Golden Gates Casino - Black Hawk, CO
November 3-6, 2016
Buy-In: $360 Regional; 838 Entrants (242 Day 1a; 267 Day 1b; 329 Day 1c)
“Money” Mike Maruna Wins MSPT Golden Gates Regional for $50,997 after heads-up chop!
The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) held its ninth and final Regional Event of Season 7 at Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado November 3-6. The 838-entry field (242 Day 1a; 267 Day 1b; 329 Day 1c) surpassed April’s field by three players and made it the largest MSPT event ever held at the property.
After four days of intense play, Mike Maruna captured the title and a $50,997 first-place prize after striking a heads-up deal with Tom Bouziden. It was a little redemption for Maruna, who made the final table of the April event, ultimately finishing in eighth place for $10,910.
The win was far and away the largest score of Maruna’s career, which includes a 228th-place finish in the 2016 World Series of Poker Event #12: 565 Pot-Limit Omaha for $1,072 and $7,792 for finishing 30th in the 2013 ISPT London Main Event.
The latest MSPT Golden Gates Regional, the fourth held at the venue, was the 13th Regional Event since their inception at the beginning of 2015. The Regional Events were designed to offer players the opportunity to play MSPT’s lauded “Chainsaw-Approved” $1,100 Main Event structure at an affordable price. At Golden Gates, that buy-in is $360.
“Time and again Black Hawk, Colorado shows it’s a hotspot for poker,” said MSPT President Bryan Mileski, who was on hand all weekend long to interact with players. “Not only do our Main Events continue to draw record fields, but the Regionals also keep growing and growing. The latest is evidence that players love affordable tournaments offering solid structures. The MSPT Regionals certainly fit the bill.”
Among those to cash in the event were Shane Faulk (81st - $654), Mike Monetti (67th - $704), Phanora Prom (50th - $930), Darren Hicks (24th - $1,584), Nathan Hoh (16th - $2,011), and final table bubble boy Frank Yakubson (11th - $3,595).