MPT Main Event qualifications

The ranking of qualifiers for a Main Event will be the following:

• The defending Main Event Champion
• The defending Player of the Year
• Any current year champion
• Any current year cashing player (excluding bounties and high hand/bad beat jackpots)
• The player with the most points in the current year not qualifying through any of the above
• Any past year champion

These players will make the Main Event pool from 9-12 players. Should there be more than 12 players able to attend, then ties in qualifying will be broken by current year points (I want to favor current year active players over prior year non-active ones). If 9-12 players cannot be made from the above, then the remaining players will be filled in the order of the following:

• The remaining players for the current year, in order of current year points earned
• Any prior tournament player, in order of career points earned

Should a "full field" still not be filled, it will be the Tournament Director's discretion to either proceed "short handed" or invite other players to participate. The Tournament Director may grant a "provisional" entry to a player not qualifying, but this will be kept to a minimum. The "Executive Committee" will meet to determine outside eligibility.

If there are at least 13 entries, then the Tournament Director may have a Satellite tournament to determine Main Event qualifiers.

A Message from the Tournament Director

Springfield, VA - Just an update on a couple of items:

1) The high hand jackpot is being “retired”. After two hits paying out a total of $60, management has decided to end the progressive part of the jackpot. Now a standard $5 bonus will be paid to a high hand of four-of-a-kind or better while using both your hole cards. This bonus will be paid out “as the cards lie”, meaning that you do not have to go to a showdown to win the bonus (no "rabbit hunting" allowed). For example, if you flop four-of-a-kind and bet everyone out, you will still get the bonus, even though everyone folded out. This is to prevent someone from wanting to alter their strategy to get a call down to the river (of course, that could lead to a bad beat, which leads me to the following):

2) The bad beat jackpot will remain in place, currently at $20. The money for this jackpot comes from any additional funds from the tournament fee. The minimum qualifying hand for the bad beat jackpot is losing with a full house consisting of aces full of jacks (three aces and two jacks). One hole card must be played by the winner and loser in order for the bad beat jackpot to be paid. Approximately 75% of the jackpot will be paid to the loser with the remaining 25% going to the winner. This jackpot will also fund the high hand bonus (and possibly bounties) and other operating expenses (such as the Player of the Year and Rising Star trophies) not covered by the tournament fees (this will make sure the tournament fee is never more than $5, except for first time Main Event players who will pay $10 for their first Main Event tournament), so its value may fluctuate. 
The Bad Beat Jackpot has been eliminated.

3)The Main Event tournament fee for first time participants is $10. This is due to the cost of the winner's trophy that was incurred by the inaugural Main Event participants. For returning Main Event participants, the tournament fee is the "standard" $5. The excess funds from the tournament fees will go into the bad beat jackpot (subject to further distribution as explained above). 
No further funding is required for the Main Event trophy.

4) The “Rookie of the Year” award has been changed to the “Rising Star” award. This is because I do not want to limit the award to just new players, since there may not be enough “rookies” in future years. This award will go to the best new player or player who has shown the most improvement from the prior year. Of course, “improvement” can be measured on different levels. Although I will take the poll into consideration, the Tournament Director will make the final decision. 
This award has been retired.

5) Starting in 2009, bonus points are awarded for Player of the Year point values, giving extra points for the cashing players. In addition to the current point system, the following will be implemented (with a minimum of 5 players):

· 3 bonus points for first, 1 bonus point for second
· 5 bonus points for first, 3 bonus points for second, 1 bonus point for third
· 7 bonus points for first, 5 bonus points for second, 3 bonus points for third, 1 bonus point for fourth

In the unlikely event there are more than four cashing positions, then the first place bonus points will increase by 2 and then the second place will receive the previous first place bonus and so on. This gives a little more weight to winning events (and a pretty huge weight to winning large events).

