2022 BetMGM March Poker Mania

$1,060 Main Event - Pennsylvania
Day: 1
Event Info

2022 BetMGM March Poker Mania

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k7
Prize
$31,250
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,060
Prize Pool
$100,000
Entries
88
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
88
Players Left
1

$1,060 Main Event - Pennsylvania

Day 1 Completed

Matt Berkey Wins in Wild Finish of BetMGM Pennsylvania's March Poker Mania Main Event ($31,250)

Matt Berkey
Matt Berkey

Matt Berkey outlasted 88 players to defeat Edward "Hisoka" Leonard in heads-up play and win the $1,060 Main Event of BetMGM Pennsylvania's March Poker Mania. The victory caps off a successful series that ran in three different states, with Berkey playing host to the festivities from Pennsylvania while Darren Elias and Andrew Neeme represented New Jersey and Michigan, respectively. Berkey takes home $31,250 for the win from a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000.

Berkey came from behind in late final table play to defeat Leonard, who held a commanding lead throughout the end stages. Finishing in third place was "MrSchneebly", who nearly made it back-to-back victories after winning Saturday's Heads-up Bracket Challenge.

BetMGM Pennsylvania March Poker Mania Main Event Final Table Results

PlacePlayerPrize
1Matt Berkey$31,250
2Edward "Hisoka" Leonard$17,500
3"MrSchneebly"$12,750
4"MuckLavin"$9,500
5"pa500"$7,350
6"Gail the Snail"$5,550
7"bottleopener"$4,150
8"luckybluffer777"$3,250
9"Limp Grindstone"$2,500
10"ItBLikeThat"$2,500
11"CL911129"$1,850
12"Do_psychedelics"$1,850

The Path to Victory

Berkey got off to a great start soon after joining the tournament, and he held the chip lead at one point before falling back into the middle of the pack.

It was near the bubble when Berkey made a big move, knocking out "Love2Lose22" to move among the leaders with thirteen left to play. Moments after "MrSchneebly" knocked out "Until_Wilted" to burst the bubble, Berkey went on a streak of three straight knockouts and the BetMGM Ambassador entered the final table as chip leader.

Shortly after "pa500" eliminated "luckybluffer777" in eighth place, "MrSchneebly" knocked Berkey near the shorter stacks when he caught a nut flush on the river. "bottleopener" was soon out in seventh place when "Gail the Snail" held with pocket queens. Leonard then doubled through "pa500" and the merry-go-round left the new leader with over half the remaining chips.

"Gail the Snail" soon busted in sixth when they could not improve against the pocket nines of "pa500", but "pa500" was out in fifth when Leonard extended his lead with a pair of queens on the flop.

"MuckLavin" benefited from the chaos and laddered up, but the run ended in fourth place when Berkey held on with ace-two to take over second place.

Matt Berkey
Matt Berkey

As the tournament entered three-handed play, the tournament looked to be in hand for Leonard, and he held just under half of the chips remaining in play. However, Berkey soon changed the status quo and doubled with pocket tens when Leonard got overzealous with king-five. Berkey held the the lead for a moment, but Leonard was slightly ahead a few orbits later for a dramatic three-way pot that decided the tournament.

Berkey open-shoved from the button for just over 3.7 million with {j-Hearts}{j-Clubs} and "MrSchneebly" called for their last 1.1 million with {a-Clubs}{5-Clubs}. Leonard woke up with {a-Spades}{k-Spades} and called both players to try and end the tournament with a double knockout. The board ran out with no help and Berkey's jacks held on to take an insurmountable lead while knocking "MrSchneebly" out in third place. The big moment came just one hand later when Leonard was committed with queen-five, but Berkey held on for the victory with king-seven.

Congratulations to Matt Berkey for winning the $1,060 Main Event of BetMGM Pennsylvania's March Poker Mania!

Thanks for following our coverage of March Poker Mania, and be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team in the future for highlights of all of your favorite tournaments around the world and online.

Tags: Andrew NeemeDarren EliasMatt Berkey

"MrSchneebly" Eliminated in 3rd Place ($12,750)

Level 33, 40,000/80,000 (10,000)

Matt Berkey open-shoved from the button for 3,780,574 and "MrSchneebly" called for his last 1,157,644. Edward "Hisoka" Leonard called both players with the chance for a double knockout.

"MrSchneebly": {a-Clubs}{5-Clubs}
Matt Berkey: {j-Hearts}{j-Clubs}
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard: {a-Spades}{k-Spades}

The board ran out {10-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{2-Spades}{3-Clubs} and Berkey held on with jacks to eliminate "MrSchneebly" and leave Leonard with crumbs.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Matt Berkey us
Matt Berkey
8,651,292
4,616,896
4,616,896
Profile photo of Edward "Hisoka" Leonard us
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
36,208
-3,964,324
-3,964,324
Profile photo of MrSchneebly us
MrSchneebly
Busted

Berkey Takes the Lead

Level 33, 40,000/80,000 (10,000)

Edward "Hisoka" Leonard shoved and Berkey called from the next seat over in the biggest hand of the night.

Matt Berkey: {10-Hearts}{10-Clubs}
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard: {k-Spades}{5-Diamonds}

The board ran out {4-Diamonds}{9-Clubs}{5-Spades}{q-Spades}{a-Clubs} and Berkey's tens held on to double up and take a slight lead.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Matt Berkey us
Matt Berkey
4,034,396
2,143,646
2,143,646
Profile photo of Edward "Hisoka" Leonard us
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
4,000,532
-638,448
-638,448

"pa500" Eliminated in 5th Place ($7,350)

Level 31, 35,000/70,000 (8,750)

"pa500" limped in from the small blind and Edward "Hisoka" Leonard" shoved from the big blind. "pa500" called with less and was at risk.

"pa500": {k-Diamonds}{j-Hearts}
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard: {q-Clubs}{10-Hearts}

The board ran out {q-Spades}{7-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} and the flopped queen was good enough to eliminate "pa500" from the tournament in fifth place for $7,350.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Edward "Hisoka" Leonard us
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
4,638,980
1,106,615
1,106,615
Profile photo of pa500 us
pa500
Busted

Leonard Loses Pot; Still Setting the Pace

Level 30, 30,000/60,000 (7,500)

"pa500" raised to 120,000 from the button and Edward "Hisoka" Leonard called from the small blind.

The flop was {q-Spades}{3-Hearts}{j-Spades} and Leonard checked. "pa500" bet 200,000. Leonard called and the turn was {k-Spades}.

Leonard check-called a bet of 240,000 and the river was {q-Hearts}.

Both players checked and "pa500" showed {a-Hearts}{10-Clubs} to take the pot with the Broadway straight while Leonard showed {q-Clubs}{9-Clubs}.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Edward "Hisoka" Leonard us
Edward "Hisoka" Leonard
3,022,365
837,463
837,463
Profile photo of pa500 us
pa500
1,956,115
131,287
131,287