Just two weeks ago I found myself in the poker mecca of the US of A. Granted California’s card barns are gaining with their massive rooms and loose players that fill them, Vegas is home to the low/medium/high stakes that every aspiring poker player wants. Many players here in Minnesota come with a strong limit hold em’ (thanks to the arcane laws of the state) base since big bet games are not allow in a casino setting. On a personal basis the lack of no limit hold em’ doesn’t matter much since I don’t play NLHE cash games very often. But when in Rome…

… or Vegas’ mirror of Rome as in Caesar’s Palace, you should be sitting down at a game. After a hard day and night of catching up with my fellow internet scribes who were in town for our 6^th annual World Poker Blogger Tour Winter Classic, it was time to sit down and play the game they we normally are spectators to. The buy-in was $100 among the ~90 writers and friends of bloggers who braved the chilling 35 degree temps of the strip (guess who tried to go golfing in a polo shirt the day before and ended up with an expensive souvenir jacket?). My starting table was all people I knew and they knew me so unfortunately “plays” were going to have to wait till I was a few Captain and Cokes into the tourney.

I drank exactly one.

Facing a mid-position raise from Derek I look down at AsKc on the button, being early in the tourney and very deep stacks (about 150BBs) I elected to call (mistake #1). Flop comes out a pretty Ac Ks 7c. Derek makes a continuation bet of about five BBs and I smooth call (mistake #2). 8s on the turn and Derek pumps it up to 15 BBs to which I raise to 45BBs and he four-bet shoves. If you’re reading this and shaking your head violently towards telling me to fold, I would have loved that advice two weeks ago. Since I had not started my calming stream of alcohol, I spazzed out for two seconds and call already knowing what he’s going to turn over.

Two red aces (cue Rounders beginning game with TeddyKGB displaying his Aces Full to Mike McD).

15 whole minutes lasted after four consecutive years of making it at least to the final two tables. A disappointment since this tournament is more of a social outing than blood and guts bankroll changing money (1^st received $2,400). I was more mad about missing the chatter of the table versus busting like a donkey in the early rounds. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise since I rolled up several hundred playing craps and made a little bit at the NLHE cash games thanks to this hand which I’m pretty sure was an easy play but maybe some more grizzled vets could chime in:

The table is $1/$3 NLHE, a full ten players are seated. The max buy-in is $500, but most stacks are around $300-$400 with two shorties sitting in the nine and ten seats. Your hero is in the big blind in the two seat with about $350 from a starting… $350, unable to make any headway after two hours. Play folds around to the six-seat who’s a fedora wearing dude who’s played fairly aggressive post-flop, but weakish pre-flop as he limps in, the seven seat calls, a local in the eight seat raises to $15 as the shorties fold to me holding KdTd and I make the call. The six and seven seat also call to see a monster flop for my connectors, Qd Jd 8s. An open-end Royal Flush draw, I contain my excitement by value-checking (that’s internet sarcasm folks) and the six seat goes right to work with a $30 bet. The seven seat folds as the local in the eight starts cutting out some chips. After about two minutes he puts $100 on top leaving about $170 behind as I figure I only have one move and push.

Now my question: Do you have any argument for calling here and possibly get the six seat involved? Folding never came into play of course but the decision between a call and a shove did.

I shoved as the six seat folded very quickly and just as quick the local called with top set of queens. While I did not get the $500 bonus for hitting a Royal Flush, I did spike an ace on the river for the nut straight to take down the pot which covered up my horrible tourney decision and save a little face as my friends walked by the table for smoke breaks in the sportsbook and admired the growing stack.

And hopefully forgot about the guy who busted out second.

The inaugural Minnesota State Poker Tour Launch event is in the books and John Dragich of St. Cloud, almost 21 yrs old, took down the first Continental Diamond Championship Bracelet and $35K after 19 hours of play.

I’ve had the opportunity to play with Dragich two times now in the last two big tourneys as we’ve both been fortunate to make relatively deep runs. We played together in the Fall Poker Classic with 4 tables remaining and Sunday-Monday during the final two tables of the MSPT. John is a fantastic player. He’s got “it” that very few people have. He rarely makes mistakes. He has the ability to put other players on a tight range of hands and make huge calls at crucial times with average hands when he senses his opponent is attempting to steal. He’s very calculated. If he’s smart with his bankroll and stays within himself, this kid has a bright future in poker. Hopefully when he makes it big time he doesn’t forget where he had his coming out party! LOL.

The entire week and the Main Event was a blast! We of course want to thank Canterbury and the tournament staff for their hard work and long hours (Brent & Ed). We also appreciate all the great players that came out to play to support the tour. I know many of you drove through a blizzard early in the week to play in qualifiers.

