Alan Mastic Wins CPPT Venetian Main Event For $131,746
Jan 09, '23
The $1,600 buy-in Card Player Poker Tour main event, part of the DeepStack Extravaganza series at The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip, drew a field of 560 entries. The turnout helped the prize pool easily top the $500,000 guarantee, coming in at $798,000.
The biggest slice of that prize pool went to Reno, Nevada’s Alan Mastic, who banked a personal-best $131,746.
“It was just steady playing,” the 69-year-old said. “I got lucky one time at the final table, and it went well from there.”
The computer programmer has been playing poker for the last 25 years. This was the second Venetian title for Mastic in the last week. On New Year’s Eve, he beat out 95 players in the $400 buy-in MonsterStack event to earn $9,546.
Mastic’s previous best score came in the 2022 World Series of Poker main event when he finished 200th for $53,900.
In order to claim the title, he had to overcome a tough final table that featured accomplished tournament player Khoa Nguyen (8th), three-time bracelet winner Kristen Foxen (7th), WSOP.com Player of the Year Mike Holtz (5th), recent Poker Hall of Fame nominee Kathy Liebert (4th), and WPT champion and bracelet winner Jared Jaffee (3rd).
It was another deep run for Liebert, who has been on a tear recently. This summer she final tabled the WSOP senior’s event, banking $186,541 for fifth place and in November she won a WSOP Circuit ring online. She cashed four times at the WPT World Championship, including a fifth-place finish in the Ladies Championship.
Foxen, nee Bicknell, had a good chance at the win but had her pocket aces cracked by Jaffee’s A-10. It was Jaffee’s second big suckout, having also beaten pocket kings with K-Q to bust Adam Walton in 13th place.
Jaffee’s good fortune finally ran out after running a dominated ace into Mastic during three-handed play.
With that, Mastic took a 4:3 chip lead over Marquis Waters to start heads-up play. After Waters asked for a chop, however, the two decided to pause the clock.
After breaking down the chip stacks and running the numbers, the two agreed to end the tournament with a deal. Waters took home $128,500, with Mastic signing for $131,746.
Final Table Results
| Place |
Player |
Payout |
POY |
| 1 |
Alan Mastic |
$131,746 |
840 |
| 2 |
Marquis Waters |
$128,500 |
700 |
| 3 |
Jared Jaffee |
$74,104 |
560 |
| 4 |
Kathy Liebert |
$52,723 |
420 |
| 5 |
Michael Holtz |
$38,185 |
350 |
| 6 |
Mark Koeln |
$28,162 |
280 |
| 7 |
Kristen Foxen |
$21,157 |
210 |
| 8 |
Khoa Nguyen |
$16,196 |
140 |
| 9 |
Pierce McKellar |
$12,638 |
70 |
Player Tags: Alan Mastic
Alan Mastic Wins Card Player Poker Tour Venetian Main Event - Marquis Waters Takes 2nd Place
Jan 08, '23
The final two players decided to chop up the remaining prize pool to crown a champion in the Card Player Poker Tour Venetian main event.
Alan Mastic took home $131,746 in prize money as the winner of the tournament, along with the title and the trophy, while Waters was awarded the second-largest portion of the prize pool to the tune of $128,500.
Player Tags: Alan Mastic, Marquis Waters
Jared Jaffee Eliminated in 3rd Place by Alan Mastic
Jan 08, '23
Jared Jaffee was all in preflop for 3.3 million from the button, and Alan Mastic thought for a minute before calling to cover on the big blind. The two players then flipped over their cards.
Mastic: A
8
Jaffee: A
5
Board: Q72
610
Jaffee was eliminated in third place, good for $74,104, and Mastic stacked up 12.7 million after collecting the pot. He will take that stack into the heads-up final against Marquis Waters, who holds 9.7 million.
Alan Mastic – 12,700,000 (63 bb)
Player Tags: Jared Jaffee, Alan Mastic
Kathy Liebert Eliminated In 4th Place
Jan 08, '23
Kathy Liebert shoved on the button for 1,250,000 and Alan Mastic eventually made the call in the big blind with A6.
Liebert held K9, but couldn’t catch up on a board reading AJ1089.
Liebert earns $52,723 for her latest deep run.
Player Tags: Kathy Liebert, Alan Mastic
Mark Koeln Gets Lucky Again
Jan 08, '23
Alan Mastic raised to 200,000 on the button and Mark Koeln three-bet all in for 920,000 in the small blind.
Mastic eventually called, and his A8 was well ahead of Koeln’s J3.
The flop of A103 was good for Mastic.
“Maybe I don’t got this one,” said Koeln as he gathered his things.
The turn was the J.
“Maybe I do go this one.”
The river was the 9 and Mastic paid off the double, leaving himself with 1,175,000.
“I got nine lives,” said Koeln.
Player Tags: Mark Koeln, Alan Mastic
Ralph Perry Eliminated in 16th Place by Alan Mastic
Jan 08, '23
Ralph Perry was all in preflop for 420,000 from the button with KQ in the hole, and Alan Mastic had him covered holding A8 on the big blind.
The final board read A62Q5, Perry was eliminated in 16th place ($6,763), and Mastic increased his chip lead to 3.97 million.
Alan Mastic – 3,970,000 (99 bb)
Ralph Perry – Eliminated in 16th Place ($6,763)
Player Tags: Ralph Perry, Alan Mastic
Alan Mastic got into a preflop raising war with Dustin Fox and after flurry of raises, Mastic got his last 15,200 into the middle with J
8
2
.
J
On a board reading K