(The following is from 2009):

Due to recent changes in the playability of video poker in Atlantic City, alternate venues may be chosen. We are establishing dialog with the other casino properties in order to have new tournament hosts. With the market the way it is and the rumors of possibly four casinos going Chapter 11, this may be a daunting task. I would not be opposed to holding the event at the Sheraton (or other viable hotel), providing the cost is acceptable (I’ve stayed there many times before I got comped rooms in AC and it is a very nice hotel). I believe the Las Vegas event will happen again in 2009. I would consider other venues such as Foxwoods/Mohegan Sun, Reno/Tahoe, Tunica, Gulfport/Biloxi, New Orleans, etc, or even a non-gaming venue (if you can imagine that). We could have had an event at Turning Stone over Memorial Day weekend, but there was not enough interest.

2008 was a busy year for the MPT, as we expanded from four tournaments in 2007 to seven regular events plus the Main Event in 2008, in fact, having six straight months of tournaments! I think for 2009 we may set a six tournament schedule plus the Main Event. My job keeps me from really having one until after April 15 (although I am currently planning on being in AC in January), I am close enough to be pretty flexible regarding the schedule. The main thing is booking the venues far enough in advance where we can get a good attendance.

I believe that is all for now. I welcome your questions and/or comments regarding anything that I have mentioned. Thank you for making the Tour as great as it is, because it is the players who make the tour what it is, and I look forward to a successful Main Event (with a few surprises in store) as well as a successful 2009 tour.

Satellite to Expand Tournament of Champions Field

In order to provide opportunities for players who have failed to qualify for this year's Tournament of Champions to play in the Main Event, while maintaining the integrity of that event, The Mattress Poker Tour is pleased to announce a satellite into this year's final event. The qualifying tournament will allow any individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for this year's Tournament of Champions one final chance to qualify for that event.

The Main Event field will be capped at 9 or 10 players (at the discretion of the Tournament Director). All non-qualifiers who are present on Sunday, December 28, 2008 will be eligible to compete for any spots not filled by qualifying players. The buy-in for the qualifying tournament will be determined by the number of available Main Event spots and the number of participating players. The blind structure will be a "turbo" version of the standard MPT structure. The start time of the qualifying tournament will be announced closer to the date of the event.

Any individuals planning to play in this qualifying event should contact the Tournament Director as soon as possible. The deadline for registration in the Main Event is Monday, December 8, 2008.

Pictures from MPT 2008 #7

Pictures from the recent MPT Clash at Caesars, held in the recently renovated Caesars Atlantic City Temple Tower on Saturday, November 22, 2008.


Bigfus and Mrs. Betdponies in early action, while half of the MPT crowd prepares for a nap


A look at the world famous MPT buffet and bar


A flat panel television in the hotel room made keeping track of tournament status easy


The final hand for Bigfus, as her short-stacked preflop all-in move ran into a big hand from the chip leader


TSS777 took over as dealer after busting in 6th place


The trophy and prize money appear on the mattress during heads-up play


Mrs. Betdponies makes a bet, while her mother enjoys the late tournament action


Mrs. Betdponies stayed alive during heads-up play when the chip leader called her preflop all-in with K-8o


Mrs. Betdponies looks on as the final flop reveals Harv29's 2 pair


A closer look at the final hand reveals a strong hand for Mrs. Betdponies before the flop, but with few outs after the flop


The Tournament Director is finally on the receiving end of a trophy presentation!


The champion with his spoils

MPT 2008 #7 - Clash at Caesars (11/22/2008)

Below is a detailed hand history of the recent MPT Clash at Caesars, hosted by Tournament Director, Harv29. Hand history is also courtesy of Harv29.

The participants:

• Baccarat King - Trying to earn a spot in his second straight Tournament of Champions
• Betdponies - Still looking for his first cash of the season
• Bigfus - The MPT cash machine, still seeking her first win
• Ging - Looking to improve on her finish on the bubble of the last event
• Harv29 - Trying to rebound from his first career last place finish
• Mrs. Betdponies - Looking for bragging rights, playing against her husband and mother
• RowanB - Hanging on to a slim lead in Player of the Year race, despite recent mediocre finishes
• TSS777 - Playing in consecutive MPT events for the first time this season and looking to defend his title from the previous event
• Whispering Eye - Making his MPT debut

The Results:

• Harv29
• Mrs. Betdponies (aka Sass)
• Bigfus
• Ging
• RowanB
• TSS777
• Betdponies
• Whispering Eye
• Baccarat King

The Hand History - Key Hands
Round 6
Flop: 9h5cQh

Wandering Eye check, TSS777 check, baccarat king $250, bigfus fold, sass fold, ging call, Wandering Eye fold, TSS777 fold.

