3-Bet: Timothy Thorp, Frankie Zeta & Afshin Behniya Win Live Titles

While the DPT Xpress is dealing out drama in Goa, the international poker scene is a cauldron of excitement. From the glitz of Vegas to the gritty battles in Milwaukee and the high-stakes showdowns in Sydney, the cards are flying, and fortunes are changing hands. In this 3-Bet report, we break down the standout performances from these electrifying stops!

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) kicked off its 16th season at the Venetian, and it was clear from the start that this year would be one to remember. The tour then rolled into Milwaukee for the 100 Grand Stack Festival, and the $1,110 MSPT Main Event became a warzone. With a massive 1,697 entries, the tournament smashed its $500K guarantee, generating a staggering $1,644,590 prize pool. From this stacked field, one player emerged: Timothy Thorp (cover image – left). In a display of pure poker skill, Thorp won his second MSPT Main Event title in just ten weeks. This latest victory at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, saw him navigate a three-way deal to a career-best score of $244,362. And this comes right after his win at MSPT East Chicago last November. Umut Ozturk and Ryan Eamon also walked away with $160,000 apiece from the deal.

The Mid-Atlantic Poker Open (MAPO) brought the heat to Maryland Live! Casino and Hotel. The festival’s highlight, the $2,200 Main Event, boasted a $500K guarantee, but the players had other plans. A 367-entry field swelled the prize pool to a hefty $718,586. After three days of fierce competition, Frankie Zeta (cover image – centre) rose to the top, claiming his first title of 2025 and a career-best $145,706. Zeta’s victory was a clinic, as he dominated a tough final table before besting Semsettin Ilyas heads-up. Ilyas didn’t leave empty-handed, taking home a respectable $97,125.

Across the globe, the Australian Poker League (APL) made a dramatic entrance at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club in Sydney. Twelve days of poker madness unfolded across 52 events, but the spotlight shone brightest on the APL600 Sydney AU$600 Main Event. Melbourne’s Afshin Behniya (cover image – centre) etched his name into the APL history books, becoming the tournament’s inaugural champion. Behniya’s triumph earned him a career-best AU$125,955 ($78,378), a seat in the 2025 APL Million, an AU$100K Invitational Seat, and the APL600 Sydney trophy. Daniel Tolomeo and Linus Goh battled their way to second and third place, respectively, each pocketing AU$84,000 ($52,270) through the deal.

Timothy Thorp Does It Again: Scores a Second MSPT Main Event Victory in Just Ten Weeks! ($244,362)

The 2025 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is off and running, kicking off its 16th season at the Venetian Poker Room in Las Vegas. The action then rolled into the Milwaukee 100 Grand Stack Festival from January 28 to February 2, where the $1,110 MSPT Main Event stole the show. A monster field of 1,697 entries across three starting flights ballooned the prize pool to $1,644,590—leaving the advertised $500,000 guarantee in the dust.

From this sea of poker talent, Timothy Thorp came out on top, pulling off a stunning feat: bagging his second MSPT Main Event title in just ten weeks. This latest triumph at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earned him a career-best $244,362 after a three-way deal. This win follows his first MSPT Main Event title in East Chicago last November, boosting his total live tournament earnings to $394,469.

Tim Throp Wins MSPT Season 16 Potawatomi 100 GRAND STACK Main Event for Second Title and Career Best $244,362:https://t.co/WDc8H0F7Sn

$1,110 – 100 GRAND STACK Main Event NLH @paysbig

Live Updates: https://t.co/C0TunwlOlM pic.twitter.com/fYTcd6Hmgx

— MSPT (@msptpoker) February 3, 2025

Umut Ozturk finished runner-up, earning $160,000, while Ryan Eamon completed the podium, also taking home the same $160,000 from the deal.

Others who made deep runs but fell short of the final table included Shane Thorne (24th), Mike Estes (18th), Kyna England (16th), Ken Komberec (15th), and Chuck Kersey (13th).

Thorp’s run to the title was one of grit and some good luck. He started the final day with just 230,000 chips—a mere seven big blinds. His fortunes turned early, when he cracked pocket kings with ace-four, giving him the momentum he desperately needed. By the time the final table rolled out, he was sitting on 35.50 Million chips, holding the second chip lead.

The final table saw a flurry of eliminations right off the bat. Nikolay Terziev (9th), Glenn Stout (8th), and Stephen Smith (7th) were knocked out quickly.

Thorp, playing a patient game, then eliminated Jamie Payne in sixth place. Two-time MSPT Player of the Year Umut Ozturk sent Imran Sajwani (5th) and Curtis Vierstraete (4th) packing, leaving the final three players to make a deal. Each player locked up $160,000, with the champion set to collect an extra $84,362.

After taking out Ryan Eamon in third place, Thorp faced Umut Ozturk heads-up with a slight chip advantage, holding 99.70 Million chips to Ozturk’s 72 Million. The match was over in a flash, decided in a single hand. Ozturk moved all in with on the flop , only to run into Thorp’s . The on the turn and on the river sealed the deal, giving Thorp his second MSPT Main Event title even before the memory of the first one had faded.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Timothy Thorp – $244,362*
2. Umut Ozturk – $160,000*
3. Ryan Eamon – $160,000*
4. Curtis Vierstraete – $95,544
5. Imran Sajwani – $72,873
6. Jamie Payne – $55,059
7. Stephen Smith – $43,724
8. Glenn Stout – $34,007
9. Nikolay Terziev – $27,530

*denotes a three-way deal

Frankie Zeta Scores a Breakthrough: Conquers the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Poker Open Main Event! ($145,706)

The poker room at Maryland Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover was the place to be from January 20 to February 3 as the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Poker Open (MAPO) unfolded. The festival’s main attraction, the $2,200 Main Event, boasted a $500K guarantee, but the turnout blew it out of the water. A 367-entry field swelled the prize pool to $718,586, giving players plenty to fight for over three days of intense play.

When the last card was dealt, Frankie Zeta was the one holding all the chips, taking home a career-best $145,706 and the MAPO Main Event trophy. This was Zeta’s first tournament win of 2025, and he did it in style. Semsettin Ilyas put up a good fight, eventually finishing runner-up for $97,125. This win boosts Zeta’s total live earnings past the $400,000 mark, adding another impressive result to his poker career.

Frankie Zeta @Zeta_Poker captures career-high score with victory in the MAPO Main Event at Maryland Live!https://t.co/GFSLwdmsug pic.twitter.com/eCQARVFPWv

— Live! Poker Room Maryland (@LivePokerRoom) February 4, 2025

Zeta entered the final day second in chips, trailing Brandon Hall. He quickly found his rhythm, winning two crucial hands with ace-jack against Austin Remmel. Those pots gave Zeta a comfortable chip lead; from then on, he was in control.

With Remmel out in fifth place, Zeta ran the show. His well-timed three-bets consistently went unchallenged, and he knew exactly when to apply pressure. He made smart moves on the button at just the right times and maintained his chip lead, even after losing the occasional pot.

Despite the game’s swings, Zeta was in his element, enjoying the table’s energy. He mentioned that the field had a nice mix of local players he knew, which made for a competitive but relaxed atmosphere.

The heads-up battle between Zeta and Semsettin Ilyas was short and decisive, lasting about ten hands. It all came down to a classic coin flip. Zeta held king-queen, while Ilyas risked it all with pocket eights. The board ran out in Zeta’s favour, landing him the biggest win of his career!

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Frankie Zeta – $145,706
2. Semsettin Ilyas – $97,125
3. Brandon Hall – $71,275
4. Joseph Crowley – $53,970
5. Austin Remmel – $39,870
6. Aaron Pinson – $30,400
7. Valentin Lita – $23,470
8. Alan Gendelman – $18,370
9. Maclaren Chatham – $14,570

Afshin Behniya Makes History: Wins Inaugural APL600 Sydney Main Event! (AU$125,955)

The Australian Poker League (APL) made a grand entrance at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club in Sydney, Australia, with 12 days of exciting poker action across 52 events. The highlight, without a doubt, was the APL600 Sydney AU$600 Main Event, which saw Melbourne’s Afshin Behniya claim his place in poker history as the tournament’s first-ever champion.

Behniya battled through a tough field of 1,567 entries (across nine starting flights), dominating the final table en route to a career-best AU$125,955 (~$78,378) payday, thanks to a three-way deal. His victory also earned him a seat in the 2025 APL Million and an AU$100K Invitational Seat, along with the prestigious APL600 Sydney Trophy.

From an enormous field of 1,567 entries, just one man remains!!
Huge congrats to Melbourne’s Afshin ‘Andy’ Behniya who collected a whopping #APL600 first prize of $125,955 (and a #2025APLMILLION seat and a $100K Invitational Seat) after a Final Table 3-way deal!! pic.twitter.com/YD8uM5FHSq

— APL Major Events (@APLMajorEvents) February 2, 2025

The final stages of the tournament saw an intense three-handed showdown between Afshin Behniya, Linus Goh, and Daniel Tolomeo. The trio agreed to an ICM chop, each locking up AU$84,000 (~$52,270) while leaving an extra AU$41,955, the APL Trophy, and the AU$100K Invitational Seat for the winner.

The inaugural APL600 Sydney Main Event was a runaway success, generating a scorching AU$783,500 prize pool—more than triple the original AU$250,000 guarantee. The APL network’s efforts in running qualifiers and the event’s interstate appeal clearly paid off.

For Behniya, this win was huge. Entering Day 2 with a strong stack of 403,000 chips—almost double the average—he controlled the final table, ultimately taking the trophy back to Melbourne.

As the final table began, Behniya was in the driver’s seat with a commanding 22 Million chips, followed closely by Ling Liu and Daniel Tolomeo.

The action-packed finale started with Adnan Al-Maliki being the first to exit in ninth place, followed shortly by Guillaume Morton in eighth for $14,885.

As the blinds increased, eliminations came quickly. Hong Xie and Victor Wang bowed out before Ling Liu, who began with one of the largest stacks, exited in fifth place for $28,205. Yang Zhang, who skillfully navigated the final table with a mid-sized stack, finished a respectable fourth for $41,605.

With the final three players striking a deal and locking up AU$84,000 each. With all three players already guaranteed substantial payouts, the action remained intense. Linus Goh exited in third place, taking home AU$84,000 along with his 2025 APL Million seat. That left Behniya and Tolomeo to duke it out for the top prize.

The deciding hand came when Behniya, holding pocket eights, three-bet from the big blind, prompting Tolomeo to shove all-in with . The board ran out , giving Behniya the victory with his pocket eights holding up. Tolomeo collected AU$84,000 for his second-place finish, along with a 2025 APL Million seat.

For Behniya, this wasn’t just another win but a career-changing moment. With less than $50,000 in total live earnings before, his Hendon Mob total has now jumped to over $120,000.

Final Table Results (AUD)

1. Afshin Behniya – $125,955*
2. Daniel Tolomeo – $84,000*
3. Linus Goh – $84,000*
4. Yang Zhang – $41,605
5. Ling Liu – $28,205
6. Victor Wang – $20,370
7. Hong Xie – $17,235
8. Guillaume Morton – $14,885
9. Adnan Al-Maliki – $12,535

*denotes a three-way deal

Content and Images Courtesy: Mid-States Poker Tour, Mid-Atlantic Poker Open and Card Player