This Las Vegas stop was just the beginning of a packed January schedule for the tour
Matthew Wantman started the new year in the best way possible by winning the MSPT $1,600 New Year’s Poker Open at the Venetian Resort. The tournament kicked off the 17th season of the Major Series of Poker: The Tour, attracting 349 entries over three starting flights. This high turnout created a total prize pool of $500,000 for the top finishers.
Wantman entered the final day of play as the chip leader and managed to hold that top spot until the very end. For his victory, he earned a top prize of $96,284 along with a $3,500 entry into the upcoming MSPT Championship later this year. The poker pro mentioned that he had not planned on playing but decided to join the event at the last minute.
The win was quite dominant, as Wantman maintained control of the table throughout the day. He noted that the experience felt surreal, especially after taking a break from the game over the holiday season. Several other well-known players also made deep runs and finished in the money, including former champion Kfir Nahum and World Series winner Ryan Riess.
This Las Vegas stop is just the beginning of a packed January schedule for the tour. The series is now moving to San Diego for the Golden State Poker Championship before heading to Colorado. Later this month, the tour will host a major $1,000,000 guaranteed event in Arizona. The MSPT returns to the Venetian in February for the Poker Bowl X and promises to be very interesting.
