Grand Falls Casino

Fishing Hall of Famer Ted Takasaki Wins MSPT Grand Falls for $52,360

The Mid-States Poker Tour Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa – which is just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota – attracted 187 runners (87 Day 1a; 100 Day 1b), which surpassed the advertised $150,000 guarantee by creating an $187,000 total prize pool.

After two days, including one of the wildest hands in MSPT history, professional walleye angler Ted Takasaki, a 2010 inductee of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, emerged victorious to capture a $52,360 first-place prize.

The 58-year-old and father of three from Sioux Falls had been playing poker "semi seriously" for six years, and as soon as the final river card fell it was apparent how much the win meant to him.

"Poker's a hobby for me, fishing is my profession," said Takasaki, who is sponsored in fishing by the likes of Lund Boats and Mercury Outboards. "I get a big high every single time I win a pot. This is the biggest win I've ever had by far. I play online a lot, come out to the casino quite a bit. This is equivalent to the first $100,000 fishing tournament I won. I was jumping up and down. It was exciting. It was exactly how I envisioned being a professional fisherman would be like back when. This win is exactly the same euphoria, the same kind of emotion. It's like the culmination of all the work I've done."

While many poker players resort to fishing for their break from the grind, Takasaki has flipped the script.

"My work is my fishing business, so in the winter I'm doing seminars and attending sports shows," he explained. "During the summer I'm fishing tournaments or shooting television. Everybody asks why I'm not fishing the weekends; I say why would a plumber fix a toilet on the weekend? I love fishing, but poker is my hobby. To take a hobby and win a tournament like this is incredible."

Day 2 began with 49 players returning to action, but with only 18 places being pair, 31 of them left empty handed. They included 2014 MSPT Grand Falls runner-up Jeff Bryan, start-of-Day 2 chip leader Wesley Ismay, and Wisconsin's Brett Reichard, who busted as bubble boy in 19^th place.

Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Jon Maras (17^th - $2,805), Keith Doering (14^th - $3,460), and Terry Williams (11^th - $4,301), just to name a few. After the eliminations of Robbin Green (10^th - $4,301), Johnny McGriff (9^th - $5,423), and Charles "Doc" Hanson (8^th - $6,545) is when one of the wildest hands in tour history went down.

The hand began when Nebraska farmer Phil Mader moved all in for 110,000 and Chris Burke, who had been crippled the hand before, called off for just 10,000. Keith Ehlers then three-bet all in for 178,000 from the small blind and four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner Mark Fink, who had them all covered, called from the big.

Mader:
Burke:
Fink:
Ehlers:

Fink actually had the best hand, and he didn’t give the other players much of a sweat when the flop came down to give him a full house. The turn left the other three drawing dead, and they all hit the rail after the completed the board on the river.

From there, MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Mark Hodge busted in fourth place, and Joe Barnard followed him out the door in third. That set up a heads-up match between Fink and Takasaki.

Fink began the match with a 2-1 chip leader, but most hands went Takasaki's way until he pulled out to a chip leader. In the final hand, Takasaki shoved holding pocket threes and held after Fink called off with ace-eight.

"I think I'm going to start a poker bankroll," Takasaki replied when asked what he'll do with the prize money. "I'll use that money to fund my hobby and see where it goes. I'm not one to spend over my means, but I would love to continue play a few more MSPTs and travel a little bit. My dream right now is to win Angler of the Year on one of the big fishing circuits, and another dream is to fish the WSOP."

Final Table Results

Season 7 of the MSPT will continue September 9-11 with a $200,000 guaranteed, $1,100 buy-in Main Event at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells. For more information on that event, click here.

Mark Fink Eliminated in 2nd Place ($31,360)

In what would be the final hand of the tournament, Mark Fink raised the button to 130,000 and Ted Takasaki, who had pulled into the chip lead, simply moved all in. Fink thought long and hard before calling off.

Takasaki:
Fink:

It was a big flip, but Fink needed to improve to stay alive. That didn’t happen though as the board ran out .

Mark Fink – Eliminated in 2nd Place for $31,360

Ted Takasaki Making Up Some Ground

Mark Fink raised to 125,000 from the button and Ted Takasaki called from the big. Takasaki then check-called a bet of 100,000 on the flop before both players checked the turn.

When the completed the board on the river, Takasaki fired out 200,000 and Fink snap-folded.

Mark Fink - 2.04 million
Ted Takasaki - 1.7 million

Heads-Up Chip Counts

Mark Fink - 2.5 million
Ted Takasaki - 1.2 million

Joe Barnard Eliminated in 3rd Place ($19,074)

Joe Barnard moved all in from the small blind for his last 450,000 or so and Mark Fink called from the big.

Barnard:
Fink:

Barnard had a kicker problem, and it didn’t get resolved as the board ran out an unhelpful .

Joe Barnard – Eliminated in 3rd Place for $19,074

Let's Have Ourselves a Break

Players are now on a 10-minute break.

Huge Pot Pushed to Mark Fink

Mark Fink raised the button to 80,000 and Joe Barnard called from the big blind. Barnard then check-called a bet of 100,000 on the flop before leading out for 125,000 on the turn.

Fink seemed a bit perplexed but made the call nonetheless. When the completed the board on the river, Fink bet a hefty 450,000 and Fink leaned back in his chair. He hit the tank for nearly two minutes before calling and Barnard tabled the for a missed straight draw. Fink then rolled over the for the win.

Mark Fink – 1.735 million
Ted Takasaki - 1.285 million
Joe Barnard - 720,000

Mark Hodge Eliminated in 4th Place ($14,025)

Last year, Mark Hodge won the Mid-States Poker Tour Player of the Year race, though he never won an event. He had his heart set on winning here today, but his hope just died at the hands of Joe Barnard.

It happened when Barnard raised to 80,000 from the button and then called when Hodge moved all in for just over 200,000.

Hodge:
Barnard:

Hodge was excited to see he held two overs, and he called for paint. The flop meant a jack would do it for Hodge, but he was left wanting as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river.

Joe Barnard - 2 million
Mark Hodge – Eliminated in 4th Place for $14,025

"Cooler from the Start"

In the last hand of Level 25, Ted Takasaki raised the button to 75,000 and Joe Barnard three-bet to 195,000 from the small blind. Mark Hodge called from the big, Takasaki folded, and the flop came down .

Barnard checked, Hodge bet 160,000, and Barnard check-raised all in for 499,000 total. Hodge called and the cards were flipped over.

Barnard:
Hodge:

Barnard flopped top set, but Hodge was drawing to a flush. Unfortunately for him, he failed to make it as the appeared on the turn followed by the river.

Joe Barnard - 1.5 million
Mark Hodge - 207,000

Fishing Hall of Famer Ted Takasaki

Did you know Ted Takasaki has over $150,000 in career earnings? It’s not in poker though, it’s in fishing.

Takasaki is one of the most accomplished fisherman in in the Walleye world, and in 2010 was inducted into the "Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame" for his lifetime of work in the sportfishing industry.

For more on Takasaki, check out this interview he did with Walleye Central.