Turn: 2h

Baccarat king $500, Ging raises to $1,000, Baccarat King calls

River: 6d

Baccarat king $575, Ging raises all-in, baccarat king calls

Ging shows flush, king high, baccarat king has pair of queens.

Baccarat king eliminated


Chip count estimates at break

• Ging = 6,575
• TSS77 = 3,825
• Mrs. Betdponies = 2,800
• Bigfus = 2,675
• RowanB = 2,450
• Harv29 = 1,625
• Betdponies = 1,425
• Wandering Eye = 625
• NOTE: total is short $500

Round 7
Ging calls, Wandering Eye all-in $625, TSS777 calls, Ging calls

Flop: Qc, 10c, Jh

Check, check

Turn: Jc

Check, check

River: 7c

Check, check

Ging shows 2c for flush, others muck.

Wandering Eye eliminated

Round 9
Betdponies goes all-in for 1,350, called by Ging

Betdponies has 9d8d, Ging Ah5c

Flop: Jh, 10d, Kd

Turn: 8?

River: 6h

Betdponies doubles up


Flop: Qs, 9d, 10d

Betdponies $3,275 all-in, Ging calls, TSS777 folds (A,10)

Betdponies has 9s10h, Ging AdJd

Turn: 7s

River: 8?

Ging wins with J high straight, Betdponies eliminated


Harv29 all-in for $1,075, Mrs. Betdponies calls

Harv29 shows AA, Mrs. Betdponies has Ax10x

Flop: Js6sKx

Turn: Xs (Mrs. Betdponies has spade draw and straight draw)

River: 4h

Harv29 wins and doubles up.



(Next hand)

Harv29 all-in for $2,850, Ging calls

Harv29 has 10c10h, Ging has Ah3h

Flop: Qh2s3c

Turn: 7d

River: Qx

Harv29 wins and doubles up.

Round 11
Ging calls, Harv29 all-in, TSS777 calls, RowanB folds, Ging folds.

Harv29 shows KK, TSS777 shows 99

Flop: Jh5dQc

Turn: Ac

River: Xx

TSS777 is eliminated

Round 12
Rowanb goes all-in for $1,675, Ging calls, Harv29 calls

Flop: 7h10h8c

Ging checks, Harv29 goes all-in, Ging calls

Turn: Xh

River: Xx

Harv29 made a flush on the turn to eliminate RowanB and Ging


Bigfus goes all-in for 1,000 more, Mrs. Betdponies calls

Bigfus Qh2h, Mrs. Betdponies Kh8h

Flop: Ac3d8c

Turn: Qc

River: 6c

Bigfus doubles up.



Harv29 goes all-in, Bigfus calls

Harv29 has 6x6x, Bigfus has AhXx

Flop: As7c10h

Turn: Qh

River: Ac

Bigfus doubles up

Round 13

Bigfus goes all-in with 9s7s and is called by Harv29 with AhQs

Flop: 2dJc4h

Turn: 8d

River: 3s

Bigfus is eliminated

Round 14
Mrs. Betdponies goes all-in for $3,500 (on top of the pot of $2,400).

Harv29 calls.

Mrs. Betdponies had Ad5s, Harv29 had Ks8h

Flop: AsQh7d

Turn: 6h

River: 3d

Mrs. Betdponies doubles up


(Next hand)

Harv29 goes all-in, Mrs. Betdponies calls

Harv29 has Qd5d, Mrs. Betdponies has 10s10h

Flop: 8hQh5s

Turn: 6d

River: 7h

Mrs. Betdponies eliminated.

