Go West! Ron West Wins MSPT Venetian Poker Bowl VI

Ron West narrowly missed out on a six-figure prize in November 2014. The Los Angeles, California, resident finished second in a $1,600 LA Poker Open tournament for $96,345. West helped himself to his first $100,000+ score this week when he came out on top in the $1,100 MSPT Venetian Poker Bowl VI for a career-best $168,488.

West was the sixth-place finisher the last time the MSPT headed to the Venetian, Las Vegas. Japan’s Masashi Oya won that day; two Japanese stars reached this latest event’s final table.

Some 1,027 players bought into the MSPT Venetian Poker Bowl VI and created a $991,055 prize pool. That is an impressive sum considering $500,000 was the guaranteed amount. Only 118 players navigated their way through the pair of Day 1s, and only 108 of those walked away with some prize money for their efforts. Kyna England was among those who cashed. The reigning MSPT Player of the Year finished 48th for $3,568.

West Sits Down at the Final Table Seventh in Chips

West sat down at the final table seventh in chips but won a huge pot early on to climb into the chip lead. Brendan Shiller bet 325,000 into 500,000 on an Ah-Td-2d flop. West shoved for 1,645,000, Anthony Danna called off his 1,350,000, before Shiller also called. Danna held Th-Tc for a set of tens, Shiller held Kd-Qd for a flush draw, and West Ad-9d for the nut flush draw. The Ks turn kept the set of tens in front, but a 3d river handed the pot to West and busted Danna.

That hand left Shiller short stacked and he was, unsurprisingly, the next player out of the door. Shiller’s 5.5 big blind went in from the button with Ah-8h, and Japan’s Go Mori called from the big blind with Ad-Kd. Shiller flopped a heart flush draw but ultimately lost to a black king on the river.

The dangerous Aaron Massey sent Brian Siversten home in seventh during the same level. Massey check-called a 325,000 bet on a Qc-9h-3s flop, which increased the pot to more than 1.2 million. The 3h turn saw Massey check again, but he ripped in his stack after Siversten bet 325,000 again. Siversten called and turned over Qd-Jd; Massey held Ah-Qh. The Ad river gifted Massey the pot, and Siversten crashed out.

The final six became five when Haoyu Tang busted. He open-shoved for 8.5 big blinds with Ks-Qd. Johnnie Moreno called with the dominating As-Qc, and spiked an ace on the Ac-6s-4c-Th-Tc board.

Tournament Becomes an All-American Affair

The elimination of Mori in fifth-place left the tournament an all-American affair. Mori lost all but seven big blinds when he was involved in a hand where West made the nut flush. Those chips went into the middle holding Kd-9c against the Ks-Th of Cedrric Trevino. The board ran Qh-Jc-2c-Qd-9d, improving Trevino to a straight.

Trevino was the next player heading to the cashier despite winning that pot. He committed his last 13 big blinds with Ad-Jh, and West looked him up with 9s-9d. Trevino hit a jack on the turn, but West caught a nine on the river. Ouch.

Heads-up was set when Massey fell victim to Moreno. The latter min-raised to 500,000, Massey three-bet all-in for 6,000,000, and Moreno called. Massey turned the 7c-7d onto their backs, but Moreno held 9s-9d. The Kh-6c-3h-4c-2d board was void of drama, and Massey bowed out.

West trailed Moreno by 11,400,000 to 14,200,000 chips going into the one-on-one encounter. However, he was fastest out of the blocks and controlled almost all of the battle.

The final hand happened during the 250,000/500,000/500,000a level. Moreno shoved for 7,000,000 with 2c-2s and West called with Kc-Qh. The Qs-Jh-Ts flop catapulted West into the lead. The Jd turn changed nothing, with the Ac river improving West to a Broadwa straight. Moreno scooped $124,675 leaving West to bank $168,488.

$1,100 MSPT Venetian Poker Bowl VI Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Ron West	United States	$168,488
2	Johnnie Moreno	United States	$124,675
3	Aaron Massey	United States	$87,213
4	Cedrric Trevino	United States	$62,436
5	Go Mori	Japan	$46,580
6	Haoyu Tang	Japan	$34,687
7	Brian Sivertsen	United States	$26,065
8	Brendan Shiller	United States	$20,218
9	Anthony Danna	United States	$16,154

Brad Johnson

You name the game, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Brad has either played it or placed a wager on it! Brad calls himself a natural gambler, and someone who gains as much enjoyment from writing about the crazy game of poker as he does playing it.

View Articles