MPT 2007 Money Leaders

Here are the leading money winners from the 2007 MPT season. This information is being posted now for archival purposes.

1. TSS777 ($215)
2. Betdponies ($165)
   
3. Baccarat King ($110)
4. RowanB ($85)
   
5. Mrs. Betdponies ($85)
   
6. Sweeney ($50)
7. Harv29 ($40)
   
8. Bigfus ($25)
   Dave ($25)
   

MPT 2008 Schedule

Mattress Poker Tour events were played on the following dates and locations during 2008.

• 4/27: Bally's AC
• 6/7: ECLVA "Spring" Classic - Stone Harbor, NJ
• 7/6: House of Blues AC
• 8/9: Main Street Station - Las Vegas, NV
• 9/27: ECLVA "Fall" Classic - Stone Harbor, NJ
• 10/25: Bally's AC Bounty Bowl
• 11/22: Clash at Caesars AC
• 12/28: Tournament of Champions - Showboat AC

NOTE: This information is being posted now for archival purposes.

Bigfus Finishes as 2008 Leading Money Winner

Fueled by an astonishing seven cashes in eight events this season, Bigfus, the MPT's most successful player yet to earn a victory, finished the season as the leading money winner with $325 in prize money, averaging $41 per event. Her "average cash" was second only to two-time champion Amazon, who averaged $65 per event she played, among those who played in more than one tournament during the season.

The consistent performances for Bigfus put her in contention for the Sealy Cup throughout the season and also vaulted her to the top of the career money leaders, with $425 in prize money over the last three seasons. Bigfus will look to extend her streak of cashing in five straight events when the 2009 season begins.

Here is the complete list of money leaders for the 2008 season.

1. Bigfus ($325)
2. Harv29 ($275)
3. Amazon ($260)
4. RowanB ($185)
5. Scurvydog ($120)
6. RowanV ($120)
7. Betdponies ($120)
8. TSS777 ($110)
9. "E" ($90)
10. Mrs. Betdponies ($90)
11. Civicmon ($80)
12. JTinLV ($40)
13. Ging ($10)
14. Dave ($5)

Amazon Earns First "Rising Star" Award

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - Mattress Poker Tour rookie, Amazon, was presented with the Rising Star Award following the recent MPT Main Event at the Showboat Hotel and Casino. Amazon earned the award with wins in two of her first three events this season. She finished fifth in the season long "Sealy Cup" points standings, despite playing only four events, averaging a stunning 8.8 points per event. She finished the season second in "Kills", with 9 players eliminated and third on the money list with $260 in earnings. She also led the MPT in vodka consumption.

Amazon's impressive debut in 2008 sets a high standard for future Rising Star contenders.

Pictures from MPT 2008 Main Event

Pictures from the second annual MPT Main Event, held at the Showboat Atlantic City on Sunday, December 28, 2008.


Play during the middle stages of the tournament.


RowanV, Mrs. Betdponies, and Harv29 watch dealer TSS777 unveil a flop


Betdponies and Civicmon prepare for heads-up play, joined (in the center) by Harv29, while Baccarat King rests in the adjoining room


A closer look at the Main Event hardware


The champion points to his hole cards from the final hand


Betdponies keeps possession of the Main Event trophy for another year


Betdponies tries on his second Main Event bracelet

Harv29 Earns MPT 2008 Player of The Year

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - In a ceremony immediately following this year's Mattress Poker Tour Main Event, series Tournament Director, Harv29, earned his second trophy of the season when former series champion TSS777 presented him with the Player of the Year award for MPT 2008. This comes on the heels of Harv29's first career victory during the November MPT event at Caesars Atlantic City. The Player of the Year honor followed a season in which Harv29 earned five cashes in eight events, breaking through after finishing on the "bubble" - one spot away from cashing - in five of the first seven MPT events.

Harv29 combined patience to outlast some of his more aggressive opponents with selective aggression to earn this year's title. Player of the Year runner-up Bigfus cashed in more events, but was only credited with three "kills" (for eliminating other players) this season, while Harv29 knocked twelve opponents out of tournaments. He led the MPT in "kills", which when combined with his consistent finishes this season made Harv29 a worthy successor to TSS777 as MPT Player of the Year.

Here are the complete "Sealy Cup" point standings for the 2008 season.