Harv29 Wins Clash at Caesars

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The host finally brought home a trophy from the MPT. Harv29 bested a field of nine players, including eight MPT veterans, to become the eighth different player to win a MPT tournament title. With the win and several "kills", Harv29 moves into the "Sealy Cup" point lead for the season and moves atop the career points list. Harv29's also earned his third cash in his last four events and fourth finish in the money this season.

Mrs. Betdponies tied her top career finish with a second place showing, once again finishing the season strong as she prepares for the Tournament of Champions, while Bigfus continues her cavalcade of cashes, with a third place finish. Bigfus has now finished in the money in every MPT tournament held in the state of New Jersey this year, with her record setting sixth cash in this event.

Former series points leader RowanB finished with a disappointing fifth place result, failing to earn money for the third straight event, leaving himself in need of a strong Tournament of Champions to have any hope of earning his first Player of the Year trophy.

Showboat 2007 Champion, Baccarat King, missed the beginning of the tournament and never recovered, earning his second last place finish of the season. This was the one blemish on an otherwise absurdly successful gambling weekend for the MPT's most upscale host. I suspect we'll hear more about this on his blog.

A third member of the Betdponies clan, Ging, seems to be taking over Harv29's former role, as she finished on the bubble for the second consecutive event, but her early eliminations of other players helped her earn enough Player of the Year points to qualify for this year's Tournament of Champions in December.

Stay tuned for the hand by hand account of the tournament later in the week.

Pictures from MPT 2008 #6

Images from the October 25 MPT "Bounty Bowl" in the Bally's Atlantic City Claridge Tower.

Most of the field looks on, while the crowd seems less than enthusiastic with the early play.


Bigfus attempts the RowanB "hide under the bed" technique, while TSS777 tries to figure out how to "read" her; also notice the crowd of interested spectators has grown


Ging and Harv29 await a flop


The final hand, as bigfus was all-in preflop and TSS777 made the call and drew a straight on the river to end the tournament


Harv29 presents TSS777 with his third MPT Championship trophy

MPT 2008 #6 - Bally's Bounty Bowl (10/25/2008)

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - TSS777 returned to the Mattress Poker Tour in style, earning his third career victory in only his 5th event on the circuit. The defending Player of the Year competed in only his second event of the season and secured a spot in the season-ending Tournament of Champions. He will be joined in that event by the hottest player on Tour, Bigfus, who cashed in yet another event with her fourth second place finish and fifth cash of the year.

The participants:

• Bigfus - Trying to become this year's 5th first time MPT winner
  
• Ging - Returns for her second straight event
  
• Harv29 - Looking to move up in Player of the Year standings, while seeking first career win
• Mrs. Betdponies - Trying to stay awake for the duration of the event after a rough previous night
  
• RowanB - Looking to defend lead in Player of the Year race
• TSS777 - returning to the MPT after missing the last 3 events
  

The Results:

• TSS777
• Bigfus
• Ging
• RowanB
• Mrs. Betdponies
• Harv29

October Statistics Update

Revised MPT season and career statistics have been posted following the October, 2008 MPT event. Some noteworthy items appear below.

• TSS777 ties Betdponies for first place on the career victory list
• TSS777 becomes the second player to break $300 in all-time earnings, while Bigfus remains the all-time money leader
• Ging becomes the 14th player on the MPT career earnings list, collecting two bounties
• RowanB holds onto the Sealy Cup point lead, while Bigfus inches closer to the season title and Harv29 slips into third place
• Amazon remains atop the season money list, but Bigfus moves within $15 of the top spot
• Bigfus widens her lead in career cashes, with another finish in the money
• RowanB moves back to the top spot on the career points list, while previous lead Harv29 drops two points behind, into third place; Bigfus moves into second place, a point off the lead
• TSS777 moves into a tie for second place on the all-time "kills" list
• TSS777 improves his average finish to widen his lead in that category, while also extending his lead in average points per event
• Harv29 becomes the 8th player in MPT history to finish last place in a tournament

"Bounty Bowl" for Bally's

SPRINGFIELD, VA - Tournament director, Harv29, has announced that the M.P.T. return visit to Bally's Atlantic City on October 25, 2008 will be a "Bounty Bowl". Whereas in previous tournaments only past champions have had a bounty on them, in this tournament each player will carry a bounty. Also as an added incentive (if you didn't already need an incentive to win one of the most prestigious poker titles in the world), "kill" points for this tournament will be doubled.

