The $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em tournament attracted 619 entries
Harrison Genson earned his first-ever Major Series of Poker Tour (MSPT) title on May 26, winning the Main Event at Ameristar East Chicago and walking away with $105,000. The victory also marks the biggest live tournament cash of his career, bringing the Illinois native’s total earnings to over $165,000.
Genson’s win came in a $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em tournament that drew 619 entries across four starting flights, pushing the prize pool to nearly $600,000—well above the event’s half-million-dollar guarantee. The top 71 finishers took home a payday, with each earning at least $2,209.
After previously finishing 10th at an MSPT event in Potawatomi earlier this year, Genson told reporters he came into this tournament with a renewed focus. “I’ve been playing for a while and had never made a live final table before,” he said. “To win the first one I make—it’s just surreal.”
Entering the final table fourth in chips, Genson made his presence known quickly. He eliminated Dejan Petrovic in seventh place, followed by taking out former MSPT Sycuan winner Jason Mendoza in sixth. His momentum didn’t stop there—Genson knocked out Garry Gurevich in fifth, then won the decisive hand of the tournament by beating Daniel Hughes with a pair of sixes.
Hughes moved all in with ace-four suited but couldn’t beat Genson’s 7♣6♦ on a board that ran out K♠6♥5♦Q♥4♥. With that, Hughes was out in fourth, and the remaining three players—Genson, David Hoffman, and Brett Reichard—agreed to a deal. Genson claimed the trophy and the largest share of the prize money, while Hoffman and Reichard received equal payouts for second and third.
The MSPT next heads to Las Vegas, where the $1,600 buy-in MAJOR Heart Poker Championship takes place at the Venetian from June 4–8.
