The PokerNews Mid-States Poker Tour was in Quapaw, Oklahoma this week at the beautiful Downstream Casino, a real treat for players that follow the tour. In addition to a 24/7 poker room, Downstream offers a golf course, a high end spa, table games, slots, excellent restaurants, and events including major national music and comedy acts. Many players took advantage of everything Quapaw has to offer above and beyond an excellent poker room.Poker room manager Dale Hunter said “Of course we want people to come play poker, but while they’re here we want them to enjoy everything the property has to offer. Downstream is a vacation destination for a lot of people, and when they spend time with us they can do a lot more than play poker.”
The week was relaxed and casual as qualifiers went off at a consistent pace, but the intensity went up a notch at the final table with confrontations fast and furious. Thomas Ryan from Oak Forest, Illinois won the event, and took home $39,243 for his win, a nice payday for two days of poker, and the coveted RF Moeller Championship bracelet. Ryan traveled to the event with friends including eventual 8th place finisher Chan Kim who took home $4,819.
Ryan has traveled to a number of MSPT events recently, including a fourth place finish in the record setting event at Canterbury Park in December where he banked $23,597. He plans to attend next week's event in Wisconsin to take a shot at back-to-back titles, only Dan Sun has accomplished that feat on the MSPT.
A total of six states were represented at the MSPT Downstream Casino final table. Russ Louwagie of Minnesota had traveled the furthest, earning his second career MSPT final table.
Mike White of Prairie Village, KS earned his second career MSPT cash, this time placing second to take home $22,031.
Jacob Phillips accomplished an impressive feat by final tabling back-to-back Downstream Casino events. He finished one spot closer to his bracelet winning goal this time by placing seventh for $5,508.
The tour returns to Downstream in August, and ideas for the upcoming event were considered all weekend, with a number of unique tournament options in the works.
The MSPT will be in the Wisconsin Dells next week for another main event at Ho-Chunk Gaming in Baraboo. After tremendous success in their first event at Ho-Chunk last September, players from all over Wisconsin are gearing up for the start of the main event in a few days, and a field of over 250 players is expected.