We look forward to seeing you at Bally's Atlantic City!

MPT to Award Rookie of the Year in December

SPRINGFIELD, VA - Mattress Poker Tour Founder and Tournament Director, Harv29, announced today the creation of a Rookie of the Year award, to be presented during the awards ceremony during the season ending banquet that with follow this year's Tournament of Champions main event, in December.

Competition for this year's trophy will be tight, after players making their debuts this season have won four events in a row. Two-time tournament champion Amazon appears to be the early favorite, but with three events remaining there is still a lot of poker left to be played.

The Tournament of Champions main event with be played on Sunday, December 28 at the Showboat Hotel and Casino, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nine players have already qualified for this year's tournament, either by "cashing" in a tournament during 2008 or by virtue of previous main event championships.

New Statistics Posted

Revised statistics following the ECLVA Fall Classic have been posted. The author has observed the following noteworthy items:

• With only three events left and with Amazon likely to play in only one of those, barring an extraordinary finish and some large fields the Player of the Year race is shaping up to be a three horse race, with RowanB leading the way and Harv29 and Bigfus close behind.
• Harv29 closes to within three points of the top spot for the season points lead, breaking a second place tie with Bigfus.
• Amazon now tops the season money list, with her second win of the season. The win also moves Amazon into the third place spot in all-time earnings.
• Bigfus also passes RowanB, with her 4th cash in 5 events, while becoming the first MPT Superstar to pass the $300 mark in career earnings.
• Harv29's second place finish coupled with his two "kills" catapulted him to the top of the all-time points standings
• Betdponies tops the all-time list for number of players eliminated, with 11. He is one of only three MPT regulars to average more than one elimination per tournament.
• Of those who have played 4 or more tournaments, both TSS777 and Baccarat King have led the way in players eliminated, each averaging nearly 2 eliminations per event.
• This season's rookie sensation Amazon has averaged 3 eliminations per event, but has to play in one more tournament to qualify for the all-time "kill" leaders

Pictures from MPT 2008 #5

Below you will find pictures from the recent ECLVA Fall Classic, held in Stone Harbor, New Jersey this past weekend.


Players prepare for the tournament to begin.


The final three players in action, while Mrs. Harv29 looks on.


The third and final time A-A failed to hold up, as Amazon eliminates Bigfus with J-9o.



Harv29 in contention for his first MPT title in the midst of heads-up play.




A trophy and prize money always await the MPT champ.


Amazon reacts to the river card, as the two of hearts gives her the title.


A closer look at the final hand, with a king on the flop putting Harv29 in the lead for a short time.


The two-time champion and her winnings.

MPT 2008 #5 - ECLVA Fall Classic (9/27/2008)

(hand history courtesy of Harv29)

The participants:

• Amazon - Returns to defend her title from this season's Showboat HoB event
• Betdponies - Seeking to regain form from last season's dominant start
• Bigfus - The series' most consistent player, still seeking the elusive trophy
• Ging - Another member of the Betdponies clan joins the fray
• Harv29 - The Tournament Director, looking to turn his luck around
• Mrs. Betdponies - Trying to continue streak of finishing ahead of her husband this season
• RowanB - Our tournament host, hoping for his first "home" victory

The Results:

• Amazon
• Harv29
• Bigfus
• RowanB
• Ging
• Betdponies
• Mrs. Betdponies

Proving her July victory was more than beginner's luck, Amazon fought her way through a field packed full of Mattress Poker Tour regulars to win her second tournament of the season, following up her victory at the Showboat House of Blues in her last MPT outing. Her reckless style struck fear in the hearts of her more seasoned oponents, while her desire to see one of her friends pick up their first trophy seemed to trigger insta-karma of her behalf. Amazon turned up the aggression at the right time and won key races while coming from behind in other important hands to take the title. She modestly attributes this to her desire to return to the "real" gambling in Atlantic City, but it's just that style that makes Amazon a threat to win every MPT event that she enters.

