Lopez Holds Off Darren Rabinowitz at Venetian Las Vegas
The Major Series of Poker (MSPT) wrapped up its $1,100 buy-in 2025 Nevada Poker State Championship at Venetian Las Vegas, where 522 entries across three starting flights generated a strong turnout. On Sunday, 59 players returned to battle for the title, and it was Miguel Lopez who rose from start-of-day chip leader to first-time MSPT champion, banking $86,899 after defeating veteran pro Darren Rabinowitz heads-up.
Lopez entered the final duel with nearly 90% of the chips in play. Rabinowitz doubled up early to apply pressure but could not complete the comeback. The final hand saw his top pair of kings run into Lopez’s flopped top two pair, sealing the victory.
MSPT Nevada Poker State Championship Final Table
| Rank | Player | Prize | POY Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miguel Lopez | $86,899 | 1,600 |
| 2 | Darren Rabinowitz | $63,904 | 1,400 |
| 3 | Mohamed Serry | $47,552 | 1,300 |
| 4 | Mikhail Sniatovskii | $35,803 | 1,200 |
| 5 | David Jackson | $27,280 | 1,100 |
| 6 | Anthony Danna | $21,038 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Steven Zazaian | $16,424 | 900 |
| 8 | Sami Bechahed | $12,981 | 800 |
| 9 | Taylor Black | $10,389 | 700 |
Player of the Year Race Remains Tight
The championship also played into the MSPT Season 16 Player of the Year standings. Leaderboard frontrunners Umut Ozturk and Jake Long both notched mid-deep runs—Ozturk finished 18th for $4,846, while Long placed 17th for $5,750. Each collected 400 POY points, leaving the top two spots unchanged.
Third-ranked Josh Reichard added 150 points after placing 27th for $3,144, keeping the chase alive heading into the fall schedule.
Notable cashes included:
- Nick Pupillo, 12th – $6,913
- Jesse Yaginuma, 13th – $6,913
- Terry Fleischer, 26th – $3,583
- Irene Carey, 47th – $2,526
- David Larson, 48th – $2,526
- Ben Palmer, 59th – $2,313
MSPT Moves to Wisconsin for $1 Million GTD Main Event
Next up, MSPT heads to Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Casino for the 2025 MSPT Wisconsin Poker State Championship running September 30–October 5. The stop features 11 Gold Card events, highlighted by the $1,110 buy-in Main Event boasting a $1,000,000 guarantee. Players will start with 100,000 in chips and play 40-minute levels.
Main Event schedule:
- Day 1a: Thursday, October 2 – Noon start, late registration until 9:10 p.m.
- Day 1b: Friday, October 3 – Noon start
- Day 1c: Saturday, October 4 – Noon start
- Day 2: Sunday, October 5 – Final playdown
Other events include the $400 buy-in, $200K GTD Event #1: 100 Grand Stack NLH, a $400 Seniors (50+) Monster Stack NLH, and the $200 Last Chance Monster Stack NLH.
MSPT’s previous visit to Potawatomi in January 2025 drew 1,697 entries, breaking the venue’s record of 1,658 from 2017. That event ended with Timothy Thorp defeating Umut Ozturk heads-up to capture $244,362.
