2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino

Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kk
Prize
$120,765
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
500
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

Main Event

Day 2 Completed

Reza Yazdi Wins Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates ($120,765)

Level 32 : 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Reza Yazdi - 1st Place
Reza Yazdi - 1st Place

Five hundred entered, and only Reza Yazdi remained at the end of one of the biggest Mid-States Poker Tour events in history held at Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. Yazdi claimed a $120,765 prize for first place, besting a very tough Day 2 field that featured players like Kevin "1sickdisease" Eyster, Blake Bohn, Matt Kirby, Kou Vang, John Hayes, John Beauprez, and Adam Friedman, among others. Yazdi adds to a tally of $33,919 in live cashes, nearly all coming here in his home state.

The biggest story to come out of the tournament, though, was the return of Kevin "Phwap" Boudreau to the ranks of a big final table. Boudreau's story has been chronicled in part by PokerNews here and here. The short version: Boudreau suffered a life-threatening brain injury during last year's World Series of Poker, and his recovery has apparently progressed enough that he can compete and thrive in a tournament like this one.

With his rail cheering him on and a swell of support on social media, Boudreau grinded his way to the chip lead at the final table as late as four-handed play. There, he had the tournament in his grasp when he three-bet an under-the-gun open from Yazdi and then called Yazdi's four-bet shove of about 50 big blinds. Yazdi's {8-Clubs}{8-Diamonds} was crushed by Boudreau's {9-Spades}{9-Hearts}, but a run out of {4-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{8-Spades}{k-Clubs}{4-Hearts} gave Yazdi his two-outer and 80 percent of the chips in play, leaving Boudreau with just a handful of big blinds. He busted soon after.

A total of 104 survivors showed up at 11 a.m. to contend on Day 2, and 54 would leave with a portion of the prize pool. Eyster was among the early eliminations when he squeezed all in with the {a-Clubs}{q-Clubs} against a cutoff open from Blake Bohn and a shove from a short stack on the button. Bohn held the {a-Hearts}{k-Spades} and held against Eyster. Alex Greenblatt, Will Givens, Jason Zarlenga, Chris Tryba, Ralph Massey, and former Main Event runner-up Paul Wasicka also fell short of the money.

Once the bubble burst, Boudreau took hold of the chip lead for the first time when he three-bet with the {k-Spades}{k-Clubs} and called the four-bet shove of fellow big stack Jon Wurden, who had the {j-Hearts}{j-Diamonds} and saw Boudreau flop a winning boat.

Friedman, Vang, Kirby, Bohn, Steve Anderson, Mike Ross, and Ben Keeline were among those collecting payouts before exiting. With the field dwindling down towards the final table, Hayes shoved over a raise from button Shawn Sandt with the {6-Spades}{6-Clubs} and got snapped by Sandt's {a-Clubs}{k-Clubs}. Sandt flopped a king to bust "JohnnyGstaks," and Troy Pabst busted soon after to make the final table official.

Yazdi held a sizable lead at that point, while Boudreau was sitting in ninth with a short stack of under 20 big blinds. When play kicked off, Boudreau first doubled up by winning a race against Michael Lech, and he then busted Jason Vanstrom in 10th, calling a 10-big blind shove with the {6-Hearts}{6-Diamonds} and winning against the {5-Hearts}{5-Spades}.

Boudreau's hot run continued on a {7-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{3-Diamonds} flop during Level 27 (25,000/50,000/5,000), at which point Yazdi continuation-bet 200,000, Geoff Vail shoved for 805,000, and "Phwap" woke up with another shove. Yazdi mucked, and Boudreau's set of fives held against the {a-Spades}{6-Clubs}.

Shawn Sandt then fell in eighth and Michael St. John in seventh. Lech was next to go when his {k-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds} didn't improve after three-bet jamming on Boudreau's {10-Spades}{10-Clubs}. Bracelet winner Beauprez was eliminated in fifth after shoving about 16 big blinds with the {a-Clubs}{5-Hearts} in the blinds against a huge open from Max Chrisp, who called with the {a-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds} and held.

The pace picked up greatly four-handed, with Boudreau, Chrisp, and Yazdi ramming and jamming, exchanging the chip lead between them while Wistar Holt appeared to bide his time and allow the others to do battle. Instead of eliminations, though, short stacks continued to double up, including an incredible run by Chrisp from a stack of 70,000 at Level 31 (60,000/120,000/20,000). He managed to run it up to nearly 2 million by the time the massive confrontation between Yazdi and Boudreau went in Yazdi's favor. Boudreau put in the last of it with the {3-Spades}{3-Clubs} and lost a race to Holt's {a-Hearts}{j-Diamonds}.

Chrisp and Holt then took turns doubling through Yazdi until stacks were nearly even. Finally, after losing a big pot with two pair when Holt outdrew him with pocket aces, Chrisp busted with the {a-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} against the {a-Clubs}{k-Spades}.

Heads-up play lasted just 15 minutes, until Holt check-jammed the {8-Clubs}{7-Spades} on a {10-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{6-Diamonds} flop, only to be snapped off by the {k-Diamonds}{k-Spades} of Yazdi. Holt missed his double-gutshot, giving Yazdi the tournament.

Final Table Payouts

PlacePlayerPrize
1Reza Yazdi$120,765
2Wistar Holt$67,900
3Max Chrisp$43,650
4Kevin Boudreau$34,678
5John Beauprez$27,160
6Michael Lech$22,310
7Michael St. John$17,703
8Shawn Sandt$13,811
9Geoff Vail$9,700
10Jason Vanstrom$6,305

The MSPT isn't taking any time off, heading immediately to Baton Rouge for another event. Once again, PokerNews will be on hand for live reporting, so tune back in when the time comes.

Tags: Reza Yazdi

Wistar Holt Eliminated in 2nd Place ($67,900)

Level 32 : 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt

Reza Yazdi opened for 325,000 on the button, and Wistar Holt called. Holt checked the {10-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{6-Diamonds} flop, and Yazdi bet 425,000. Holt said he was all in, and Yazdi called to put his opponent at risk for about 6 million.

Yazdi: {k-Spades}{k-Diamonds}
Holt: {8-Clubs}{7-Spades}

Holt had flopped a double-gutshot, and he called for his outs against Yazdi's kings. The dealer put only blanks on the board, the {3-Clubs} followed by the {6-Spades}.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt
Busted

Tags: Reza YazdiWistar Holt

Max Chrisp Eliminated in 3rd Place ($43,650)

Level 32 : 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Max Chrisp - 3rd Place
Max Chrisp - 3rd Place

Max Chrisp shoved all in on the button for about 2.5 million, and Reza Yazdi called as soon as he saw his cards.

Chrisp: {a-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}
Yazdi: {a-Clubs}{k-Spades}

"Niner!" Chrisp's rail yelled excitedly as the {9-Hearts} was turned over. Unfortunately for Chrisp, it was followed by {2-Hearts}{k-Clubs}, leaving him with two outs. The {8-Clubs} and {10-Diamonds} danced around him on fourth and fifth.

"Well," Chrisp said. "There goes the storybook ending."

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Reza Yazdi us
Reza Yazdi
8,190,000
3,485,000
3,485,000
Profile photo of Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt
6,910,000
-880,000
-880,000
Profile photo of Max Chrisp us
Max Chrisp
Busted

Tags: Max ChrispReza Yazdi

Chrisp Outflops Holt's Bullets, Loses

Level 32 : 80,000/160,000, 20,000 ante
Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt

After he asked what the minimum raise was, Wistar Holt made it 320,000 on the button. Max Chrisp called in the big blind, and he checked the {2-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}{6-Hearts} flop.

"One million," Holt said.

"All in."

"Call."

Holt: {a-Clubs}{a-Hearts}
Chrisp: {6-Spades}{2-Spades}

The dealer burned and turned the {k-Clubs}, and Holt pumped his fist. The {a-Diamonds} river meant he hit every sort of out he had.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt
7,790,000
4,505,000
4,505,000
Profile photo of Max Chrisp us
Max Chrisp
3,615,000
-3,565,000
-3,565,000

Tags: Max ChrispWistar Holt

Level: 32

Blinds: 80,000/160,000

Ante: 20,000

Chrisp Doubles Through Holt

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Max Chrisp limped in and then called when Wistar Holt put him all in for 3.56 million.

Holt: {a-Hearts}{7-Clubs}
Chrisp: {a-Hearts}{k-Clubs}

The board ran out {9-Hearts}{3-Spades}{6-Hearts}{10-Spades}{6-Diamonds}, keeping Chrisp best for the double.

Players are on a 10-minute break.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Max Chrisp us
Max Chrisp
7,180,000
4,680,000
4,680,000
Profile photo of Reza Yazdi us
Reza Yazdi
4,705,000
-405,000
-405,000
Profile photo of Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt
3,285,000
-4,075,000
-4,075,000

Tags: Max ChrispWistar Holt

Yazdi Plummeting After Another Loss

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt

Reza Yazdi opened to 300,000 on the button, and Wistar Holt shoved for about 3.6 million. Yazdi tanked for a bit and called.

Yazdi: {8-Clubs}{8-Hearts}
Holt: {a-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}

"Let 'em hold up one time," Max Chrisp urged, hoping to get to heads up.

It wasn't to be, as the board rolled out {k-Diamonds}{a-Clubs}{3-Spades}{q-Hearts}{3-Hearts}.

Holt is now the chip leader.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt
7,360,000
3,360,000
3,360,000
Profile photo of Reza Yazdi us
Reza Yazdi
5,110,000
-2,890,000
-2,890,000

Tags: Max ChrispReza YazdiWistar Holt

Yazdi Ships Another Double

Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Reza Yazdi opened for 300,000 on the button and then called the shove of Wistar Holt, who had about 2 million in the big blind.

Holt: {j-Spades}{j-Hearts}
Yazdi: {9-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}

Yazdi was miles behind but closed the gap as the flop came {3-Diamonds}{k-Spades}{q-Diamonds}, giving him a flush draw. He failed to get there as bricks fell on fourth and fifth.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Reza Yazdi us
Reza Yazdi
8,000,000
-4,000,000
-4,000,000
Profile photo of Wistar Holt
Wistar Holt
4,000,000
2,070,000
2,070,000

Tags: Reza YazdiWistar Holt