I’ve received a ton of emails as well as players personally approaching me to compliment the structure and the event. Your kind words are much appreciated. The entire goal of the Minnesota State Poker Tour is to provide a player friendly structure and atmosphere.

Hopefully we can continue to build off this event as we head to Mille Lacs in February. Tell your friends and fellow poker players to get their butt up there! I can’t wait!

Thanks again for everyone in attendance for an awesome Tour Launch!

Bryan

John Dragich, a 20-year-old from St. Cloud, won the inaugural Minnesota State Poker Tour event on Monday night, taking home $34,000 and a customized diamond bracelet for his efforts.

Dragich picked up pocket aces on the first hand of heads-up play against another 20-year-old, Chase Wood, who held K2. Both players had nearly even stacks, and they pushed all the money in on a K-high flop. Dragich’s aces held, and he will hold bragging rights until the MSPT travels to Grand Casino Mille Lacs in February.

Photo Gallery

Final Results
130 entrants

Bryan Mileski, publisher and president of Minnesota Poker Magazine, leads the pack heading into day two of the Minnesota State Poker Tour Launch Tournament at Canterbury Park.

Other established local names are following close behind, however. The final two tables will resume play at 5:00 on Monday night, with the winner earning $34,000 and a customized diamond bracelet.

Hey folks, I’m currently sitting in the Canterbury Park horse betting area up on the second floor, working on my laptop while dozens of degenerates gamblers root for horses on TV screens… This is what I will likely be doing in 30 years!

The Minnesota State Poker Tour is taking place downstairs, which is extremely gratifying from a personal standpoint, because Bryan Mileski and I have worked SUPER hard to launch this thing. It will take time to build it as big as we want, but you can only take one step at a time.

One of the cool things about MSPT events is the qualifying structure. Technically, anyone can buy directly into the $1,000+100 Main Event, but most people don’t have that kind of cash.

Like me.

The alternative is much more appealing — $60 SNGs and $250 qualifiers. There’s a very good chance that somebody is going to turn a $60 SNG victory into a $30,000 or $40,000 payday at the end of this event.

Either that, or somebody will probably turn a $250 qualifier into a huge payday.

And because the qualifiers send 20% of the field to the Main Event, players always feel like they have a fantastic shot to advance at the start of the tournament.

That said, I’ve been getting my ass kicked all week! Can’t get anything to hold up, can’t win any coinflips, etc. Whatever. It’s still been an awesome time.

Poker is on the rise in Minnesota.

Senator Dick Day of Owatonna, MN recently announced that he plans to leave his seat on January 18 in order to head Racino Now and RacinoNow.com. Day’s plan is to push for the state to allow slot machines at Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park.

From RacinoNow.com:

Every year, we keep having the same debate at the Capitol about reducing deficits and cutting programs.  It’s time to use a little Common Sense.

The time for Racinos is NOW.

Racinos in Minnesota could raise $250 million in new state revenue without raising anyone’s taxes. By putting slot and video games in Minnesota’s existing horse parks, we could go a long way toward improving the state’s fiscal problems.

Now Dick Day is leaving his Senate seat and taking to Main Street with one goal: to bring common sense and your voice back to the negotiating table at the Capitol.

Day also recently joined Paul Allen on KFAN to answer questions and take phone calls about the Racino movement. Day said his plan would add thousands of new jobs to the state of Minnesota, and the revenue generated would help fund things such as education and possibly a Vikings stadium.

Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa has put on a couple very solid tournaments this year — the $50K Poker Bash at the end of the summer, and the $70K Battle on the Border over Thanksgiving weekend.

Photo Gallery

Results

1st Place –      Michael Klimek                 $12,690
2nd Place -     David Burgart                    $6,768
3rd Place -      Trevis Devericks               $4,230
4th Place –       John Fruechte                   $3,384
5th Place -      Tyrone Jackson                 $2,538
6th Place -       David Prochazka              $2,115
7th Place -       Brad Cohen                      $1,692
8th Place -        James Johnson                 $1,480
9th Place -        Matt Christiansen             $1,375
10th Place -      Shane Johnson                 $1,269
11th Place -       Kerry Harvey                   $1,163
12th Place -       Bryan Mileski                   $1,058
13th Place -       Troy Olson                       $952
14th Place -       Loren Stene                      $846
15th Place -       Tyler Lundgren                 $740

- Brad Berman wins his second-career Fall Poker Classic Main Event championship.

- Full Fall Poker Classic coverage.

- Jeremy Dresch final tables the Fall Poker Classic Main Event, then goes on to win back-to-back Heartland Poker Tour events.

- Introducing the 2010 Minnesota Player of the Year race.