Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana Evansville
Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana Evansville
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
225
Level
27
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
Charlie Dawson Wins 2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana Evansville ($60,527)
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Late on Day 1b of the 2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana Evansville, Charlie Dawson was all in on his second and final bullet with the 
against an opponent's 
.
"I'm due a queen," he said with confidence.
Just as he called for, Dawson spiked the 
on the river to survive, and about 48 hours later he finished as the last player standing from a field of 225, claiming a first-place prize of $60,527 and an MSPT title. The Kentucky native was one of the more experienced players in the field, with $327,166 in cashes coming into this tournament dating back to 2005, and the win ranks as his second-biggest score.
He defeated Alex Yen in a short heads-up match. Dawson limped the button with the 
and then snapped off Yen's shove with the 
. The board came 
, shipping Dawson the pot and the tournament with aces up.
Forty-three players took seats to begin Day 2, and arguably the three most feared players left in the field fell before the money. Adam Friedman, newly-sponsored tour pro Kou Vang, and Eric Crain all walked out the door empty-handed. After the elimination of John McMillan on the bubble, Day 1b leader Brian Oberst, Day 1a leader Michael Hahn, Joshua "JT" Turner, Greg Wilson, and Crystal Utley were among those walking away with payout tickets.
When Utley's husband John put his stack in with top pair and a flush draw on the turn and failed to improve against Dale Sudduth's top pair, the final table was set.
Byron Hubert came in very short, and despite an early double up, he still went out first. Evan Niemeier was next when he tried four-betting pocket deuces and lost to Yen's tens, and John Hoover sent his short stack to Yen as well to bust in eighth. Yen's streak continued as he busted Nicholas Pupillo in seventh with the 
against the 
.
One of the more accomplished final tablists, George Lusby, successfully nursed a short stack to a sixth-place finish, and that's when he jammed the 
from the small blind and ran into the of Dawson. He added to a career tally of nearly $400,000 in cashes. After Rory Monahan bowed out in fifth, more than two hours of four-handed play commenced.
Yen appeared to be on cruise control when he had more than half of the chips in play at one point. Then, the turning of the tide began with Dawson doubling up with the 
against Yen's 
. A few minutes later, Yen opened for 125,000 on the button, and Dawson made it 275,000 in the big blind. Yen moved all in, and Dawson snap-called. A disappointed-looking Yen showed the , and Dawson indeed had a dominating . Nothing materialized for Yen on the 
board, and Yen sent 1,225,000 to his foe.
Dawson then bounced short stacks Drake Espenlaub in fourth and Sudduth in third to set up the heads-up match with Yen, which Dawson began with about two-thirds of the total chips. He rolled his advantage to a win in less than 30 minutes, and that was that.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie Dawson | $60,527 |
| 2 | Alex Yen | $35,668 |
| 3 | Dale Sudduth | $20,531 |
| 4 | Drake Espenlaub | $16,645 |
| 5 | Rory Monahan | $12,970 |
| 6 | George Lusby | $10,808 |
| 7 | Nicholas Pupillo | $8,647 |
| 8 | John Hoover | $6,485 |
| 9 | Evan Niemeier | $4,323 |
| 10 | Byron Hubert | $2,810 |
That concludes another fine MSPT event, and thanks for tuning in to the coverage here on PokerNews. Next up on the tour will be the Potawatomi Casino event, taking place Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7.
Alex Yen Eliminated in 2nd Place ($35,668)
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Charlie Dawson limped in, and Alex Yen shoved all in. Dawson snapped it off.
Dawson:
Yen:
"One time?" Yen asked. "Haven't used my one time."
The dealer revealed a doorcard of , eliciting an "Oh God" from Yen, who knew his slim chances were now next to none. The rest of the flop was a and , giving Dawson a flush draw to boot. The turn was a brick that left Yen drawing dead, and an completed the board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Dawson's Raise Wins
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Alex Yen bet 375,000 on a board of 
after Charlie Dawson checked, and Dawson announced 750,000. Yen mucked his hand, and Dawson has about a four-to-one lead now.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,600,000 | 725,000 |
|
|
900,000 | -125,000 |
Photos: MSPT Tropicana Evansville Heads Up
Dale Sudduth Eliminated in 3rd Place ($20,531)
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Dale Sudduth shoved for his last 200,000 or so in the small blind, and Charlie Dawson called.
Sudduth:
Dawson: 
"There's always a jack," a hopeful player said from Sudduth's rail.
He was right, but the 
flop had Sudduth way behind Dawson's trips. A 
and finished out the board, and the tournament is now heads up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,875,000 | 120,000 |
|
Busted |
Drake Espenlaub Eliminated in 4th Place ($16,645)
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Charlie Dawson made it 125,000 to go on the button, and Drake Espenlaub jammed his stack of about 450,000 in the small blind. Dawson called immediately.
Dawson:
Espenlaub: 
Espenlaub was in bad shape, and the 
flop brought little help.
"Ten to end it," Dawson said.
He got his wish: a 
turn gave him a straight. Espenlaub needed a jack to chop, but a 
hit the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,755,000 | 310,000 |
|
Busted |
Dawson Takes Lead After Doubling Again
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Alex Yen opened for 125,000 on the button, and Charlie Dawson made it 275,000 in the big blind. Alex Yen moved all in, and Dawson snap-called. A disappointed-looking Yen showed , and Dawson indeed had a dominating . Nothing materialized for Yen on the board, and the unlucky former leader sent 1,225,000 to his foe.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,445,000 | 1,225,000 |
|
|
1,025,000 | -1,095,000 |
Dawson Doubles Through Yen
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Charlie Dawson shoved for 585,000 over an under-the-gun open from Alex Yen, who called.
Yen:
Dawson:
Dawson grimaced when called, but he was in great shape with a dominating king. The board ran out 
, and he doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,120,000 | -255,000 |
|
|
1,220,000 | 690,000 |
Level: 27
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 5,000