Brett Halan Wins 2018 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship ($145K)
The 2018 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship took place at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, Wisc., last weekend and drew a record 748 entries, making it the largest major poker tournament with a $1K-plus buy-in in state history. Brett Halan finished on top to capture the $144,812 top prize.
It was by far the largest cash for the 27-year-old logistics account manager from Naperville, Ill., who usually plays in smaller events. Halan’s previous biggest cash was $4,413 for winning a $250 WPTDS side event in 2015.
“It feels great; honestly it really does," he said to MSPT reporters. "The cards ran great, that’s all I could ask for. I usually play in the smaller tournaments, this was a big one. I tried to get it in good as best as I could. When I did, it seemed to hold up every time.”
Halan had some tough competition to get through on a Day 2 where 114 players returned with 81 places to be paid. Among those busting on Day 2 before the money were current MSPT POY points leader Aaron Johnson, Ben Keeline and Keven Stammen, and bubbling the event was Michael Hudson.
2018 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship Official Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Brett Halan | Naperville, IL | $144,812 |
| 2nd | Joseph Freeman | Roselle, IL | $89,060 |
| 3rd | Jeffrey Cvetezar | Manitowoc, WI | $65,165 |
| 4th | Edward Rohloff | Wega, WI | $48,440 |
| 5th | Andrew Haywood | Homewood, IL | $36,927 |
| 6th | Joshua Janis | Milwaukee, WI | $28,238 |
| 7th | Larry Wagner | Middleton, WI | $21,722 |
| 8th | Joseph Pusateri | Chicago, IL | $16,653 |
| 9th | Sam DeSilva | Austin, MN | $13,033 |
2018 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship Final Table Action
Josh Hergott was the first player eliminated at the final table of 10, running ace-five into Josh Janis’ ace-queen, and Sam De Silva busted next with pocket jacks that couldn’t hold against Andre Haywood’s ace-king suited.
Joe Pusateri couldn’t get there with jack-ten suited against Joe Freeman’s ace-queen, heading to payouts in eighth. Haywood was responsible for the next two eliminations, first with pocket kings against Larry Wagner’s ace-ten suited, and then with ace-queen versus the ace-ten of Janis.
His momentum was short-lived though, as he was next to go when he shoved with queen-eight suited and got looked up by Jeff Cvetezar with pocket nines that held up. Down to four, Ed Rohloff got it in good with ace-seven, but Freeman’s ace-four got there and Rohloff’s day was done.
Three-handed, Halan won a decisive pot when he turned straight and flush draws and called a shove from Cvetezar, who held pocket aces. Halan rivered a flush to send out the last remaining player from Wisconsin and Cvetezar took home $65,165 for his efforts.
Heads up with Freeman went back and forth, with multiple lead changes, but eventually Freeman bled down and bluffed all in on a flop where Halan had trips. Freeman was drawing dead and finished runner-up for his biggest live cash by far. Halan’s win marks the third consecutive year that an Illinois resident has taken down the Wisconsin State Poker Championship.
Other notable players who busted in the money on Day 2 were Rob Wazwaz (15th - $8,689), MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup (16th - $7,241), Ravi Raghavan (17th - $7,241), 10-time WSOPC ring winner Josh Reichard (20th - $6,082), 2015 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Champ Ben Wiora (23rd - $5,141), HPT and WSOPC Main Event champ Nick Pupillo (35th - $3,186) and three-time MSPT champ Blake Bohn (44th - $2,679).
Photo courtesy of MSPT
