MSPT Sycuan $360 Regional Event
Day 2 Completed
2021 MSPT Showdown Series
MSPT Sycuan $360 Regional Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2021 MSPT Showdown Series
Winner
Buy-in
$360
Prize Pool
$312,600
Entries
1,047
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 150,000
Ante
30,000
Entries
1,047
Players Left
1
Armando Mesina Wins MSPT Sycuan Casino $360 Regional Event
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 30,000 ante
The MSPT Sycuan Casino $360 Regional Event attracted 1,047 runners over three flights, but only 131 of them returned for Sunday’s Day 2 finale. It took 10 hours of play before the final seven players agreed to a seven-way ICM deal that ultimately saw chip leader Armando Mesina, a 65-year-old retired Navy veteran, claim the trophy and $33,329 in prize money.
Prior to the win, Mesina had $83,444 in live tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob. His MSPT score proved to be a career-high, just surpassing the $31,805 he received for finishing seventh in the 2013 Legends of Poker $150 Mega Million VII at the Bicycle Casino back in 2013.
MSPT Sycuan Regional Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Count | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Armando Mesina | 6.5 million | $33,329* |
| 2 | Young Hilliard | 5.655 million | $31,265* |
| 3 | Tiffany Nguyen | 5.295 million | $30,312* |
| 4 | John Yi | 3.63 million | $25,177* |
| 5 | Derek Jensen | 1.99 million | $18,484* |
| 6 | Matthew Blagg | 1.68 million | $16,956* |
| 7 | Michael Rosado | 1.455 million | $15,781* |
| 8 | Philip Bruning | N/A | $5,002 |
*Denotes 7-way ICM chop.
It took less than 45 minutes of play on Day 2 for 19 players to fall, including 2020 WSOP.com $1,000 NLHE Championship bracelet winner Nahrain Tamero. That left the top 112 players getting a piece of a $312,600 prize pool.
Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Day 1a chip leader Happy Spaulding (9th - $4,376), Kobe Brown (15th - $2,626), Adrianne Hall (21st - $2,157), Anthony Bland (42nd - $1,219), WSOP bracelet winner and Day 1b chip leader Ben Moon (55th - $1,125), Bob Chow (62nd - $1,032), Brad Sailor (63rd - $1,032), and Harold Singleton (80th - $907).
At the final table, Philip Bruning began as the third-biggest stack, but two coinflips in near succession ended his run in eighth place. First, his pocket eights failed to hold against ace-king, and shortly thereafter he got it in with pocket threes and once again losing, this time to ace-jack. Bruning took home $5,002 for his eight-place finish, and not long after the final seven agreed to an ICM deal to end the tournament.
That concludes the PokerNews live updates until next weekend’s $1,100 Main Event. In the meantime, there’s still plenty of side event action to be had at the MSPT Showdown Series here at San Diego’s Sycuan Casino.
| Date | Time (PST) | Event | GTD | Total Chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, May 3 | 10 a.m. | $80 Sunrise NLH | - | 10,000 |
| Monday, May 3 | Noon | Event #5: $360 Seniors (50+) NLHE | - | 10,000 |
| Monday May 3 | 4 p.m. | Event #6: $250 Turbo Super Stack NLHE | - | 25,000 |
| Monday, May 3 | 8 p.m. | $135 Nightly Deep Stack | - | 12,000 |
| Tuesday, May 4 | 10 a.m. | $80 Sunrise NLH | - | 10,000 |
| Tuesday, May 4 | Noon | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Tuesday, May 4 | 2 p.m. | Event #7: $360 PLO 8 of Better | - | 15,000 |
| Tuesday, May 4 | 5 p.m. | Event #8: $250 MSPT Tag Team Championship ($125/player) | - | $10,000 |
| Wednesday, May 5 | 10 a.m. | $80 Sunrise NLHE | - | 10,000 |
| Wednesday, May 5 | Noon | Event #9: $250 Hump Day Showdown NLHE | - | 15,000 |
| Wednesday, May 5 | 7 p.m. | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Thursday, May 6 | 10 a.m. | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Thursday, May 6 | 3 p.m. | Event #10: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 1a | $200,000 | 25,000 |
| Thursday, May 6 | 8 p.m. | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Friday, May 7 | 10 a.m. | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Friday, May 7 | 3 p.m. | Event #10: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 1b | $200,000 | 25,000 |
| Friday, May 7 | 8 p.m. | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Sautrday, May 8 | 10 a.m. | $265 satellite - 1 in 5 advance to Main Event | - | 15,000 |
| Saturday, May 8 | 3 p.m. | Event #10: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 1c | $200,000 | 25,000 |
| Saturday, May 8 | 8 p.m. | $135 Nightly Deep Stack | - | 12,000 |
| Sunday, May 9 | 11 a.m. | Event #10: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 2 | $200,000 | - |
| Sunday, May 9 | Noon | Event #11: $360 Last Chace Showdown NLHE | - | 15,000 |
| Sunday, May 9 | 4 p.m. | $135 Nightly Deep Stack | 12,000 |
Tournament Ends in 7-Way ICM Deal
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 30,000 ante
The final seven players asked the tournament staff to crunch the ICM numbers. After they were calculated, the players were asked to vote anonymously by sliding in a red card for yes and a black card for no. All players submitted a red card to the dealer, and just like that the tournament has come to an end.
