Matt Paten is the MSPT US Poker Championship Champion

Matt Paten of St. Charles, Missouri, won the $1,650 Heartland Poker Tour Main Event on home soil on September 28, 2017. The victory came with a career-best $110,486. Almost exactly four years later, Paten won the $1,100 MSPT United States Poker Championship (USPC) event in San Diego, California, for another $94,776.

The MSTP USPC saw 476 players head to the Sycuan Casino and buy in for $1,100. Those entrants created a $440,820 prize pool that the top 54 finishers shared. Sixty players progressed to Day 2, and the money bubble burst soon into proceedings. Rod Danger moved all-in with Kd-3s on a Jd-5d-4d flop, and Brad Sailor called with Ac-9c. The 9h turn and 5s river sent Danger home in 55th place, and the 54 surviving players into the money.

Paten Second in Chips Going Into The Final Table

All but one of the nine finalists locked up a five-figure prize. Rubin Chappell was the chip leader with 2,300,000 chips, with Paten closely behind on 2,220,000.

Allen Galutera was the first player eliminated from the final table. Jonathan McGowan min-raised to 100,000 with Qh-Qd and called when Galutera three-bet all-in for 400,000 with Ad-Kd. Galutera’s ace-king failed to connect with the 4c-7c-4d-9d-Js board, so busted.

Eighth-place and $11,021 went to Vladimir Medivinsky. Paten raised to 200,000 at the 40,000/80,000/80,000a level with Ac-4c. Medivinsky got his 810,000 stack into the middle with Ad-Kh, and Paten called with his ace-rag. Paten’s ballsy call was rewarded when the five community cards fell 3c-2c-Jh-4s-3h.

Start of the final table chip leader Chappell crashed out soon after Medivinsky. He open-shoved for around ten big blinds from the button with 9d-6d. His attack on the blinds should have won him a small pot, but he did not count on Mike Rosado to wake up in the small blind with Kd-Ks. The kings held, and the player count reduced by one.

The final six became five when Lucy Hargett fell by the wayside. She opened to 200,000 on the button, and Paten called in the small blind. Paten check-called Hargett’s shove on the 6s-7s-5d flop, doing so with 9s-8s. Hargett turned over Ad-8h and was in a whole world of pain. The 4d turn and 5s river improved Paten to a straight flush. Hargett walked away with $18,704 for her efforts.

Fast Action During Short-Handed Play

It took less than one hour to conclude the tournament once five-handed play began. Blinds increased to 50,000/100,000/10,000a, and Paten made it 200,000 to go. McGowan called, Pej Niyati squeezed all-in for 490,000, and Paten called. However, he soon folded when McGowan four-bet all-in for 1,835,000. McGowan showed Ks-Kh and was ahead of Niyati’s Ad-Tc. That remained the case as the dealer spread the 5s-2h-3h-8h-6c board.

Gary Hansen busted in fourth at the hands of McGowan. Hansen check-raised all-in with 6h-3d on a 4d-9c-3c flop. McGowan looked him up with 8c-7c and improved to a flush with the Qc river followed the Qd turn.

Heads-up was set when Rosado bowed out in third place. Rosado jammed all-in with 2c-2s and McGowan called with Qh-Qc. The 9s-9c-5h-8c-6s board busted Rosado.

The one-on-one battle was over almost as quickly as it started. With 500,000 in the pot and the board reading 9c-8s-Kh-3s-6c, McGowan moved all-in with Tc-5c on a total bluff. Paten saw through the move and called with Qh-8d. McGowan headed to the cashier’s desk to collect $58,238, while Paten returned home with $94,782 and the title of champion.

$1,100 MSPT USPC Final Table Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Matt Paten	$94,782
2	Jonathan McGowan	$58,232
3	Mike Rosado	$41,966
4	Gary Hansen	$31,739
5	Pej Niyati	$23,804
6	Lucy Hargett	$18,704
7	Rubin Chappell	$14,106
8	Vladimir Medvinsky	$11,021
9	Allen Galutera	$8,376

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.

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