Harrison Genson came out on top Major Series of Poker: The Tour main event hosted at Ameristar East Chicago on May 26, earning $105,000 and his first MSPT title. The six-figure score was the largest live cash of his career, and the total live career earnings for the Illinois resident are now above $165,000.
“After coming in 10th place at Potawatomi earlier in the year I just felt like I needed to make a final table,” said Genson to reporters on the scene after the final table concluded. ”I’ve been playing poker for a while now, and haven’t made a single final table playing live tournaments so to be able to win the first one I’ve ever made, words can’t describe it.”
The $1,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em poker tournament saw a field of 619 runners enter during four starting flights. The total prize pool climbed up to $598,830 to beat the half-million guarantee. The top 71 players all took home at least $2,209, and that’s how many returned for the final day of play.
Familiar faces that made a deep run on the final day of play included MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (70th), D.J. Buckley (66th), defending champion Tim Thorp (64th), Season 16 MSPT POY points leader Anthony Scarborough (49th), MSPT Hall of Famer Rob WazWaz (44th), and MSPT champions Jeff Copeland (24th) and Matt Porter (10th).
Genson was fourth in chips when the final table began, and Brad Sailor (ninth) and Eric Phillips (eighth) were the first two players to fall during the first half hour of play. Genson then scored his first knockout by sending Dejan Petrovic to the rail in seventh place.
Genson kept things rolling when he busted former MSPT Sycuan champion Jason Mendoza in sixth place to keep building his chip stack, and he made it three in a row by eliminating Garry Gurevich in fifth place. Daniel Hughes was Genson’s next victim in what turned out to be the final hand of the tournament.
Hughes moved all in for 835,000 on the big blind with A♦4♠ in the hole after Genson raised to 400,000 from the button holding 7♣6♦. Genson called to cover before the board was dealt K♠6♥5♦Q♥4♥, and a pair of sixes was good to win the pot. Hughes was eliminated in fourth place after the dust settled.
The final three players then decided on a chop with Genson taking the top prize and the trophy. David Hoffman was awarded second, and Brett Reichard took third with the latter two players taking home equal prize money.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize Money | POY Points |
| 1 | Harrison Genson | $105,000* | 840 |
| 2 | David Hoffman | $73,342* | 700 |
| 3 | Brett Reichard | $73,342* | 560 |
| 4 | Daniel Hughes | $40,689 | 420 |
| 5 | Garry Gurevich | $30,807 | 350 |
| 6 | Jason Mendoza | $23,251 | 280 |
| 7 | Dejan Petrovic | $18,019 | 210 |
| 8 | Eric Phillips | $13,950 | 140 |
| 9 | Brad Sailor | $11,044 | 70 |
*: Denotes the prize money decided upon in a three-way chop.
The MSPT will continue with their inaugural $1,600 buy-in MAJOR Heart Poker Championship at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas that will run from June 4-8.
Photo Credit: MSPT.