As the chip leader at the time of the deal, Armando Mesina is deemed the champion. Stay tuned for a recap of tournament action. In the meantime, here's a look at the final numbers.
| Seat | Player | Count | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Blagg | 1.68 million | $16,956 |
| 2 | Armando Mesina | 6.5 million | $33,329 |
| 3 | Tiffany Nguyen | 5.295 million | $30,312 |
| 4 | Young Hilliard | 5.655 million | $31,265 |
| 5 | Michael Rosado | 1.455 million | $15,777 |
| 6 | John Yi | 3.63 million | $25,177 |
| 7 | Derek Jensen | 1.99 million | $18,484 |
Philip Bruning Eliminated in 8th Place ($5,002)
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 30,000 ante
Philip Bruning moved all in for roughly 1 million from early position and cleared the field all the way around to John Yi, who called from the big blind.
Philip Bruning: 
John Yi: 
It was another flip for Bruning who once again was looking to hold. Unfortunately for him, that didn't happen as the 
flop paired Yi.
The 
turn gave Bruning a wheel draw but it didn't materialize as the 
bricked the river, a card that actually improved Yi to a flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,700,000 | 2,300,000 |
|
Busted |
Off to the Races
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 30,000 ante
Young Hilliard was all in preflop for 2.61 million and flipping against Philip Bruning.
Young Hilliard: 
Philip Bruning: 
The 
flop gave Hilliard the lead and he held onto it through both the 
turn and 
river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,200,000 | 2,590,000 |
|
|
1,000,000 | -2,650,000 |
Pocket Rockets Propel Nguyen to a Triple
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 30,000 ante
In the first big pot of the final table, Derek Jensen raised to 1 million from under the gun and called when Tiffany Nguyen three-bet all in from the cutoff.
Derek Jensen: 
Tiffany Nguyen: 
Nguyen had the granddaddy of all hands and it held on the 
runout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,500,000 | 2,800,000 |
|
2,000,000 | -3,000,000 |
Level: 30
Blinds: 100,000/150,000
Ante: 30,000
Final Table Draw and Counts (full)
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
The final eight players are now on a 45-minute dinner break. Action will resume at 7:45 p.m. local time.
| Seat | Player | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Blagg | 1,750,000 |
| 2 | Armando Mesina | 6,300,000 |
| 3 | Tiffany Nguyen | 1,700,000 |
| 4 | Young Hilliard | 3,460,000 |
| 5 | Michael Rosado | 2,500,000 |
| 6 | John Yi | 1,400,000 |
| 7 | Derek Jensen | 5,000,000 |
| 8 | Philip Bruning | 3,700,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,300,000 | 4,800,000 |
|
|
5,000,000 | |
|
|
3,700,000 | 3,150,000 |
|
|
3,460,000 | 3,185,000 |
|
2,500,000 | 1,100,000 |
|
1,750,000 | -450,000 |
|
|
1,700,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
1,400,000 | 650,000 |
Happy Spaulding Eliminated in 9th Place ($4,376)
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
Philip Bruning raised to 265,000 from the cutoff only to have Day 1a chip leader Happy Spaulding three-bet jam for approximately 1.1 million from the button. Both blinds folded and Bruning opted to call.
Philip Bruning:
Happy Spaulding: 
Spaulding was primed for a double, but disaster struck when the 
flop delivered Bruning two pair. Neither the 
turn nor river saved Spaulding and he exited as the final table bubble boy.
The final eight players will now redraw to a single table and take a dinner break. Stay tuned for the new seat draw along with counts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Andrew Gay Eliminated in 10th Place ($4,376)
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
After Tiffany Nguyen spiked an ace on the river to double through him, Andrew Gay was left extremely short.
In the next hand, Armando Mesina raised to 300,000 from the cutoff and Gay called off for 130,000 from the button. Both blinds folded and Mesina collected his rebate.
Andrew Gay: 
Armando Mesina: 
The board ran out 
and Gay was eliminated two spots shy of the final table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |