now available for

Minnesota’s #1
Poker Source
January 2011
Matt Hyland
The Peak of Perfection
Wins MSPT Hinckley
JASON SENTI
Home Sweet Home
Wins MSPT Canterbury
PLUS
JOHN HAYES WINS
USACOOP MAIN EVENT
BREYFOGLE DEEP
IN LA POKER OPEN
MNPOKERMAG.COM
SURPASSES 1 MILLION
MSPT
– Season
1, Event
1 – Grand
Casino Mille
Lacs,Harness
Feb. 13-21Park,
MSPT
- Season
2, Event
1, Running
Aces
February 16-20
Minnesota Poker Magazine
January 2011
page 3
Letter from the Publisher
MNPOKERMAG.COM HAS
BECOME CENTRAL HUB
by Bryan Mileski
O
ver the last 12 months, MNPokerMag.com has
blown up more than we ever anticipated, which is
obviously a welcome surprise.
We surpassed 1 MILLION page views for the year on
December 10 and will likely hit 1.5 to 2 million in 2011
based on our current monthly trends.
As I write this, we are on pace for over 10,000 unique
visitors in December alone. That’s unreal! And people
suggest poker is down. This just proves that if you give
poker enthusiasts what they want, they are still passionate, loyal followers.
Looking forward, we obviously anticipate to maintain
and grow on those numbers.
Based on that information, and the fact that we have
such a small staff, we would like to focus more resources
on growing the website—because that’s clearly the sweet
spot of our media entity.
MNPokerMag.com has become a central hub for poker players in the upper Midwest.
You’ll see this issue of Minnesota Poker Magazine is a little thinner. We’ve cleared out
some of the fluff allowing us to reallocate our time and resources more toward the website
since that’s what the poker rubes are clearly asking for. Let’s face it, MNPokerMag.com is
more timely.
Switching gears, most of you are aware by now that we decided to try something new at
the Minnesota State Poker Tour event at Grand Casino Hinckley and Canterbury Park.
A live broadcast of the feature and final table via Ustream.tv on MNPokerMag.com and
MinnesotaStatePokerTour.com.
The technology was rather primitive — two stationary web cams and a table mic—and
the expectations for viewership were low. After all, how many people really want to sit
and watch poker without hole cards on non-HD TV?
Well, during the Hinckley event alone, more than 500 people tuned in for Sunday night’s
final table broadcast when Matt Hyland took home just under $40,000.
Just under 1,000 people tuned in throughout the week, including the feature table
broadcasts from the $250 qualifiers.
All in all, the Ustream coverage drew 1,896 total views, adding up to 889 hours and 44
minutes of viewing.
During MSPT Canterbury Park, we had 953 unique viewers during the entire Main Event
and 529 watched the Final Table, all of whom got to see November Niner Jason Senti win
just shy of $39,000 and the RF Moeller Championship Diamond bracelet.
That’s awesome!
As for the folks who have/had suggestions on how to improve the broadcast quality, don’t
worry. We are on it. But at the same time, we’re not talking about ESPN cameras here. Web
streaming has many limitations. We’re trying to keep it simple.
Thanks for tuning in.
MNPOKERMAG.COM Vol. 3/No. 1
President and Publisher
Bryan Mileski
[email protected]
Editor and Publisher
Phil Mackey
[email protected]
Art Director
Carolyn Borgen
[email protected]
Contributors
Jacob Westlin
Nate Avenson
Jocelyn Bendijo
Advertising Information
Bryan Mileski
612-743-9847
[email protected]
Story Ideas
[email protected]
Our Mission
Minnesota Poker Magazine is a
monthly publication dedicated to
serving poker players and gaming
facilities through industry news,
statewide tournament schedules,
player profiles and professional
tips. Coupled with our website,
www.MNPokerMag.com, we are
“Minnesota’s #1 Poker Source.”
Minnesota Poker Magazine
Lakeville, MN
612-743-9847
page 4
Minnesota Poker Magazine
January 2011
MSPT HINCKLEY
MATT HYLAND WINS MSPT
HINCKLEY, $38,707
The 27-year old Brainerd machinest captures second major title in 13 months
By bryan mileski
I
n September, 2009, Matt Hyland won the Heartland Poker
Tour Mille Lacs event for $49,932.
