$1,110 South Dakota State Championship
Day 2 Completed
2022 MSPT Deadwood
$1,110 South Dakota State Championship
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2022 MSPT Deadwood
Buy-in
$1,110
Prize Pool
$489,220
Entries
506
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 150,000
Ante
150,000
Entries
66
Players Left
1
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
A tournament steeped in history and tradition has another outstanding champion to call its own as Gerald Cunniff of St. Paul, Minnesota has won the MSPT South Dakota State Poker Championship.
Cunniff takes home one of the most iconic trophies in poker for his victory, outlasting 506 entries at the Silverado-Franklin Hotel and Gaming Complex in Deadwood, South Dakota.
“It’s going right on the mantle, until my wife takes it away”, joked Cunniff when asked if he was putting the legendary trophy in a special place.
Along with that incredible trophy, Cunniff takes home $94,483, which is his largest-ever tournament score. “The trophy is really cool, but the money is really the best thing.” said Cunniff when asked to compare the significance of the trophy to a near $100,000 score.
In the end, it was Cunniff taking home the largest piece of the prize pool and that trophy, as a deal was agreed upon before heads-up play began, with Cunniff holding a near five-to-one chip lead over runner-up Mike Estes of Coralville, Iowa. The deal saw Estes take home an even $75,000 for his efforts.
The tournament was one of the region’s biggest and most successful ever, as the massive field created a prize pool of $489,320 which was spread among the final 54 players.
MSPT South Dakota State Poker Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerald Cunniff | St. Paul, MN | $94,843* |
| 2 | Mike Estes | Coralville, IA | $75,000* |
| 3 | Ron Kohner | Peoria, AZ | $46,583 |
| 4 | Wesley Cannon | Minneapolis, MN | $35,231 |
| 5 | Joshua Kieval | Fort Collins, CO | $26,423 |
| 6 | Michael Williams | Billings, MT | $20,062 |
| 7 | Alex Smith | Casper, WY | $15,658 |
| 8 | Kevin Ellis | Billings, MT | $12,233 |
| 9 | Sergio Mireles | Newcastle, WY | $9,297 |
*Denotes heads-up deal.
Road to the Final Table
Cunniff came into Sunday as the chip leader and kept building his stack as he battled his way through a day which saw many quick eliminations as the bubble was burst quickly with just 12 of the 66 returning players needing to be eliminated to reach the money.
Patricia Baumann was the unfortunate bubble elimination when Jeff Heiberg sent her home shy of the money with ace-ten against Baumann’s ace-four.
From there, many notables fell shy of the final table, including MSPT stars Matt Kirby (30th - $2,642) and DJ Buckley (23rd - $3,768), along with Jeff Heiberg (12th - $7,340) and Joshua Reichard (11th - $7,340).
Final Table Action
After the final nine returned from dinner, it looked like Estes would run away with the event as he took an early pot off Cunniff before scoring the table’s first elimination by ending the run of 2019 champion Sergio Mireles.
Cunniff then began his final ascension to the title, first knocking out Alex Smith in 7th place, then cutting into Estes’ chip lead in a key pot.
The wild card at the table was Ron Kohner, whose random aggressive style had players shaking their heads throughout the day. But it was Cunniff who finally got to him midway through the final table in a key pot, then put him on fumes with a huge double up that sent Cunniff to a chip lead that he would not relinquish before finishing off Kohner.
From there the deal was agreed upon that declared Cunniff the champion.
Next Stop, Vegas!
The MSPT crew has packed up and is now on their way to Vegas for what promises to be a pair of huge Main Events at the Venetian Resort and Casino. PokerNews will be there to capture all the action.
