2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana

Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k9
Prize
$67,746
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
251
Level Info
Level
27
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000

Nick Pupillo Eliminated in 6th Place ($12,099)

Level 24 : 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Nick Pupillo - 6th place
Nick Pupillo - 6th place

Nick Pupillo shoved all in from the cutoff and Mike O'Neill called quickly in the big blind.

Pupillo: {k-Hearts}{10-Clubs}
O'Neill: {a-Spades}{q-Hearts}

Pupillo had live cards and asked for one time, but no help came on the {8-Clubs}{2-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds}.

"It's gotta be a nine," Allen Kessler said, but instead it was a straight draw Pupillo didn't want to see as the {a-Clubs} fell. He needed a queen, but the {4-Hearts} hit.

Pupillo busted seventh last year and did one better here in 2015.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mike O'Neill us
Mike O'Neill
1,372,000
425,000
425,000
Profile photo of Nick Pupillo us
Nick Pupillo
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner
MSPT

Tags: Mike O'NeillNick Pupillo

Jim Russler Eliminated in 5th Place ($14,518)

Level 24 : 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Jim Russler - 5th Place
Jim Russler - 5th Place

Jim Russler pushed all in from middle position for about 140,000. Mike O'Neill called immediately in the big blind once again, as he'd woken up with {a-Spades}{k-Spades} this time. Russler was dominated with {a-Clubs}{6-Spades}.

Flop: {9-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds}{2-Spades}
Turn: {7-Diamonds}
River: {j-Clubs}

That was it for Russler as the eliminations continue to come fast.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mike O'Neill us
Mike O'Neill
1,672,000
300,000
300,000
Profile photo of Jim Russler
Jim Russler
Busted

Tags: Jim RusslerMike O'Neill

Scot Brady Eliminated in 4th Place ($18,632)

Level 24 : 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Scot Brady - 4th Place
Scot Brady - 4th Place

Scot Brady pushed all in from the button for 108,000, and Alex Yen called in the big blind.

Yen: {6-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}
Brady: {k-Clubs}{10-Clubs}

The flop came {3-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}.

"What a flop," Allen Kessler said. "Something for everybody."

Brady had lots of outs but found only two bricks: the {q-Hearts} and {9-Spades}, ending his admirable laddering.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Alex Yen us
Alex Yen
2,467,000
9,000
9,000
Profile photo of Scot Brady
Scot Brady
Busted

Tags: Scot BradyAlex Yen

Allen Kessler Eliminated in 3rd Place ($22,987)

Level 26 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante
Allen Kessler - 3rd Place
Allen Kessler - 3rd Place

Allen Kessler pushed all in from the button. Mike O'Neill thought briefly and called from the small blind.

O'Neill: {k-Hearts}{k-Spades}
Kessler: {8-Clubs}{7-Clubs}

Kessler needed a lot of help, but the {2-Hearts}{j-Diamonds}{j-Clubs} was the opposite of help.

"Need the nine of clubs," Kessler said.

Instead the {a-Diamonds} fell, ending "Chainsaw's" run, his best Mid-States Poker Tour cash to date.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Allen Kessler us
Allen Kessler
Busted

Tags: Allen KesslerMike O'Neill

Alex Yen Eliminated in 2nd Place ($39,925)

Level 27 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Alex Yen - 2nd
Alex Yen - 2nd

Mike O'Neill raised to 125,000, and Alex Yen called. The flop came {6-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}, and Yen checked. O'Neill bet 125,000 again. Yen announced a raise and put 400,000 in. O'Neill said he was all in, and Yen flicked a single chip in to signify a call.

Yen: {k-Spades}{9-Clubs}
O'Neill: {a-Spades}{k-Hearts}

Yen had just three outs, and the {q-Diamonds} and {3-Diamonds} both missed him, ending the tournament.

"Second again," he said softly after knuckling the table.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Alex Yen us
Alex Yen
Busted

Tags: Alex YenMike O'Neill

Mike O'Neill Wins MSPT Tropicana Evansville ($67,746)

Level 27 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Mike O'Neill - 1st Place
Mike O'Neill - 1st Place

With half of the chips in play during six-handed action, it looked like Alex Yen wouldn't be denied in his bid to win the Mid-States Poker Tour Tropicana Evansville Main Event one year after finishing second here for $35,668. Mike O'Neill spoiled the revenge story, though, storming to the lead and winning the tournament for $67,746 and relegating Yen to another runner-up finish worth $39,925.

The MSPT's second trip to Southern Indiana drew 251 runners, just enough to inch past the guaranteed prize pool of $250,000. Forty-nine of those players qualified for Day 2 after two starting flights, and two-time World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring winner Josh Turner was the most notable player to bust out before the money was reached at 27.

The final results of the tournament began to take shape during Level 19 (4,000/8,000/1,000). That's when O'Neill and Yen surged to monster stacks, and one of the most dangerous players remaining, two-time MSPT champion and MSPT Team Pro Jason Zarlenga, went bust in 20th when he got the {k-Spades}{q-Spades} in on a {j-Hearts}{q-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{3-Diamonds} board against Craig Spalding's {a-Spades}{j-Clubs}. Spalding nailed an ace on the river, and that was that.

When Neil Patel busted 11th to Jim Russler's slow-played kings, the final table was set with Jim Will entering as the chip leader at 1.1 million. Yen was in second at 820,000. Things started off slow after the break with only short stacks Matt Lushin and David Dang busting in the first level, but Yen made his move in a clash with Will during Level 23 (10,000/20,000/3,000).

In a limped pot, Will bet 60,000 last to act after three checks on the {6-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} flop. Yen made it 150,000 from the big blind, and Will called. Yen bet 225,000 on the {9-Clubs} turn, and Will shoved for Yen's 860,000. The latter called with the {7-Clubs}{5-Hearts} for a turned straight, and Will needed to fill up with the {9-Hearts}{8-Hearts}. He failed to do so, and Yen took a monster lead with more than 2.1 million.

Just minutes later, O'Neill got it in with the {10-Spades}{8-Spades} on a {j-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{6-Spades}{7-Clubs} board against MSPT Team Pro Nick Pupillo, who flopped a set of sixes. Like Yen, Pupillo was making a repeat final table appearance, but he was dealt a crippling blow when O'Neill binked his flush on the river. Pupillo busted in sixth shortly thereafter, following Will (eighth) and Spalding (seventh) out the door.

Jim Russler was right behind in fifth, followed by Scot Brady, who grinded a short stack long enough to ladder to fourth.

Three-handed play between Yen, O'Neill, and Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler proved to be a grind, lasting more than an hour. "Chainsaw" lost a big pot with kings when O'Neill out-flopped him with the {a-Spades}{5-Spades}, and Kessler shipped his last 10 big blinds or so with the {8-Clubs}{7-Clubs} only to run into O'Neill's kings.

Heads-up play took on a decidedly more aggressive tone, as Yen and O'Neill traded the chip lead a few times. In the end, though, O'Neill simply appeared to make too many big hands, showing down trips and a straight in huge pots. Finally, both flopped top pair on the {6-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}{7-Clubs} flop, but it was O'Neill who had a hammerlock with the {a-Spades}{k-Hearts} against the {k-Spades}{9-Clubs}. When Yen didn't improve, he had to settle for another second-place.

Tags: Mike O'Neill