Thirteen months later, he has added a Minnesota State
Poker Tour championship to his resume—at Grand Casino
Hinckley for a cash prize of $38,707.
Hyland outlasted a field of 139, as well as a stacked final
table that included current MNPokerMag Player of the Year
leader Everett Carlton and online stud Lance “kingpin023″
Harris.
A Machinest from Brainerd, MN, Hyland has now cashed
for more than $100,000 in live tournaments since September,
2009. Hyland turned 27 on Thanksgiving, just days before his
big MSPT victory.
“This means a lot to win this event.” Hyland said. “I’m really pumped about the bracelet. Poker has been treating me
very well the last year and a half or so with two championship titles under my belt and a few other real deep cashes.”
Hyland is one of just a few in the area now who has been
able to capture multiple titles in a major event. When asked
about being in elite company, Hyland responded, “I’ve
always strived to be one of those players. I think I’m definitely one to reckon with. One of my best tournaments was
down in Vegas at the HPT Red Rock last January. I took 7th
which some wouldn’t necessarily think much of but that was
against 464 players who were not slouches. There were several considered to be the best of the best, several TV pros.”
(Hyland scored $13K for that cash)
Hyland has tried to remain realistic about his poker
career aspirations. He’s been a machinest for over eight
years and has no current plans to leave his daytime gig. “Of
course it would be nice to be able to play poker full time. I
would love to do that. But I also understand that there’s a lot
of variance and it takes a large bankroll realistically if you
don’t have sponsors paying for all your tournaments. There’s
a lot of travel and buy-ins, I’d probably need a couple million before I’d think about doing that.” Hyland said.
Matt Hyland
Hyland claims the key to his success is that he’s had the
opportunity to travel and play in more locations, more
states. “You get to see a lot of different styles and players.”
Hyland stated. “This has helped me improve my game by
being able to read different types of players better. I’m not
playing against the same people every day like in a home
game or a local, weekly tournament. You can pick up quite
a bit from strangers. I also try to take the money perspective out of it. I get in the mindset that I’m just trying to win a
tournament for first place. I know other players often think
about their bank account more than their chips, especially
when you get down to the last 3-4 places where all the money
is. I try to take advantage of that.”
MNPOKERMAG.COM January 2011
Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 5
Grand Casino Hinckley, Hinckley, MN
Buy-in: $1,000 + $100 ♣ 139 Entrants
Place
Name
Prize
1
Matt Hyland
$ 38,707
2
Shawn Aaberg
$ 19,086
3
Franco Cupello
$ 12,012
4
Lance Harris
$ 9,343
5
Yen Pham
$ 8,008
6
Pete Bigelow
$ 6,006
7
Marinela Selseth
$ 5,205
8
Dmitri Soudakov
$ 4,538
9
Everett Carlton
$ 3,737
10
Kevin Davis
$ 3,070
Shawn Aaberg
Top: Dmitri Soudakov, Marinela Selseth, Lance Harris, Steve Aaberg, Yen Pham, Franco Cupello. Bottom: Everett Carlton, Matt Hyland, Ken Davis, Pete Bigelow.
MNPOKERMAG.COM page 8
Minnesota Poker Magazine
January 2011
MSPT Canterbury
IMPROBABLE: SENTI WINS
MSPT CANTERBURY
One month after finishing seventh in the WSOP Main Event, Jason Senti came home with
a splash
Byphil mACKEY
W
hat a way to announce his return.
In his first live tournament since a seventh-place
finish at the World Series of Poker in November earned him
$1.3 million, St. Louis Park’s Jason Senti was crowned Minnesota State Poker Tour Champion at Canterbury Park on
December 13 for $38,540.
Senti outlasted Drew Johnson in a two-hour heads-up
battle.
The storyline is pretty extraordinary. Senti has become,
by nature, the face of Minnesota poker over the last few
months. He has a charismatic, likeable personality to go
along with a lethal poker game, and he rarely turns down a
media request.
