Washington, DC (September 20, 2011) – John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, issued the following statement upon today’s amended Department of Justice civil suit claiming that Full Tilt Poker was engaged in a “Ponzi scheme” and defrauded its players.  

“This is a sad and disappointing day for American poker players.  If true, these allegations detail a massive betrayal of player trust which will cause financial hardship for thousands, if not millions, of individual poker players, none of whom are accused of doing anything wrong.  We call on the Department of Justice to certify that the proceeds of any settlement or seizure that may result from this action will first be dedicated to reimbursing players.  We further call on Full Tilt Poker, its management, directors and owners to take all available steps to ensure the prompt payment of players as their first priority. 

“Since Black Friday on April 15th, the PPA has vocally called for Full Tilt Poker to refund player balances.  We also issued a guide to our players which provided them legal guidance on what they could do to recover their funds.  These new government allegations underscore the sincere need for Congress to act immediately to pass legislation that appropriately regulates Internet poker in the U.S. so that players can be protected from the types of abuses alleged by the Department of Justice today.  Today’s news does not change the mission of the PPA – to make player reimbursements and effective federal or state licensing of Internet poker a priority.” 

To view the PPA legal guide referenced above, please visit http://theppa.org/resources/legal/guide/. 

About The Poker Players Alliance

The Poker Players Alliance (www.theppa.org)  is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 1,000,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game and to protect poker players’ rights.

With his second top 3 finish in an MSPT event this year, Nate Fair has earned himself the 2nd spot in the MNPokerMag Player of the Year race. 

Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, MN will host its 3rd annual Midwest Poker Classic.

The series will begin on Monday, Sept. 26th and end with a 2-Day Main Event on Oct. 1-2. Included during the week is the popular Iron Man Freeze Out Free Roll Frenzy to kick off the series. They have also added some new tournaments and additional qualifiers and are hoping to make the 2011 Midwest Poker Classic as big of an event as last year.

The Main Event will again be one of the deepest structures around allowing players $25K in starting chips before add-on and 50-minute levels. Last year’s Main Event had a $200K+ prize pool. Download the complete list of events: 2011 Midwest Poker Classic Event Schedule

By Andrew Feldman
ESPN.com 

Ben Marsh began Day 2 of the MSPT at Treasure Island with only 1o big blinds.  Marsh grinded to 30 players and then began his move by doubling through chip leader Heidi Roggenkamp twice.  From that point on Marsh sailed to heads up action and accumulated a massive stack throughout the final table.

Hardly anybody in the room knew who Ben Marsh was.  He’s rarely been seen in live tournament action.  Marsh has been a very successful online grinder for several years crushing tournaments under the screen name “OhScissorMe”.  Marsh has earned over $700K online and was ranked regularly in the top 4 in MNPokerMag’s online rankings prior to Black Friday.

Marsh is a 26-yr old from Duluth, MN.  Though he still spends some time in smaller online poker rooms, Marsh has been working his way in to the live tournament scene as of late and obviously finding success quickly.  Prior to this tournament he had only bought in to a $1,000 or higher live tournament once.  He was busy 16-tabling on multiple sites for 5-6 days a week.

Marsh’s heads-up opponent was one of the toughest in the state to get through.  Blake Bohn has earned over $100K in live tournaments in just the last  few months including deep runs in the WSOP $10K Main Event and the Chicago Poker Open.

Marsh held a large chip lead when heads up play began but the two exchanged leads several times over the next couple of hours.  The dagger appeared to be when Marsh’s KJ outran Bohn’s AQ.  Bohn was left with only 100K in chips.  But Bohn managed to double up twice to 500K.  Then the final hand occurred.  They got it all-in, Bohn with AK, Marsh with AQ.  Marsh flopped his Q, Bohn was unable to connect.

Ben Marsh earned $40,071 and the RF Moeller Diamond Championship bracelet.  Blake Bohn takes home $20,035 as runner-up.

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1st – Ben Marsh – $40,071

2nd – Blake Bohn $20,035

Heads up with Bohn & Marsh

3rd – Nate Fair – $13,357

4th – Daryl Knoell – $10,018

5th – Milt Blasing – $8,014

6th – Tim Votava – $6,011

7th – Tom Hammers – $5,343

8th – John Ripstra – $4,541

9th – Paul Sjerseth – $3,740

10th – Chad Poitra – $3,072

Final Table Chip Counts

Seat 1 – Milt Blasing – 380K

Seat 2 – Ben Marsh – 546K

Seat 3 – Nate Fair – 65K

Seat 4 – Chad Poitra – 63K

Seat 5 – John Ripstra – 189K

Seat 6 – Tim Votava – 186K

Seat 7 – Daryl Knoell – 260K

Seat 8 – Tom Hammers – 57K

Seat 9 – Blake Bohn – 275K

Seat 10 – Paul Skjerseth – 38K

11th – Heidi Roggenkamp – $3,072

12th – Patrick Kenney – $3,072

13th – Rob Steinmetz – $2,404

14th – Dylan Eggen – $2,404

15th – Mark Hodge – $2,404

16th – Everett Carlton – $2,004

17th – Kim Pham – $2,004

18th – Sam Johnson – $2,004

1:45 pm Update:  Jody Wilson is our bubble, 19th place.  Players are now in the money and guaranteed $2,004.  18 players remain.

1:30 update (Jocelyn):  20 players remain.  18 places will be paid, with first place taking home 40K.  Break in 10 minutes.  After break players will be on level 13 300/6000, w/400 ante. Average stack is $103K

12:30pm update (Jocelyn):  Current Chip leaders. Level 11, 31 players remain.

 12pm update (Jocelyn):  There are 39 players remaining in the MSPT main event.  MSPT Northern Lights Champion Tom Stambaugh is still in the field along with many other notable players.  Currently on level 11, 1500/3000, w/300 ante.  Watch the feature table live on USTREAM.

Video streaming by Ustream

Day 1 of the Mid-States Poker Tour at Treasure Island Casino is in the books.  138 entrants started the $100K Main Event and 59 remain standing.  Heidi Roggenkamp of Glenwood, MN holds a substantial lead over the rest of the field. Roggenkamp has 174,800 chips.  She placed 2nd to Jeremy Dresch in the HPT – Shooting Star last March for $23K.

Roggenkamp’s closest competitors are Chris Schram with 88,500 and Blake Bohn with 78,600.  Bohn has earned over $100,o00 in major tournaments the last few months.  Bohn recently placed 126th in the WSOP $10K Main Event for $55K and 5th in the Chicago Poker Classic for $48K.

18 players will be paid.  1st place will pay $40,071 (unofficial).  18th will pay $2,004.  Here is the list of players and chip stacks entering Day 2.  The level 9 blinds will be 800/1600, 200 ante.

Unofficial Payouts

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I am at Treasure Island Casino this morning where we will be running two – $250 Qualifiers today at noon & 7PM.  We are currently on pace to qualify 100 players for this Saturday’s $100K Guaranteed Main Event.

In the young history of the MSPT we have qualified 100 once before at Running Aces in February, that event drew 201 players total and saw Jason Seitz of Forest Lake take down over $56K.

So everyone come on out for a big prize pool, get your mug on the October issue cover of MNPokerMag as well.  Let’s continue to set the bar high!  There is also a $250 qualifier Saturday morning at 10AM.  You can also direct-buy the Main Event which starts Saturday at 5PM.