MSPT Venetian $1,100 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2020 Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian $1,100 Main Event
MSPT Venetian $1,100 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2020 Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian $1,100 Main Event
Buy-in
$1,100
Entries
1,123
Level
33
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
146
Players Left
1
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
It took almost 16 hours on Sunday at the 2020 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Venetian $1,100 Main Event for a champion to be crowned and the first-place prize of $201,529 awarded. That champion was young up-and-comer Landon Tice, who did so for his first career score in the live realm of poker and in what was only his third live poker tournament. Tice outlasted a field of 1,123 entries in doing so, a figure that generated a total prize pool of more than $1 million.
Prior to this tournament, the 21-year-old from Boca Raton, Florida had just three online tournament cashes on his resume from this past summer: Tice got his start in poker by playing micro-stakes cash games online and has worked his way up, a journey highlighted by a mentor of sorts in Joey Ingram. Tice can now add an MSPT championship to his list of accomplishments.
"It feels good, you know," said Tice after the tournament was over. "It feels so good!"
Tice won after a hard-fought heads-up battle against Brandon Lombardo that capped off a four-hour-long final table. Lombardo entered the match as a three-to-one underdog and held his ground, ultimately finding a double and taking the chip lead for a short time. However, nearly-even stacks went in when Tice made two pair on the river and he doubled to shorted Lombardo, who called Tice's shove with top pair.
MSPT Venetian Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Landon Tice | $201,529 |
| 2 | Brandon Lombardo | $135,074 |
| 3 | Jesse Vilchez | $91,502 |
| 4 | Sara Stohler | $62,091 |
| 5 | Abraham Hichman | $40,304 |
| 6 | Byung Shin | $30,501 |
| 7 | David Larson | $22,876 |
| 8 | Andrew Rodgers | $17,429 |
Day 2 Action
Of the 1,123 entries logged across two starting flights, 145 players returned Sunday morning for the start of Day 2. Seventeen eliminations occurred within the first level of play, leaving the 128 that remained all set to make it into the money. From there, the pace of eliminations remained steady and the field rapidly saw itself shrink. Just 45 players remained by the second break of the day, and two hours later, the final three tables had been reached with 24 left in contention.
Plenty of notables were still in at that time, including Nick Pupillo, Frank Funaro, Jason Seitz, and Sean Yu. Also still in was 2019 MSPT Player of the Year Mike Shin, and all of them fell short of reaching the final table with Shin being eliminated in ninth place to burst the final table bubble.
Several short stacks were just hanging on at that time, including the likes of David Larson, who had been below one big blind with 15 players remaining. Andrew Rodgers became the first casualty of the final table, and Larson followed in his steps after being unable to improve with king-ten against the pocket queens of Byung Shin. One hand later, Shin found his newly-padded stack all in with pocket nines against the ace-king of Tice, who hit a king on the flop to send Shin packing in sixth.
Fifteen minutes later, Tice knocked out Abraham Hichman in fifth, and play slowed from there. Two full levels of four-handed play passed and eventually Sara Stohler was the next one to find the rail, also falling to Tice. Tice's work was not done, as he also knocked out Jesse Vilchez in third place to take an aforementioned three-to-one chip lead into his heads-up match with eventual runner-up Lombardo.
Lombardo gave Tice a run for his money, staying afloat and trading pots for nearly a full level before finding a double after out-kicking Tice with a pair of eights. A brief talk of chopping arose, but proposed figures worked for neither party and play resumed. A handful of minutes later, it was all over after Tice got a double of his own and finished the job from there.
Tice is not looking at letting up on the grind anytime soon, and is expected to be seen back at the Venetian for next weekend's $1,600 Main Event.
"I'm just going to keep playing," Tice added after the tournament.
A $1,600 buy-in, $400K GTD MSPT Main Event will take place at Venetian from November 19-23. Once again PokerNews will offer live updates straight from the tournament floor.