MSPT Venetian Main Event Schedules
| Date | Time (PDT) | Tournament | Late Reg | GTD Prize Pool | Starting Stack | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, June 6 | 11:10 am | $1,600 MSPT Main Event Day 1a | 6:40 pm | $2,000,000 | 30,000 | 40 |
| Tuesday, June 7 | 11:10 am | $1,600 MSPT Main Event Day 1b | 6:40 pm | $2,000,000 | 30,000 | 40 |
| Wednesday, June 8 | 11:10 am | $1,600 MSPT Main Event Day 1c | 6:40 pm | $2,000,000 | 30,000 | 40 |
| Thursday, June 9 | 11:00 am | $1,600 MSPT Main Event Day 2 | - | - | - | 40 |
| Friday, June 10 | 12:00 pm | $1,600 MSPT Main Event Day 3 | - | - | - | 40 |
| Sunday, June 12 | 11:10 am | $1,100 MSPT Main Event Day 1a | 6:40 pm | $1,500,000 | 25,000 | 40 |
| Monday, June 13 | 11:10 am | $1,100 MSPT Main Event Day 1b | 6:40 pm | $1,500,000 | 25,000 | 40 |
| Tuesday, June 14 | 11:10 am | $1,100 MSPT Main Event Day 1c | 6:40 pm | $1,500,000 | 25,000 | 40 |
| Wednesday, June 15 | 11:00 am | $1,100 MSPT Main Event Day 2 | - | - | - | 40 |
This concludes our coverage from Historic Deadwood, South Dakota and the Silverado-Franklin Hotel and Gaming Complex.
Congratulations to Gerald Cunniff, the 2022 South Dakota State Poker Champion.
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
After a great run at the final table, Mike Estes' day has ended in 2nd place for a career-best $75,000.
The result surpasses his previous best result of $44,034 earned for his 5th place finish at MSPT Riverside less than a year ago.
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Gerald Cunniff raised to 350,000 on the button and Ron Kohner called in the big blind.
The players checked the 
flop, but on the 
turn, Kohner open shoved for approximately 1,300,000. Cunniff called.
Ron Kohner: 
Gerald Cunniff: 
Kohner fell right into Cunniff's trap as his turned pair of sixes was no match for Cunniff's kings and nines. The 
on the river ended the hand and Kohner's night as he fell in 3rd place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
10,050,000
3,150,000
|
3,150,000 |
|
||
|
2,800,000
-1,950,000
|
-1,950,000 |
|
Busted | |
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Gerald Cunniff raised to 400,000 on the button and was called by Ron Kohner in the big blind.
On the 
flop, after Kohner checked, Cunniff bet 500,000 and was met with a quick check-raise all in from Kohner for about 3,000,000. Cunniff called in great shape, but still with his tournament life at risk.
Gerald Cunniff: 
Ron Kohner: 
Cunniff's top pair would hold, as the dealer laid down the on the turn and the on the river to give Cunniff a huge double-up into the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,900,000
4,000,000
|
4,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,750,000
1,110,000
|
1,110,000 |
|
|
1,000,000
-4,120,000
|
-4,120,000 |
Level: 30
Blinds: 100,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
After he was left short by Ron Kohner, Wesley Cannon moved all in for 655,000 from the small blind after a 300,000 button raise by Mike Estes.
Kohner folded his big blind and Estes called.
Wesley Cannon: 
Mike Estes: 
The dealer spread a board of 
, bringing no help to Cannon, who goes home with $35,231 in 4th place money.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,640,000
610,000
|
610,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Ron Kohner raised to 350,000 in the cutoff and was called in the small blind by Mike Estes.
Wesley Cannon then moved all in, and Kohner called off for 2,425,000. Estes folded and Kohner was at risk.
Ron Kohner: 
Wesley Cannon: 
Cannon was surprised to see what he had been called with and he certainly didn't like the 
flop.
The turn 
and 
river couldn't save him, and he was left with crumbs, while Kohner regains the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,120,000
2,595,000
|
2,595,000 |
|
|
3,030,000
-1,090,000
|
-1,090,000 |
|
|
2,900,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
610,000
-1,590,000
|
-1,590,000 |
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Ron Kohner has taken several small pots to rebuild his chip stack in the past 15 minutes, flattening the difference in chips between the four players again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,120,000
1,220,000
|
1,220,000 |
|
|
3,800,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,525,000
1,825,000
|
1,825,000 |
|
|
2,200,000
-2,400,000
|
-2,400,000 |
Level 29
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
After action was checked in a heads-up pot between Ron Kohner and Wesley Cannon, with the board now reading 
on the turn, Kohner moved all in for Cannon's over 2,000,000 chip stack.
Cannon quickly called and rolled over his monster.
Wesley Cannon: 
Ron Kohner: 
Cannon had a jack-high straight versus Kohner's top pair and flush draw, which Cannon faded on the 
river to leave Kohner with under 1,000,000, while taking the chip lead for the first time at this final table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,600,000
2,250,000
|
2,250,000 |
|
|
700,000
-3,200,000
|
-3,200,000 |