The rest of the field was highlighted by yet another deep run by perennial bridesmaid Bigfus, who avoided extending her record for second place finishes when her pocket Aces fell the Amazon's J-9o. Had Bigfus' aces held, she would have been in excellent position to take her first trophy. Also seeking his first series title, Harv29's runner up finish brought him within a whisker of the season point total, while almost allowing him to return with a trophy for the first time.

The rest of the field featured the tournament host, RowanB, falling from chip leader to a desperation all-in after only a few hands as blind levels ate away at the player's small chip stacks. The Betdponies family also had a disappointing showing, even as the three-time former champ chipped up in the early-going, before falling victim to his new nemesis, Amazon.

So, Amazon joines Betdponies and TSS777 as the only MPT Superstars to win more than one event and puts herself right in the middle of the hunt for Player of the Year. Here's how she did it:

Hand 1 – Betdponies, showed Ace of spades
Hand 2 – Ac8c2h. Ad, 7d. Bigfus 2, Amazon JJ
Hand 3 – 5d3cQh. Bigfus 50, Betdponies calls. Turn Ac. Bigfus check, Betdponies 110, insta call. River 8h. Bigfus all-in, Betdponies shows ace and mucks.
Hand 4 – Qc9s8h. Amazon 10, Harv29 calls, Betdponies folds, RowanB raises to 125, fold, fold, Mrs. Betdponies folds, Amazon calls, Harv29 folds. 8c. Amazon checks, RowanB checks. 3c. Amazon checks, RowanB checks. RowanB has Q10, Amazon has QK, Amazon wins with QQ, K kicker.

Hand 5 – Level 2. Betdponies raises to 50. 7c5dQh. Ging checks, Amazon checks, Betdponies bets 80. Ging calls. Amazon folds. Kd. Betdponies checks, Ging bets 100, Betdponies calls. 4s. Betdponies goes all-in. Ging folds. Betdponies shows a straight.

Hand 7 – Level 3. Qd9d10s. Harv29 checks, Betdponies checks, Ging 100, Harv29 calls, Betdponies folds. 4h. Harv29 checks, Ging checks. 6d. Harv29 checks, Ging checks. Harv29 nothing. Ging has a pair of queens.
Hand 9 – Mrs. Betdponies (83.19%) raises to 130. Betdponies (16.46%) calls. 8d7c10d. Mrs. Betdponies bets 500, Betdponies (96.16%) goes all-in, Mrs. Betdponies (2.83%) calls. Mrs. Betdponies shows AA, Betdponies shows Js9c. 3h. River ? Mrs. Betdponies eliminated.

Hand 15 – 10h7c9s. As. 8s. Amazon bets 1000, Betdponies shows A10.
Hand 19 – Flop: QcAsKc. Harv29 bets 500, everyone folds. Harv29 shows J10

Chip stacks at the break:

• Betdponies – 4,525
• Amazon – 4,225
• Harv29 – 3,000
• Bigfus – 2,425
• RowanB – 2,150
• Ging – 1,175

Hand 23 – 2c2d9d. Betdponies (46.47%) goes all-in 4,125. Amazon (53.13%) calls. Betdponies has Kd10d (54.95%). Amazon Ac6h (44.14%). Turn 2s. Betdponies (29.55%), Amazon (63.64%). River 6.
Hand 24 – Betdponies (37.24%) goes all-in 550. 400 more to Amazon, calls. Harv29 (62.37%) calls. 4sKhJh. Harv29 checks, Amazon folds. Betdponies (78.38%) shows KdJc, Harv29 shows AhQs (21.62%). Turn 7c. Betdponies (90.91%), Harv29 (9.09%). River 10. Betdponies eliminated.