On Day 1 of the two-day, $100,000 guaranteed MSPT Main
Event, Senti showed up near the beginning of level two. With
136 players already registered—a blizzard nearly wiped out
two days of qualifying that would likely have bumped the
field up over 200—Senti was mistakenly turned away from
the registration table.
“They said I was too late,” Senti laughed. “But they wound
up letting me in anyways.”
And it’s a good thing he wound up playing. The $38,000
pales in comparison to $1.3 million, but there’s just something special about winning a big tournament in his home
state.
“Winning a tournament is always a good feeling, and this
was especially true as it was the first tournament I have
played in the midwest since making the November Nine
last summer,” Senti said on his blog at BlueFirePoker.com.
“I am glad I was able to make a good showing. It wasn't that
long ago that I was screwing around in 2/4LHE and trying
to satellite into the $1100 tourneys at Canterbury Park. Its
amazing to think how much everything has changed for me
with regards to poker in the last 4 years.”
Senti sat down with MNPokerMag to talk about the other
ways his life has changed since November.
Phil Mackey: What has your life been like since finishing
seventh in the WSOP?
Jason Senti
Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
Buy-in: $1,000 + $100 ♣ 137 Entrants
Place
Name
1
Jason Senti
$38,540
2
Drew Johnson
$19,003
3
Dave Jeno
$11,960
4
Chinh Quatch
$9,302
5
Brad Feldman
$7,973
6
Todd Melander
$5,980
7
Leo Fussy
$5,183
8
Brian Ward
$4,518
9
Bill Criego
$3,721
10
Mario Hudson
$3,056
MNPOKERMAG.COM Prize
January 2011
Minnesota Poker Magazine
Jason Senti: Right after I finished the final table I went
out to L.A. to play in the North American Poker Tour event
out there at The Bicycle Casino. Nothing special happened.
I busted at the end of Day 1. And then I stayed and played
a bounty shootout of some sort that wound up on TV a few
days later. I busted pretty quickly there, but it was a lot of
fun. Got to play with some very cool players.
Then I came home and I tried to take it easy for a little
bit, but before long—my wife and I have been looking for a
new house for quite a while now. We’ve really been strongly
considering it for over a year. Obviously doing well at the
World Series this year made that a lot easier. So when we got
back, there was a house we had our eye on for four months
that we didn’t pull the trigger on necessarily because I had
so much going on, and it was still available. So we ended up
buying a house.
PM: Been able to play much poker lately?
JS: I’ve gotten to play some poker online. Not as much as
I’d like.
PM: Tournaments or cash?
JS: Mostly cash. Because it’s my standard day-to-day, but I
have played some tournaments. Pretty much I’ve just done a
few Sundays, when they have the biggest ones. I played the
USCOOP on PokerStars… I did not win that event.
Actually, I’ve been running kind of mediocre at cash
games. Not that I expect anybody to feel bad for me. But it
looks like I’m still running red hot in tournaments.
PM: How much has life changed for you over the last few
months?
JS: In ways it’s been way more than I expected, and in
other ways not so much. The first four months right afterwards, I mean it was completely nuts, compared to what
I was used to. The interview requests were just non-stop,
every day, and I did almost all of them. I had a lot going on
and I barely played poker, outside of traveling to Europe
and some things. It was different than I expected.
Since coming back, I’m kind of starting to get used to occasionally being recognized and all that. I was shocked again
when I went to the (WSOP) final table—and when you’re in
Vegas during or around November 9, a lot of people were
there to watch, so I was stopped a lot there. But since coming home, it happens here nad there. For the most part life’s
kind of similar, except I haven’t really gotten to settle into a
normal groove yet, where I grind poker, play with my band,
do whatever.
PM: Any sponsorship stuff you want to touch on? Still rocking
BlueFire gear.
JS: I am, I’m still wearing BlueFire and love it. I’ve been
working at BlueFire Poker now for two years. Great site. It’s
a video poker training site, run by Phil Galfond. Then you
should check out PokerStatic.com—Phil Galfond’s poker
radio site. I do a free strategy show with Phil that people
page 9
Top: Todd Melander, Dave Jeno, Bill Criego, Chinh Quatch, Drew Johnson,
Brian Ward. Bottom: Leo Fussy, Mario Hudson, Jason Senti, Brad Feldman.
should check out. It’s really good. And if you don’t like ours,
there’s also (a show) with Dang Brothers—‘Urindanger and
Trex313 online. They’re high-stakes, nosebleed, huge winners online for many years, and they do a strategy show. All
that content on PokerStatic is free.
As far as everything with PokerStars goes, they were great
to me during the Main Event and it’s possible something
will change long-term, but as of right now I am at least going
to be going to a few tournaments for them. We’ll see where
things go from there—the PCA in January.
PM: What’s it like to sort of be the face of Minnesota poker?
JS: Honestly, I’m really, really happy to win this event. It’s
the first time I’ve played locally here since I even made the
November Nine, so quite a while. Every year I like to come
out and play the Fall Poker Classic, and last year I played
the Great Minnesota Freeze-out and last year’s MSPT event
at Canterbury.
But I couldn’t play the Fall Classic this year because I had
interviews, so I at least came out and watched. So yeah, to be
able to come back, and the first one I play here I end up winning, it’s pretty awesome. I don’t even really know what to
say. I’m very happy to be in this position, and I kind of wish
there was more good, local events. Just more good poker in
Minnesota.
PM: Do you like the ambassador role?
JS: I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about that. I
know I probably should have. More or less, I have no problem talking in interviews and doing whatever; smiling and
kissing babies and all that, so if that’s what being an ambassador means, I’ll do that. I just know that I like playing
poker a lot, and if people want to ask me what I think about
it and what life’s about, I’m cool with that.
PM: Do people ever get weirded out when you try to kiss their
babies?
JS: Usually people get a little frightened. It’s mostly
because I grab random babies. If it were friends’ babies it
might be different.
MNPOKERMAG.COM page 10
Minnesota Poker Magazine
January 2011
Online Scene
JOHN HAYES WINS USACOOP
MAIN EVENT
MN
PokerRadio’s Nate Avenson recently sat
down with PokerStars USA-COOP Main
Event Champion John ‘JohnnyGstaks’
Hayes, whose online scores total almost $2 million after his
$140,000 score.
Nate Avenson: While you’ve been a fixture amongst the top
ranking online mtt players from Minnesota for many years, live
players probably know you more for your mohawk and bold sense
of style. Tell me a little about your look. What impact do you think
it has had on your live opponents?
John Hayes: My look basically reflects my attitude. I usually
have a shaved head, but about 3 years ago I let it grow out
while I was hospitalized for blood clots in my lungs. After I
recovered, I was shaving my head in the backyard and said to
myself "(expletive), I just had a close call with my life, (expletive) it!” and I cut it into a mohawk.
I know my look has been +EV for live play. Many opponents
have said that I look like a loose cannon that doesn’t know
what he is doing and they are shocked when the see how well
I play. It's been beneficial at the tables, but it also gets a lot
of negative attention as well. Some days you can B.S. with me
all day about it, but if u ride it too much, you might find my fist
down your throat.
NA: Leading up to the final table, I recall that you lost a pot
that left you with only 4 BB’s while 11 players remained. Describe
what was going through your head at that point, and how you
overcame that deficit to secure a three-way chop and, eventually,
become a national champion.
JH: I had AA five-handed, I opened, and the SB shoved allin. I snap called and he tabled JJ, and obviously spiked a J on
the river. I just hung my head down for like a min at least, just
timing away. I finally picked my head up, saw that I only had
about 4 BBs UTG with J8o. I push and it folds to the BB who
calls with ace rag. This time I spike the J to double up. Very
next hand, I look down at AA again. I couldn’t believe it. UTG
opens, I shove, and he snaps with A6, doubling me up again
and giving me some hope.
When we hit the final table, I called my family so they could
sweat me. I was so excited, having gone from basically out and
heartbroken, to right back in it. I played smart and somewhat
Johnny G Staks
tight until we were 3 handed. We did a chip count chop that
gave me $120k, and left $20k in play for the eventual winner.
NA: Finally, is there anyone out there who you’d like to give a
shout-out to?
