Ozturk First to Win Back-to-Back MSPT POY Titles
The Mid States Poker Tour just wrapped its Season 15 at Hollywood Casino Columbus in Ohio. But before that tour stop’s Main Event even finished, the MSPT had news about its Player of the Year leaderboard. Umut Ozturk won it – again. For the second year in a row, Ozturk reached the top of the POY leaderboard to an uncatchable position.
Better yet, Ozturk became the first player in MSPT history to win back-to-back POY titles.
Who is Umut Ozturk?
Hailing from Minnesota, Ozturk started playing serious tournament poker in 2014, according to his Hendon Mob statistics. For years, he played close to home, winning and final tabling daily tournaments at places like Canterbury Park and Running Aces. He put in the work, year after year, and then began venturing to other Midwest casinos for various mid-major tournament series before the pandemic.
Early in 2023, Ozturk appeared to make a concerted effort to travel for more poker opportunities. And he found them:
- February 2023: 1st place at MSPT Missouri State Poker Championship ($101,336)
- June 2023: 3rd place at Wynn Summer Classic ($54,797)
- August 2023: 4th place at MSPT Grand Falls Main Event ($32,228)
- October 2023: 4th place at MSPT South Dakota State Poker Championship ($26,373)
- October 2023: 7th place at MSPT East Chicago Main Event ($16,702)
Those were only the highest finishes. And in MSPT events alone, he earned points throughout Season 14 in 2023 – more points in a single season than any other player in MSPT history. He had a total of 17 cashes, many of which were final tables. His cashes for the year in MSPT events alone totaled $244,620. All of that was enough to earn the Player of the Year title.
Ozturk on a Roll
The 2023 MSPT POY title was notable, but Ozturk wasn’t stopping there. He continued on his poker journey this year, traveling a bit more for MSPT events and even playing a few World Series of Poker tournaments in Las Vegas over the summer. He kept crushing his local casino dailies, but there was something about MSPT events that propelled him to new heights.
His top 2024 scores included:
- May 2024: 2nd place at MSPT Showdown Sycuan Main Event ($50,693)
- November 2024: 8th place at MSPT East Chicago Main Event ($12,580)
- December 2024: 7th place at MSPT Festival St. Louis Main Event ($12,968)
MSPT cashes added up, though, as he had 19 cashes, breaking his own record from the previous year. And the points earned from those events put him into the top position for the year. In mid-December, it was clear that 2022 MSPT POY Josh Reichard was in a solid second on the 2024 leaderboard and would not be able to catch Ozturk. The latter finished the year with 6,825 points.
Ozturk became the 2024 MSPT Player of the Year and the only player to ever win back-to-back POY titles in the 15-year history of the Mid States Poker Tour.
Umut Ozturk (@Gr8Turk1977) Wins Season 15 Player of the Year, Back-to-Back❗️
— MSPT (@msptpoker) December 17, 2024
Article: https://t.co/lFWKvTSgzm pic.twitter.com/KpYJcwWgF4
Definition of a Grinder
A grinder in poker is a player who performs consistently well, racking up small to medium wins on a steady basis. It takes a lot of grit to play regularly without achieving that “big score” or life-changing sum that can change the trajectory of a player’s career or life.
Ozturk’s Hendon Mob profile shows that he could teach courses on grinding poker. And it demonstrates a true passion for the game, as he plays well and consistently, staying in his lane but remaining a threat at any table. After years of staying on the grind, Ozturk is nearing the $950K mark of lifetime live tournament scores. He is likely to surpass the $1M mark in 2025 – probably sooner than later.
MSPT Gears Up for Season 16
It’s only days away. The Mid States Poker Tour is preparing to kick off its 16th season at the Venetian in Las Vegas. As one of the highlights of the Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza, MSPT will offer its $1,100 buy-in event January 2-5 with a $300K guarantee.
From there, the tour heads to San Diego in California, Black Hawk in Colorado, and Milwaukee in Wisconsin – all before January ends. The full schedule is on the MSPT website.
Feature photo courtesy of MSPT.
