$1,060 Main Event - Pennsylvania
Day 1 Completed
$1,060 Main Event - Pennsylvania
Day 1 Completed
Matt Berkey outlasted 88 players to defeat Edward "Hisoka" Leonard in heads-up play and win the $1,060 Main Event of BetMGM Pennsylvania's March Poker Mania. The victory caps off a successful series that ran in three different states, with Berkey playing host to the festivities from Pennsylvania while Darren Elias and Andrew Neeme represented New Jersey and Michigan, respectively. Berkey takes home $31,250 for the win from a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000.
Berkey came from behind in late final table play to defeat Leonard, who held a commanding lead throughout the end stages. Finishing in third place was "MrSchneebly", who nearly made it back-to-back victories after winning Saturday's Heads-up Bracket Challenge.
Place | Player | Prize |
1 | Matt Berkey | $31,250 |
2 | Edward "Hisoka" Leonard | $17,500 |
3 | "MrSchneebly" | $12,750 |
4 | "MuckLavin" | $9,500 |
5 | "pa500" | $7,350 |
6 | "Gail the Snail" | $5,550 |
7 | "bottleopener" | $4,150 |
8 | "luckybluffer777" | $3,250 |
9 | "Limp Grindstone" | $2,500 |
10 | "ItBLikeThat" | $2,500 |
11 | "CL911129" | $1,850 |
12 | "Do_psychedelics" | $1,850 |
Berkey got off to a great start soon after joining the tournament, and he held the chip lead at one point before falling back into the middle of the pack.
It was near the bubble when Berkey made a big move, knocking out "Love2Lose22" to move among the leaders with thirteen left to play. Moments after "MrSchneebly" knocked out "Until_Wilted" to burst the bubble, Berkey went on a streak of three straight knockouts and the BetMGM Ambassador entered the final table as chip leader.
Shortly after "pa500" eliminated "luckybluffer777" in eighth place, "MrSchneebly" knocked Berkey near the shorter stacks when he caught a nut flush on the river. "bottleopener" was soon out in seventh place when "Gail the Snail" held with pocket queens. Leonard then doubled through "pa500" and the merry-go-round left the new leader with over half the remaining chips.
"Gail the Snail" soon busted in sixth when they could not improve against the pocket nines of "pa500", but "pa500" was out in fifth when Leonard extended his lead with a pair of queens on the flop.
"MuckLavin" benefited from the chaos and laddered up, but the run ended in fourth place when Berkey held on with ace-two to take over second place.
As the tournament entered three-handed play, the tournament looked to be in hand for Leonard, and he held just under half of the chips remaining in play. However, Berkey soon changed the status quo and doubled with pocket tens when Leonard got overzealous with king-five. Berkey held the the lead for a moment, but Leonard was slightly ahead a few orbits later for a dramatic three-way pot that decided the tournament.
Berkey open-shoved from the button for just over 3.7 million with and "MrSchneebly" called for their last 1.1 million with . Leonard woke up with and called both players to try and end the tournament with a double knockout. The board ran out with no help and Berkey's jacks held on to take an insurmountable lead while knocking "MrSchneebly" out in third place. The big moment came just one hand later when Leonard was committed with queen-five, but Berkey held on for the victory with king-seven.
Congratulations to Matt Berkey for winning the $1,060 Main Event of BetMGM Pennsylvania's March Poker Mania!
Thanks for following our coverage of March Poker Mania, and be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team in the future for highlights of all of your favorite tournaments around the world and online.
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard was left with just 36,208 and forced all in against Matt Berkey.
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard:
Matt Berkey:
The board ran out and Berkey held on to eliminate Leonard and claim victory.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Matt Berkey |
8,800,000
148,708
|
148,708 |
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
|
Busted |
Level 33, 40,000/80,000 (10,000)
Matt Berkey open-shoved from the button for 3,780,574 and "MrSchneebly" called for his last 1,157,644. Edward "Hisoka" Leonard called both players with the chance for a double knockout.
"MrSchneebly":
Matt Berkey:
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard:
The board ran out and Berkey held on with jacks to eliminate "MrSchneebly" and leave Leonard with crumbs.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Matt Berkey |
8,651,292
4,616,896
|
4,616,896 |
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
|
36,208
-3,964,324
|
-3,964,324 |
MrSchneebly | Busted |
Level 33, 40,000/80,000 (10,000)
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard shoved and Berkey called from the next seat over in the biggest hand of the night.
Matt Berkey:
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard:
The board ran out and Berkey's tens held on to double up and take a slight lead.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Matt Berkey |
4,034,396
2,143,646
|
2,143,646 |
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
|
4,000,532
-638,448
|
-638,448 |
Level 32, 40,000/80,000 (10,000)
"MuckLavin" shoved his short stack in from the button and Matt Berkey called from the big blind.
"MuckLavin":
Matt Berkey:
The board ran out and Berkey made a pair of aces to eliminate "MuckLavin" in fourth place for $9,500.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Matt Berkey |
1,890,750
842,148
|
842,148 |
MuckLavin | Busted |
Level 31, 35,000/70,000 (8,750)
"pa500" limped in from the small blind and Edward "Hisoka" Leonard" shoved from the big blind. "pa500" called with less and was at risk.
"pa500":
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard:
The board ran out and the flopped queen was good enough to eliminate "pa500" from the tournament in fifth place for $7,350.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
|
4,638,980
1,106,615
|
1,106,615 |
pa500 | Busted |
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
|
3,532,365
510,000
|
510,000 |
MrSchneebly |
1,672,424
-47,500
|
-47,500 |
pa500 |
1,579,115
-377,000
|
-377,000 |
Matt Berkey |
1,048,602
-609,284
|
-609,284 |
MuckLavin |
958,744
152,534
|
152,534 |
The final five players are now on a five-minute break.
Level 30, 30,000/60,000 (7,500)
"pa500" raised to 120,000 from the button and Edward "Hisoka" Leonard called from the small blind.
The flop was and Leonard checked. "pa500" bet 200,000. Leonard called and the turn was .
Leonard check-called a bet of 240,000 and the river was .
Both players checked and "pa500" showed to take the pot with the Broadway straight while Leonard showed .
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
|
3,022,365
837,463
|
837,463 |
pa500 |
1,956,115
131,287
|
131,287 |