Chad Bjorkman takes down MSPT Grand Falls Main Event for $101,450
For the second time in the past six months, the Mid States Poker Tour drew huge numbers for live tournament play in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area.
The latest stop for the tour concluded this past weekend, as the MSPT Grand Falls played out at Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, IA. Just outside Sioux Falls, the Grand Falls Casino played host to players from across the country on a big weekend of live tournament play across the US.
The MSPT Grand Falls $1,100 Main Event ran from Jan. 22-24 and guaranteed a $200,000 prize pool. Chad Bjorkman made it through a field of 488 entries, coming away with his first career MSPT title and a $101,450 payday.
The 488 entries pushed the final prize pool well past the $200,000 guarantee. That promised pool was smashed by a large margin, as the $1,100 Main Event awarded $471,860 in total prize money.
MSPT Grand Falls $1,100 Main Event final table results
| Place | Player Name | Prize |
| 1 | Chad Bjorkman | $101,450 |
| 2 | Cory Nordstrand | $62,339 |
| 3 | Dave Sanderson | $44,921 |
| 4 | Cy Church | $33,974 |
| 5 | Anthony Scarborough | $25,480 |
| 6 | Ha Nguyen | $19,346 |
| 7 | Phil Gioia | $15,100 |
| 8 | Drazen Ilich | $11,797 |
| 9 | Larry Loose | $8,965 |
Top finishers and notable events from the latest MSPT Grand Falls Series
One name not making it into the money was David Bekavac, who still managed to make Poker.org headlines by his mere presence at the MSPT event.
The disgraced Midway Poker Tour founder found himself at the center of one of poker’s most controversial stories of 2020, as the inaugural MPT event descended into a debacle in September.
At the heart of that madness were payouts in silver that couldn’t be sold by winning players at prices that matched the advertised USD prize amounts. Bekavac played both Day 1 flights but didn’t advance in either.
Bjorkman took down the win for a six-figure payday, marking the second straight MSPT Grand Falls event awarding $100k-plus to the winner. Bjorkman outdueled Cory Nordstrand (2nd - $62,339) in the heads-up battle for the title.
Other top finishers included Dave Sanderson (3rd - $44,921), Cy Church ($33,974), and Anthony Scarborough (5th - $25,480).
The 488 entries yielded 67 players that advanced to Day 2 play on Jan. 24. A total of 54 players made it into the money, with the top eight finishers bagging five-figure payouts.
Rounding out the final table were Ha Nguyen (6th - $19,346), Phil Gioia (7th - $15,100), Drazen Ilich (8th - $11,797), and Larry Loose (9th - $8,965).
The most recent Grand Falls Casino stop for the MSPT nearly matched the record-breaking attendance from the tour’s August 2020 Grand Falls Main Event. That $1,100 buy-in tournament drew 518 entries, setting an all-time attendance record for both the casino and the state of Iowa for any poker tournament.
The prize pool for that event ended up at $500,960, and Mark Collins came away with the win and a $107,706 payday.
Featured image source: Twitter
