$1,100 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2022 MSPT Venetian Winter
$1,100 Main Event
Day: 2
Jacob Perry Wins MSPT Venetian Main Event After Heads-Up Chop Deal ($99,084)
Level 31
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
The final Mid-States Poker Tour(MSPT) Main Event of the year has come to an end at Venetian Las Vegas and Jacob Perry is the champion after cutting a deal with Abhisek Panda in heads-up play.
Perry outlasted a field of 643 runners to win $99,084 from a total prize pool of $620,495. Panda took home $97,612 for second place after an ICM chop ended play.
MSPT Venetian Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Name | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Perry | Branchville, New Jersey | $99,084* |
| 2 | Abhisek Panda | Cupertino, California | $97,612* |
| 3 | Ezequiel Waigel | Argentina | $58,016 |
| 4 | Nipun Java | Las Vegas, Nevada | $41,573 |
| 5 | Angela Jordison | Crooked River Ranch, Oregon | $31,335 |
| 6 | Kenny Huynh | Sewell, New Jersey | $23,269 |
| 7 | Richard Alati | Phoenix, Arizona | $17,064 |
| 8 | Tamas Lendvai | Las Vegas, Nevada | $13,341 |
| 9 | Peter Mullin | Cocoa, Florida | $10,548 |
*-denotes heads-up chop deal
Day 2 Highlights
Josh Reichard finished in 24th place for $4,468, but with no other Player of the Year candidates remaining in the tournament he wrapped up the top spot on the leaderboard for the 2022 season. Reichard crossed $2 million in career earnings with 10 MSPT Main Event cashes in 2022 and three final tables. He also earned his way into the MSPT Hall of Fame in 2022 with his 25th career cash in an MSPT Main Event.
The final MSPT event of the season also saw several players with Global Poker Index Player of the Year interests. Jeremy Ausmus and Adam Hendrix both had the opportunity to catch Stephen Song on the leaderboard with final table finishes, but both players failed to make it long enough to take advantage. Angela Jordison also came into the final day with the opportunity to take the lead in the Mid-Major Player of the Year race with a top-two finish, but she fell just short in fifth place after a great run that started from the beginning of Day 2.
Other players that made it to Day 2 but failed to qualify for the final table include Joao Simao, Barry Shulman, Michael Holtz, Ryan Laplante, Mitchell Halverson, Joseph Di Rosa Rojas, and Roland Israelashvili.
Final Table Action
The tournament was down to its final table after seven hours of play and it was Peter Mullin that was first to go when his sixes were defeated by Tamas Lendvai and his two pair.
After Mullin hit the rail, action slowed down and there were no eliminations for several levels until Lendvai hit the rail when his king-queen couldnt beat Panda’s ace-king. Panda was nearly out prior to the hand after Perry left him with just a few big blinds, but after a string of successful double-ups, Panda found himself right back in contention.
Richard Alati was next to go in seventh place after Jordison knocked him out with pocket kings, and Kenny Huynh wasn’t far behind after his king-ten lost to Panda’s ace-queen.
Jordison’s elimination brought the tournament down to four players, and the remaining quartet had plenty of chips to work with—until a short time later when Nipun Java got it in with pocket sevens. Waigel called with ace-queen and flopped a pair that would send Java out in fourth place. The hand gave Waigel a commanding chip lead against Panda and Perry as three-handed play got underway.
Panda fought back in the early part of the final three with aggressive play against Waigel, including a shove that took down a big pot after a 1,300,000 bet. Perry also picked up a few chips when he got a shove through Waigel, and the stacks were nearly even as Level 30 got started.
Panda continued his aggressive play and took more pots from Waigel until he had the lead. Waigel was next to go when he picked up ace-queen and flopped top pair, but Panda had pocket queens and Waigel was out in third.
Going into heads-up play, Panda held a 2:1 chip lead, but Perry cut into it after he flopped a flush and got maximum value when Panda rivered a straight. Perry soon pulled ahead after he picked up another flush and the players decided to split up the prize pool. Perry took the trophy with a slightly higher chip total.
That wraps up coverage of the final tournament of the 2022 MSPT season. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team for live updates from your favorite tournaments around the world in 2023.
Jacob Perry Wins MSPT Venetian Main Event ($99,084)
Level 31
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Jacob Perry has won the MSPT Venetian Main Event after an ICM chop was agreed upon with second-place finisher Abhisek Panda. Perry wins $99,084 for first place and Panda will take home $97,612 for second.
Stay tuned for a full recap from the PokerNews team.
Abhisek Panda Eliminated in 2nd Place ($97,612)
Level 31
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Jacob Perry took a slight lead in his heads-up battle with Abhisek Panda and the players began to discuss a deal.
An ICM chop was agreed upon and Panda will take home $97,612. Perry wins the MSPT Main Event trophy and $99,084.
Perry Pulls Even
Level 31
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Abhisek Panda raised to 600,000 and Jacob Perry called to see 
on the flop. Perry check-called a bet of 500,000 from Panda and the turn was 
.
Both players checked the turn to see 
on the river. Perry fired 425,000 and turned over 
for the flush when Panda called. Panda tossed the losing hand in the muck and Perry dragged a pot that brought him relatively even.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,100,000 | -1,100,000 |
|
8,000,000 | 1,100,000 |
Level: 31
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 200,000
Perry Doubles Through Panda
Level 30
: Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Jacob Perry check-called a flop of 
when Abhisek Panda bet 450,000 and the turn was 
.
Both players checked the turn to see 
on the river. Perry bet 1,200,000 and Panda went all in to a quick call for his last 2,800,000. Perry turned over 
for the flush to beat Panda's 
and the rivered straight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,200,000 | -1,800,000 |
|
|
6,900,000 | 2,000,000 |
Ezequiel Waigel Eliminated in 3rd Place ($58,016)
Level 30
: Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Action was heads up with nearly 2,000,000 in the pot and 
on the board when Abhisek Panda checked before Ezequiel Waigel bet 650,000. Panda raised to 1,375,000 and Waigel called to see 
on the turn.
Panda checked once again on the turn and Waigel fired 850,000. Panda quickly went all in and Waigel called before he turned over 
for a pair of queens, but Panda had 
for the better set of queens. The river was , and no help to keep Waigel in the tournament. He was eliminated in third place for $58,016.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,000,000 | 4,500,000 |
|
|
4,900,000 | -300,000 |
|
Busted |
Panda Takes From Waigel
Level 30
: Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Ezequiel Waigel raised to 375,000 from the button and then called when Abhisek Panda made it 1,000,000. The flop was 
and both players checked.
Both players checked again when came on the turn before dropped on the river.
Panda fired 1,250,000 at the river and Waigel thought it over but he tossed his cards in the muck to give up the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,500,000 | 650,000 |
|
|
4,900,000 | -850,000 |
Level: 30
Blinds: 75,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000