Hand 28 – Harv29 raised 1,000, everyone folded
Hand 29 – Harv29 raises Ging all-in. Ging As3h (57.31%) Harv29 KhQd (40.20%). Ad2s8h. Ging (96.87%), Harv29 3.13%), Turn 6d. River Ah.
Hand 31 – Harv29 all-in – 3,675. Ging calls. Harv29 (70.98%) AdKh Ging Ah10s (24.36%). Flop 4cK?J?. Harv29 82.53%, Ging 16.26%. Turn 5h. Harv29 90.91%, Ging 9.09%. River Jc. Ging eliminated.

Hand 39 – Level 8 7cQs6d. 6s. Amazon goes all-in. RowanB folds, showing two pair.
Hand 43 – Bigfus all-in (56.76%) 10s10d. Amazon calls (42.86%) QcAd. Flop: 5c5h7d. Bigfus (75.96%), Amazon (24.04%). Turn: 5d Bigfus (84.09%), Amazon (15.91%). River: 10? Bigfus doubles up.
Hand 50 – RowanB all-in for 2,100. Amazon calls. RowanB Jc5s (53.72%) Amazon 9d10h (44.97%). Flop: KcKs9c RowanB (18.48%), Amazon (81.11%). Turn: 5c RowanB (31.82%), Amazon (68.18%). River: 4h. RowanB eliminated.

Hand 52 – Bigfus all-in. Amazon calls. Bigfus shows 10c2c (15.36%), Amazon shows AhAc 84.17%). Flop: 10h8s5h. Bigfus (17.58%), Amazon (82.42). Turn: 3d Bigfus (11.36%), Amazon (88.64%). River: 2. Bigfus wins.

Hand 58 – Level 12 Bigfus goes all-in, Amazon calls. Bigfus shows AhAs (82.51%), Amazon shows Jd9c (17.22%). Flop: 10d5d2x. Turn: xd River: 8d. Bigfus eliminated.

Hand 59 – Amazon calls, Harv29 moves all-in for $3,600 more, Amazon calls. Harv29 shows Ks3h (45.38%), Amazon shows 2d2c (53.66%). Flop: Kh7d10s Harv29 (91.21%), Amazon (8.79%), Turn: 8c, Harv29 (95.45%), Amazon (4.55%), River: 2h. Harv29 eliminated.

Note that pocket aces were cracked three times, including twice by J9.

Pictures from MPT 2008 #4

MPT Tournament Director Harv29 hosted the first annual Las Vegas Invitational in his room at Main Street Station in Downtown Las Vegas last weekend. Below are some images from that event.

Players get ready to take their seats just before the tournament begins

Play begins on our largest single mattress event to date
(Photo courtesy of Sionow)


Players look on before a flop early in the tournament
(Photo courtesy of Sionow)


JTinLV collects the first ever MPT "High Hand" bonus, with a Royal Flush on the river to oust former MPT Champion, Mtohio


A closer look at the high-hand winner
(Photo courtesy of Sionow)


Two past champions "race" early in the tournament as Rowanb's pair of 10's falls behind Betdponies' A-K after the flop, but improves on the river to oust the 3-time series winner


Most of the large field survived the early blind levels before play opened up as the blinds rose
(Photo courtesy of Sionow)


Click on the picture to make sure you are seeing clearly, but these two hands ended up all-in preflop in the middle stages of the tournament and Scurvydog attempted a "steal" preflop and had the right price to call Mrs. Betdponies attempt to "re-steal"


Inspired by the setup as the House of Blues suite during the previous event, the MPT now has the capability of displaying the tournament information on the television in any hotel room


This tournament featured another bonus for the winner on top of the trophy and prize money, as the champion earned a complimentary "MPT Las Vegas Spectacular" glass


A close up look at the commemorative glasses from this event.
(photo courtesy of Sionow)


The final hand featured two strong hands for heads-up play with substantial blinds, though Scurvydog's ace did not factor into his winning hand when he made a straight on the river to leave Bigfus with her third second place finish this season


Our new champion, Scurvydog

Scurvydog Wins Inaugural Las Vegas Event

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MPT rookie Scurvydog made an impressive debut on the circuit with a victory is his first series tournament. He bested a field the included several MPT veterans and two other players making their debut on the mattress. Dog folded patiently through the early rounds of the tournament, waiting for the right time to make his move, and turned up the aggressiveness as the blinds rose, accumulating blinds and winning a few key hands to take his first MPT title. He becomes the fourth consecutive person to win their first MPT tournament this season.

