dominique all fell short in their bid for the championship. Tour regular Steve Anderson was next to go as he couldn’t win a race and his fell short against the pocket tens of Adam Friedman.
Next to go was Phung Ngo in particularly brutal fashion, which was perhaps a sign of things to come for Dykhouse. After that, in fifth place was Nick Pupillo, also at the hands of Dykhouse when his , couldn’t fade Dykhouse’s when he flopped a king. Jeremy Ehrke started the day as chip leader, but couldn’t get it done and exited in fourth place.
Adam Friedman had scratched and clawed his way to the final three and it was he, Dykhouse and Mark Johnson that battled it out for quite some time. Friedman was eventually worn down and exited in third place, leaving Dykhouse and Johnson heads up.
Dykhouse started heads-up play with more than a 2-1 chip lead and, despite a couple of stumbles, never really gave up control and eventually finished off Johnson, who hung in nicely before finally succumbing to the strong play from Dykhouse.
Final Table Payouts
Place
Player
Prize
1
Ryan Dykhouse
$124,500
2
Mark Johnson
$70,000
3
Adam Friedman
$45,000
4
Jeremy Ehrke
$35,740
5
Nick Pupillo
$28,000
6
Phung Ngo
$23,000
7
Steve Anderson
$18,250
8
Jim Dominique
$14,250
9
Chad Bienz
$10,000
Johnson would take home $70,000 for his efforts and Dykhouse more than tripled his previous largest live cash with the $124,500 score. Congratulations to Ryan Dykhouse, Michigan State Poker Champion and MSPT FireKeepers Champion!
Ryan Dykhouse raised to 200,000 and Mark Johnson moved all in. "How much is it," Dykhouse asked. After a count of 1,430,000 and a brief thought, Dykhouse threw in chips for the call.
Dykhouse:
Johnson:
Dykhouse stayed safe on the flop, but the turn gave Johnson four more outs. The fell on the river, however, and Johnson graciously made his exit just short of the title.
Ryan Dykhouse raised to 160,000 from the button and Adam Friedman moved all in for just over 1,000,000 from the big blind. Dykhouse quickly called and tabled . Friedman needed to find help for his , but couldn't find it as the board ran out and Friedman is gone.
Nick Pupillo moved all in from under the gun and Ryan Dykhouse called from the big blind.
Pupillo:
Dykhouse:
The flop came and Dykhouse vaulted into the lead. The came on the turn and the fell on the river and Dykhouse extended his chip lead and sent Pupillo to the rail.
Phung Ngo raised to 115,000 from early position and Adam Friedman called from the hijack. Steve Anderson reraised all in from the big blind for 669,000 total and Ngo folded. Friedman quickly called.
Friedman:
Anderson:
The flop was and the turn gave Friedman a set and changed Anderson's outs. The on the river though sealed Anderson's fate as he headed to the rail in 7th place.
Chad Bienz opened to 92,000 from early position and Michael Johnson reraised all in for 490,000 from the cutoff. Action folded to Bienz and he made the call.
Nik Stone open-shoved all in from the cutoff for 261,000 and Steve Anderson moved all in over the top from the small blind. Jeremy Ehrke folded his big blind and they were heads up.
Anderson:
Stone:
The board ran out and Stone was the first casualty at the final table.
Greg Lamson got all of his chips in preflop with a pair of jacks against the ace-queen of an opponent. The flop was safe for Lamson, but a queen on the turn and a blank on the river sealed Lamson's fate.
![[user269680]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
fell short against the pocket tens of Adam Friedman.
, couldn’t fade Dykhouse’s 
when he flopped a king. Jeremy Ehrke started the day as chip leader, but couldn’t get it done and exited in fourth place.
turn gave Johnson four more outs. The 
fell on the river, however, and Johnson graciously made his exit just short of the title.
. Friedman needed to find help for his 
and Friedman is gone.
of Dykhouse.
came on the turn and the 
fell on the river and Dykhouse extended his chip lead and sent Pupillo to the rail.
flop was safe for Lamson, but a queen on the turn and a blank on the river sealed Lamson's fate.