1. Harv29 (61)
2. Bigfus (56)
3. RowanB (54)
4. Mrs. Betdponies (42)
5. Amazon (35)
6. Betdponies (29)
7. RowanV (21)
8. Ging (20)
9. civicmon (20)
10. TSS777 (18)
11. Scurvydog (14)
12. "E" (14)
13. Dave (8)
14. Baccarat King (5)
15. Neil (4)
16. Sionow (4)
17. JustJason (3)
18. Janek13 (3)
19. Whispering Eye (2)
20. DJChuckChillout (1)
    Dorianmac (1)

MPT 2008 #8 - Main Event, Showboat AC (12/28/2008)

The third annual Mattress Poker Tour Main Event finished with a familiar face atop the standings. Despite a disappointing regular season, which did not include a single cash before the Main Event, Betdponies defended his Tournament of Champions victory last year and won his third straight MPT event held in December at the Showboat Atlantic City Hotel and Casino on Sunday, December 28, 2008.

The event featured one of the largest fields in MPT history, as ten players crowded the Orleans Tower room before the crowd was able to spill over into the adjoining room next door (after the tournament's co-host, RowanB, was finally able to check into the hotel). The tournament got off to a late start and was beset with delays, include the temporary loss of the Tournament Director software on the computer, but after a nearly three hours of play, and over five hours after the scheduled start time, a new champion was crowned.

The participants:

• Amazon - Trying for a record-setting third win of the season, while looking to secure the "Rising Star" award and looking to get out of the crowded hotel room and onto the casino floor.
  
• Baccarat King - Trying to regain the form that earned him his first MPT title last season
  
• Betdponies - Looking to salvage a miserable MPT season
  
• Bigfus - Seeking her fifth consecutive MPT cash and first career win
  
• Civicmon - Returning for his second MPT event on the season
  
• Harv29 - Hoping to secure the Player of the Year title and take home his second trophy of the season
  
• Mrs. Betdponies - Trying to finish ahead of her husband for the fifth time this season
  
• RowanB - Trying to rebound from a series of mediocre finishes following a promising start to the season
• RowanV - Seeking to prove her first MPT victory was no fluke and work her way back into "Rising Star" contention
  
• TSS777 - Looking to rebound from his worst finish in MPT history and claim his first Main Event title
  

The results:

• Betdponies
• Civicmon
• Bigfus
  
• Harv29
• Mrs. Betdponies
  
• RowanV
• RowanB
• Amazon
• TSS777
• Baccarat King
  

Play through the early rounds was mostly conservative, as most players tried to avoid busting during the early blind levels. Playing contrary to the rest of the field, was the typically aggressive Baccarat King as his loose call on the river with an AK after not improving on any street cost him all of his chips. Pre-tournament favorites TSS777 and RowanB each were eliminated from the tournament with pocket Aces, though in very different situations. TSS777 bet preflop and on the flop with the best hand, but was drawing to only two outs when he called RowanV's all-in on the turn after her pocket 7's improved to a set. RowanB busted with AA for the second time this season after trapping Betdponies with a preflop call of his raise to 200 during BB 100 Level and then making a small re-raise after Betdponies bet into a Q-Q-4 flop. RowanB, then called the all-in raise from Betdponies for his last 500 chips, only to fall victim to a runner-runner flush from 4-5 of spades. That hand catapulted the defending champion into excellent position to repeat.

Rising Star front-runner, Amazon, also suffered an early exit when she flopped top pair with A-10 and was all-in against Bigfus, who also flopped top pair, but her A-Q held up to give her a big chip stack in the early stages of the tournament. Bigfus was unable to capitalize on that early lead, but did hold on for her fifth straight cash of the season and 7th "in the money" finish in the eight events this year. Despite those gaudy numbers, Harv29 finished high enough in the final event while eliminating two players to win the Player of the Year trophy, which was presented after the Main Event concluded.

Civicmon patiently survived the experienced field of MPT veterans to earn his first career cash, though when heads-up play began he faced a significant chip deficit as was quickly eliminated, though he can take heart that his As 4c was in good shape against Betdponies' 10c 9c before the the 9h 5s 2s flop fell. Betdponies put himself into position to win the tournament by aggressively attacking the blinds and antes as the stakes were higher, while his opponents seemed content to wait for the perfect opportunity to play back at him. By the time they had that chance it was too late and Betdponies proved why he is the only four-time MPT champion.

MPT Unveils Main Event Championship Bracelets

ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY - Prior to the December season-ending tournament at the Showboat Atlantic City, The Mattress Poker Tour added a Main Event Championship bracelet to the honors for the champion of that tournament. MPT 2007 Tournament of Champions winner betdponies received his 2007 bracelet prior to putting the Main Event trophy on the line. Winners of each year's "Main Event" will now have a token to commemorate their championship, even as the trophy is passed to each year's champion.