A complete tournament summary will be available after the tournament reporter gets some sleep for a couple nights to recover from his recent week in Las Vegas.

MPT Tournament Structure

Since 2007, each Mattress Poker Tour event has been played using this structure. Please note the Todd Shrader Memorial Level 5.

All tournaments, unless otherwise noted, will be No Limit Texas Holdem. Each player will start the tournament with $2,500 in chips.

Level	Duration	Small Blind	Big Blind	Ante	Start Time
Round 1	10m	$5	$10	$0	0:00
Round 2	10m	$10	$20	$0	0:10
Round 3	10m	$15	$30	$0	0:20
Round 4	10m	$25	$50	$0	0:30
Round 5	10m	$35	$70	$0	0:40
Round 6	10m	$50	$100	$0	0:50
Break 1	5m				1:00
Round 7	10m	$75	$150	$0	1:05
Round 8	10m	$100	$200	$0	1:15
Round 9	10m	$100	$200	$25	1:25
Round 10	10m	$150	$300	$25	1:35
Round 11	10m	$200	$400	$25	1:45
Round 12	10m	$300	$600	$50	1:55
Round 13	10m	$400	$800	$50	2:05
Round 14	10m	$600	$1,200	$75	2:15
Break 2	5m				2:25
Round 15	10m	$1,000	$2,000	$100	2:30
Round 16	10m	$2,000	$4,000	$100	2:40
Round 17	10m	$4,000	$8,000	$200	2:50
Round 18	10m	$8,000	$16,000	$200	3:00

New Statistics Now Available

Thanks to the accurate record keeping of the somewhat biased, but always honest, representative of the reputable national accounting firm that works part-time as our Tournament Director, we now have a multitude of statistics available on this site to track the progress of your favorite MPT Superstar.

In addition to the point leaders from this season, you can now see the money leaders - both for this season and for all-time - in addition to the all-time leaders in wins, cashes, and even "losses". Over time, we have records of additional statistics that will eventually be available on this site, including leaders in "kills" (number of players busted) and all-time points leaders. Let's check who has been paying close attention to the MPT series. Try to answer the following question; which two MPT Superstars are tied for first place in all-time points earned in series tournaments? Please post your guesses below.

In the meantime, try your hand at speculating about the upcoming Las Vegas MPT event by answering the new poll question. However, beware that the polls close on August 1st and precisely 8:08 PM EDT.

Pictures from MPT 2008 #3

Last weekend, former MPT Champion Baccarat King (formerly known as mtohio) hosted the third MPT event of 2008 in his fabulous House of Blues Suite inside the Showboat Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.


Players chat in the suite before the event begins



The feature table was where the action was early in the tournament, with frequent all-ins fueled by our host's first class bar



Multiple MPT Champion Betdponies deals, as "E" and Bigfus look on



The defending champion loses on the river, as Dave wins a big pot and collects a $5 bounty on the satellite mattress early in the tournament


Before the final table was finished, a lot of bottles sacrificed their lives for the benefit of the players; below is a look at some of the casualties



The second consecutive lengthy MPT heads up battle featured "E" surviving a series of all-ins against the big stack of Amazon



The blinds rose high enough that the players could not afford to wait for premium hands late in the tournament



Betdponies, Baccarat King, and Dave join the peanut gallery while enjoying the final table action



An impromptu break during heads up action as Amazon was needed relief from the bottle of Grey Goose that she vanquished



The bottle of Grey Goose wasn't Amazon's only victim during this afternoon, as fans react to her victory over "E"



The final heads up hand



Our Tournament Director, Harv29, presents the trophy to our Newest MPT Champ, Amazon



The Champ with her Designated Chip Handler, Mrs. Harv29