$1,110 USPC Main Event
Day 2 Completed
$1,110 USPC Main Event
Day 2 Completed
Matt Paten rode the final table rollercoaster at the 2021 MSPT United States Poker Championship $1,100 Main Event final table, but his steady play and endurance in the final hours of Day 2 paid off. Paten took down the tournament championship at San Diego's Sycuan Casino on Sunday night, pocketing $94,782 in the win.
The pinnacle event of the recently-revived United States Poker Championship wrapped up when Paten became the latest player to put his name into the MSPT Main Event record books after topping a field of 456 entries.
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Paten | $94,782 |
| 2 | Jonathan McGowan | $58,232 |
| 3 | Mike Rosado | $41,966 |
| 4 | Gary Hansen | $31,739 |
| 5 | Pej Niyati | $23,804 |
| 6 | Lucy Hargett | $18,704 |
| 7 | Rubin Chappell | $14,106 |
| 8 | Vladimir Medvinsky | $11,021 |
| 9 | Allen Galutera | $8,376 |
The Main Event featured three starting flights, with 60 players combined coming out of those three phases. Day 2 began with 60 players competing for 54 money spots.
By the time that field played down to the final nine, Paten entered final table play in a virtual tie for the chip lead. It took more than an hour for the first player to fall at the final table, and the Main Event remained eight-handed for another 75 minutes after that.
The eliminations started coming faster after that, eventually narrowing down to Gary Hansen (4th -$31,739), Mike Rosado (3rd - $41,966), and eventual runner-up Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan (2nd - $58,238).
Paten was on the brink of entering heads-up play with more than a four-to-one chip lead against Rosado. One big hand saw Paten limp from the small blind, and McGowan shove for 1.8 million.
Paten called, showing ace-three of spades against McGowan's seven-deuce of spades. Trip sevens came in on the runout for McGowan, however, evening the match considerably.
"When you have him dominated with ace-three of spades, you're feeling confident," Paten said. "But when he flops a seven and turns a seven, I'm drawing dead."
"You don't like it; you miss an opportunity to knock out another player with the worst hand in poker."
Paten endured, however, and eventually faced McGowan head-up, which lasted only a few hands with Paten picking off an all-in bluff on the river from McGowan to clinch the tournament.
Other final table finishers included Pej Niyati (5th - $23,804), Lucy Hargett (6th - $18,704), Rubin Chappell (7th - $14,106), Vladimir Medvinski (8th - $11,021), and Allen Galutera (9th - $8,376).
The Main Event came a week after Chris Smith won the MSPT Sycuan Casino $360 Regional for $33,149.
The MSPT continues in October with two stops in Las Vegas at the Ventian. From October 12-16, there will be an $1,100 buy-in, $1 million GTD Main Event followed by a $1,600 buy-in, $1 million GTD Main Event from October 18-22. PokerNews will be on-site to live report both tournaments. For more information, visit msptpoker.com.
On a board of ![]()
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and approximately 500,000 in the middle, Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan moved all-in and he was called by Matt Paten who had him covered.
Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan: ![]()
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Matt Paten: ![]()
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Paten had picked off the bluff and will walk away with the lion's share of the prize.
Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan takes home an impressive $58,232 for the effort.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,000,000
6,400,000
|
6,400,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Players are on a ten-minute break.
Mike Rosado moved all-in preflop and was called by Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan.
Mike Rosado: ![]()
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Jonathan McGowan: ![]()
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The board ran ![]()
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, clean for "Cosmo" McGowan as he secured the elimination.
Rosado exits with a nice payday of more than $40,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,300,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Matt Paten limped in the small blind and Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan moved all-in for 1,800,000.
Paten called and the hands were revealed.
Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan: ![]()
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Matt Paten: ![]()
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Paten was ahead but McGowan still had live cards.
The board came ![]()
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and "Cosmo" McGowan is still alive.
"Don't show that hand," said McGowan. "My friends will make fun of me."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,600,000
1,800,000
|
1,800,000 |
|
|
3,600,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
Mike Rosado moved all-in and everyone folded.
On the next hand Jonathan McGowan limped in the small blind, Mike Rosado moved all-in and McGowan called.
Mike Rosado: ![]()
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Jonathan McGowan: ![]()
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The board came ![]()
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and Rosado doubled.
The next hand Mike Rosado made it 310,000 and Matt Paten called. The flop came ![]()
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and both players checked. On the
turn, Rosado checked, Paten bet 200,000 and Rosado called. The river was the
and Rosado check-folded to a bet of 750,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,400,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
2,000,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,000,000
2,100,000
|
2,100,000 |
|
|
3,300,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
1,100,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
Jonathan "Cosmo" McGowan opened to 225,000 and Gary Hansen called.
The flop came ![]()
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and Hansen checked. McGowan bet 600,000 and Hansen moved all-in. McGowan called and the hands were tabled.
Gary Hansen: ![]()
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Jonathan McGowan: ![]()
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Hansen was ahead with a pair but he would need to dodge a plethora of outs.
The turn brought the
and the river fell the
giving McGowan a flush and the knockout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,400,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Matt Paten opened to 220,000 from the cutoff, Mike Rosado shoved, and Paten called off for 2,420,000 total.
Matt Paten: ![]()
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Mike Rosado: ![]()
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Board: ![]()
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Paten took the chip lead after scooping the nearly five-million pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,900,000
2,375,000
|
2,375,000 |
|
|
2,900,000
850,000
|
850,000 |
|
|
1,600,000
1,750,000
|
1,750,000 |
|
|
1,500,000
600,000
|
600,000 |