JH: My family, they have always been very supportive. My
love of cards came from playing card games with them as a
kid. I especially remember playing my favorite game, spades,
with my grandpa. My good friend Brett “Wayne Bretski” S.,
who got me started, and Zeph & James, who got in at the same
time. My brother Patrick, who has helped me continuously
with everything outside of poker. And, of course, Lance “kingpin023” Harris for shipping me the run good monies for the
event. And a big THANK YOU for all the kind words and PM's
family and friends have left me. Thanks to everyone that’s
helping to get online poker regulated. The Poker Players
Alliance still needs support, so please do your part! Oh, and
thank you Pocket 5’s and P5ers! I hope I didn’t forget anyone!
Nate Avenson co-hosts MNPokerRadio on Tuesday nights at
8:00. Listen live on MNPokerMag.com
MNPOKERMAG.COM page 12
Minnesota Poker Magazine
News & Notes
BREYFOGLE WINS $70K;
MNPOKERMAG.COM UPDATE
By MNPokerMag Staff
T
odd Breyfogle made a strong showing
at Commerce Casino in mid-November,
finishing fourth place in the LA Poker Open
$2,000 buy-in main event.
Breyfogle was listed as winning $46,420, but the
final five players actually chopped for approximately $70,000 each.
Breyfogle has played primarily cash games over
the last few years, as chronicled in the September,
2010 issue of Minnesota Poker Magazine. But lately
he has focused more on tournaments, with success
in some of the weekly tournaments at Running
Aces Harness Park.
What to expect on MNPokerMag.com
As mentioned on page 3, MNPokerMag.com has
absolutely blown up over the past year, and as a result we will put more of a focus on website content.
Here are some of the new things you can find at
MNPokerMag.com each week:
Tuesdays: Online player rankings, powered by
PocketFives.com. If you play online tournaments,
be sure to register for free at PocketFives.com and
list your hometown in Minnesota. Check back every
Tuesday to see where you rank among the state’s
best.
Wednesdays: Bar league standings. There are several bar leagues in Minnesota, including (but not
limited to) the Free Poker Network, Chippy Poker,
the Straight Flush Poker Tour, the World Poker
Tour’s Amateur Poker League and others. Check
MNPokerMag.com every Wednesday to see where
you rank among the state’s best bar league players.
Thursdays: MNPokerMag Player of the Year
standings. Players begin accumulating points for
the 2011 standings on January 1st, and MNPokerMag.com will provide updates every Thursday—including who has the most POY cashes.
Be on the lookout for other regular posts as well.
Todd Breyfogle
MNPOKERMAG.COM January 2011
Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 14
local
Tournament Results
January 2011
1. Black Bear Casino
Carlton, MN
www.blackbearcasinoresort.com
card rooms
2. Canterbury Park
Shakopee, MN
www.canterburypark.com
3. Diamond Jo Casino
Northwood, IA
www.diamondjoworth.com
4. Fortune Bay Casino
Tower, MN
www.fortunebay.com
12
4
11
• Bemidji
13
8
• Duluth
94
1
5
94
14
10
94
2
12. Seven Clans Casinos
Thief River Falls, MN
www.sevenclanscasino.com
15
• Mankato
13. Shooting Star Casino
Mahnomen, MN
www.starcasino.com
35
90
90
3
10. Running Aces Harness Park
Columbus, MN
www.runningacesharness.com
11. Seven Clans Casinos
Red Lake, MN
www.sevenclanscasino.com
Mpls/St. Paul
9
8. Northern Lights Casino
Walker, MN
www.northernlightscasino.com
9. Prairie's Edge Casinio
Granite Falls, MN
www.prairiesedgecasino.com
35
6
7
6. Grand Casino—Mille Lacs
Onamia, MN
www.grandcasinomn.com
7. Jackpot Junction Casino
Morton, MN
www.jackpotjunction.com
16
• Moorhead
5. Grand Casino—Hinckley
Hinckley, MN
www.grandcasinomn.com
14. St. Croix Casino
Turtle Lake, WI
www.stcroixcasino.com
15. Treasure Island Casino
Welch, MN
www.treasureislandcasino.com
16. White Oak Casino
Deer River, MN
www.whiteoakcasino.com
MNPOKERMAG.COM