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This past weekend, Season 17 of the Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) hosted a $1,110 Main Event at Minnesota’s Running Aces Casino.
The 2026 MSPT Minnesota Poker State Championship attracted 882 runners over a trio of starting flights, which meant a $854,040 prize pool – well ahead of the $500K guarantee – was reserved for the 96 players who advanced to Sunday’s Day 2.
Ultimately, it was a newcomer to the MSPT in Carson Chen taking down the title and $132,141 first-place prize and a seat in the $3,500 MSPT Championship Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO), which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, Nov. 18 – Dec. 2, boasting a $2,000,000 GTD Main Event.
“I feel a little guilty,” Chen admitted to MSPT reporter Anthony Thompson. “I came here with my friend Jonathan, who I met last year at the WSOP, but this is his home state, and I ended up leaving with the trophy, so I do feel guilty, but also very happy”.
Chen went on to reveal that he plans to play the MSPT more regularly in hopes of capturing his second Gold Card.
MSPT Running Aces Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize | POY Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson Chen | $132,141* | 1,500 |
| 2 | Gene Boyer | $107,435* | 1,500 |
| 3 | Chris Jones | $99,276* | 1,500 |
| 4 | Tanner Pray | $55,359 | 1,400 |
| 5 | Aaron Johnson | $41,939 | 1,300 |
| 6 | Paul Carney | $31,873 | 1,200 |
| 7 | Nick Kromschroeder | $24,324 | 1,100 |
| 8 | Wesley Cannon | $19,292 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Michael Williams | $15,098 | 900 |
*Denotes three-handed deal.
Others to cash the tournament were Lee Rzentkowski (11th – $11,743), reigning POY Jacob Long (13th – $10,065), “Wild” Bill Romer (15th – $10,065), Loki Abboud (20th – $7,046), Blake Bohn (28th – $3,691), two-time POY Umut Ozturk (29th – $3,691), and Gerald Cunniff (42nd – $3,020).
What’s Else is Coming Up?
The MSPT now heads to Ameristar East Chicago from April 21-26. Click here to see the full schedule.
Then, from April 28 to May 3, the MSPT will return to Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Casino for a $1,000,000 GTD Main Event (along with a slew of side events).
More details on all those stops can be found at msptpoker.com.
Here’s a look at the remaining MSPT Season 17 schedule.
| Dates | Venue | State | Event | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 21-26 | Ameristar East Chicago | Indiana | MSPT Festival | $300,000 |
| April 28-May 3 | Potawatomi Casino | Wisconsin | MSPT Festival | $1,000,000 |
| May 12-17 | FireKeepers Casino | Michigan | Michigan Poker State Championship | $1,000,000 |
| May 13-25 | Sycuan Casino | California | Showdown Series | TBD |
| June 2026 | The Venetian | Nevada | Diamond Poker Championship | TDB |
| June 2026 | The Venetian | Nevada | TBD | TDB |
| July 21-26 | Riverside Casino | Iowa | Iowa Poker State Championship | $500,000 |
| July 22-Aug. 2 | Bally’s Black Hawk Casino | Colorado | Colorado Poker State Championship | $600,000 |
| August 4-9 | Rivers Casino | Chicago, IL | – | $1,000,000 |
| August 18-23 | JACK Cleveland Casino | Cleveland, OH | MSPT Festival | $500,000 |
| September 2026 | The Venetian | Nevada | Nevada Poker State Championship | TDB |
| Sept. 22-27 | Potawatomi Casino | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Poker State Championship | $1,000,000 |
| Oct. 1-12 | Playground | Montreal, Canada | Canadian Poker Championship | $1,000,000 |
| Oct. 13-18 | FireKeepers Casino | Michigan | Major Spade Poker Championship | $1,500,000 |
| Nov. 3-8 | Riverside Casino | Iowa | MSPT Festival | $500,000 |
| Nov. 18-Dec. 2 | Seminole Hard Rock | Florida | Major Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO) | $2,000,000 |
| Dec. 1-13 | Running Aces Casino | Minnesota | Winter Poker Classic | $700,000 |
MSPT Podcast
Did you know that Chad Holloway and Kyna England host the MSPT Podcast Presented By PokerNews.
The show covers all things MSPT, including recent results, player highlights, guest interviews, and a preview of upcoming stops.
Episodes are available on the PokerNews YouTube channel. An audio version is also available on all major podcasting platforms.
Here’s a look at the latest episode:
*Images courtesy of MSPT & Tyler Abrams.
PR & Media Manager