That tournament will start players with 30,000 in chips and play 60-minute levels. There will also be three starting flights instead of two starting with Day 1a at 11:10 a.m. on Thursday, November 19. Days 1b and 1c will take place at the same time on Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21 respectively. Late registration will remain open until 1:15 p.m. on Day 2, which will play out on Sunday, November 22.
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Brandon Lombardo raised to 700,000 on the button and Landon Tice defended in the big blind. The flop dropped 
and both players checked.
The turn came 
and Tice checked to Lombardo again. Lombardo bet 1.1 million and Tice called, bringing the river 
where Tice checked again and Lombardo fired out another 1.1 million.
"All in," responded Tice after some time. Lombardo went deep into the tank and eventually found a call.
Landon Tice: 
Brandon Lombardo: 
Tice had check-raised all in on the river and gotten his entire stack in and doubled after hitting two pair, taking a commanding lead and leaving Lombardo with just 2.4 million, which was committed and lost a couple of hands later after shoving with ten-nine into Tice's queen-nine to result in his second-place finish for $135,074.
Meanwile, Landon Tice has won the MSPT Venetian $1,100 Main Event for $201,529. Stay tuned for a tournament recap.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
28,450,000
15,375,000
|
15,375,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Level 33 has come to a close and the two remaining players are on a scheduled 15-minute break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,375,000
425,000
|
425,000 |
|
|
13,075,000
-425,000
|
-425,000 |
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Brandon Lombardo completed on the button and Landon Tice chec ked his option preflop. Both players checked a flop of 
to bring the turn on board, where Tice check-called a bet from Lombardo for 350,000.
The river came 
. Tice checked and called another bet of 650,000 to take the hand to showdown.
Lombardo showed 
for a pair of jacks and Tice responded by sending his cards to the muck. With the pot, Lombardo has now taken the lead in the match.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,950,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
|
13,500,000
-1,700,000
|
-1,700,000 |
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
No deal was agreed upon and play has resumed with three minutes remaining in Level 33.
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
The two remaining players are discussing a deal due to having nearly-even stacks. With a remaining prize pool of $336,603 left to be distributed between the two players, 10% of that must be left on the table for the winner to earn while the remainder will be split among Landon Tice and Brandon Lombardo in figures that have yet to be determined.
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Landon Tice limped in on the button and Brandon Lombardo checked his option for the two to see a flop of 
. Lombardo checked to Tice, who bet 300,000 and was called.
The turn came . Lombardo checked again and Tice fired another 700,000. Close to a minute later, Lombardo announced he was all in, check-shoving for just shy of 6 million. Tice called.
Brandon Lombardo: 
Landon Tice: 
Lombardo had gotten it in with a better kicker for his pair of eights and his hand remained best as the river came 
to earn him the double and bring stacks close to even.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,200,000
-6,725,000
|
-6,725,000 |
|
|
13,250,000
6,725,000
|
6,725,000 |
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Brandon Lombardo recently took down a few small pots from Landon Tice and then raised to 600,000 on the button and received a call from Tice in the big blind. Tice check-called a continuation-bet of 450,000 from Lombardo on a flop of 
, and the turn followed 
.
Tice checked to Lombardo again, and he fired a second barrel of 1 million. Tice check-raised to 2.6 million, sending Lombardo into the tank for close to two minutes before electing to fold his hand. Tice then proceeded to take another chunk off of Lombardo sans showdown moments later to bring stacks to their current figures.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,925,000
425,000
|
425,000 |
|
|
6,525,000
-425,000
|
-425,000 |
Level 33
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
A limped pot preflop brought about a flop of 
, where Landon Tice was in the big blind and check-called a bet from Brandon Lombardo, who was on the button. Action checked through the turn 
and the river came 
. Tice checked to Lombardo once more and Lombardo bet 1.1 million.
"All in," responded Tice, check-raising to put Lombardo to a decision for his remaining chips. Lombardo went deep into the tank, checking his cards after more than three minutes of thought. He then thought for another minute and proceeded to let his hand go, earning Tice the pot without showdown.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,500,000
1,450,000
|
1,450,000 |
|
|
6,950,000
-1,450,000
|
-1,450,000 |