2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino

Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k4
Prize
$95,741
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
368
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000

Main Event

Day 1b Completed

Gonia Leads, Seeks Second MSPT Title

Level 14 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
David Gonia has a big lead heading to Day 2.
David Gonia has a big lead heading to Day 2.

Day 1b of Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki is in the books after 14 levels of play. Minnesotan David Gonia went on a huge rush in the last few levels of the night to bag a monstrous 392,000, nearly 100,000 clear of Day 1a leader and fellow Minnesota native Brandon Meyers.

Gonia is no stranger to running deep in MSPT events, as his breakthrough live cash came in February 2013, when he shipped the first event of the season at Running Aces Harness Park for $93,941.

The total field Saturday was 204, and 35 players survived to brave the short turnaround to Sunday morning's Day 2. A total of 71 will return. Among other Day 1b survivors: Chance Lautner (289,000), Ben Keeline (261,500), Brian Zupancich (229,000), Lance Harris (208,500), Matt Alexander (121,000), Scott Mahin (85,500), Adam Zych, (65,000), Molly Mossey (36,500), and Ryan Hohenstein (36,000).

Harris is coming off of a strong World Series of Poker in which he added about $150,000 to his war chest via five cashes, including a fourth in Event #11 for nearly $120,000. Harris got things going early by busting Ryan Hartmann with top two, but he ran into a significant and strange roadblock late in the night.

Apparently, the flop had come {k-}{q-}{5-} and Terry Ring had bet 20,000. Harris raised to 50,000, and Zupancich went all in for just over 70,000.

"Alright, let's do it," Ring apparently said as he dropped some chips into the pot. Harris called, flipping {k-}{q-}, but Zupancich had the lead with {5-}{5-} for a set. Ring was in last with {a-}{a-}. Nobody improved on the last two streets, and Zupancich dragged the massive pot.

Harris collected what he presumed to be a side pot containing all of Ring's remaining chips, but Ring pointed out that he had never actually said all in. The floor was called, and the ruling was that since Ring never moved in, everyone had just called Zupancich's bet and Ring would retain his last 45,000. A disgusted Harris tossed the chips back into the middle, saying he thought Ring was all in and he was calling Ring's shove as well.

Ultimately, Harris got his revenge by busting Ring a short time later.

In addition to Ring, Brett Kuznia, John Morgan, Allen Kessler, Josh Reichard, Matt Kirby, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Anderson, Brett Schwertley, and Chris Tryba fell short of the finish line.

The 71 Day 2 qualifiers will be back at it at 10 a.m. local time here in Tama, Iowa, so don't go far. The highlights of the action will be posted right here on PokerNews.

Tags: David GoniaLance Harris

End of Day 1b Counts (full)

Level 14 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Player Chips Progress
David Gonia us
David Gonia
392,000 27,000
Chance Lautner
Chance Lautner
289,000
Ben Keeline us
Ben Keeline
261,500 -23,500
Brian Zupancich us
Brian Zupancich
229,000 -45,000
Lance Harris
Lance Harris
208,500 -4,500
Frank Huschle
Frank Huschle
199,000 135,000
Joseph Barnard us
Joseph Barnard
196,500
Justin Thurlow us
Justin Thurlow
158,000 13,000
Stan Webb us
Stan Webb
156,500
Paul Ewen us
Paul Ewen
156,000 14,000
Matthew Alexander us
Matthew Alexander
121,000 75,500
Larry Hayes
Larry Hayes
121,000
Kenneth Rosheisen
Kenneth Rosheisen
120,500
Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan
116,000
Matt Sztamburski us
Matt Sztamburski
103,000 -26,000
John Coolman
John Coolman
102,000
Tyler Loney us
Tyler Loney
90,500
Scott Mahin us
Scott Mahin
85,500 1,300
Steve Belland us
Steve Belland
84,500 67,000
Kenneth Miell
Kenneth Miell
78,000
Colin Anderson
Colin Anderson
76,500
Jon Maras us
Jon Maras
76,000
David Kimbrell
David Kimbrell
73,500
Kurt Wildin us
Kurt Wildin
68,500
Hamid Feiz us
Hamid Feiz
67,500 23,200

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"He Ain't Sleepin' Tonight"

Level 14 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

In one of the last hands of the night at Table 13, a player tossed his last 11,000 or so into the pot and was called by Scott Mahin on the button and Lance Harris in the blinds. Harris checked the {9-Diamonds}{10-Hearts}{k-Diamonds} flop, and Mahin shoved, forcing Harris to quickly fold.

Mahin: {9-Clubs}{9-Spades}
Opponent: {a-Hearts}{a-Diamonds}

Mahin had outflopped the aces, but he picked up some additional cards to fade after the {10-Diamonds} turn gave Mahin's opponent a draw to tens full as well as aces. The {5-Hearts} river kept Mahin best.

"He ain't sleepin' tonight," Frank Huschle remarked after the unlucky player exited.

Player Chips Progress
Scott Mahin us
Scott Mahin
84,200

Tags: Frank HuschleScott MahinLance Harris

Feiz Runs Into a Monster

Level 14 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

Hamid Feiz bet 20,000 after the turn made the board {10-Diamonds}{8-Spades}{10-Hearts}{k-Spades}, and Matt Sztamburski shoved his last 34,800 in. Feiz called instantly but saw some really bad news.

Feiz: {k-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds}
Sztamburski: {8-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}

"I need a king," Feiz accurately assessed.

He didn't get one, as the river was a {4-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Matt Sztamburski us
Matt Sztamburski
129,000
Hamid Feiz us
Hamid Feiz
44,300 -135,700

Tags: Hamid FeizMatt Sztamburski

Hefty Stacks as Last Level Begins

Level 14 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

We might see multiple players top Brandon Meyers, who bagged 294,000 to end Day 1a. Amazingly, with four tables left, four of the monster stacks (Lance Harris, David Gonia, Brian Zupancich, and Chance Lautner) are seated at Table 13 together, so we'll keep an eye on that table as the night winds down. Harris just busted Mario Hudson in a pot we didn't see.

Player Chips Progress
David Gonia us
David Gonia
365,000 50,000
Ben Keeline us
Ben Keeline
285,000 58,000
Brian Zupancich us
Brian Zupancich
274,000 53,000
Chance Lautner
Chance Lautner
261,000 58,500
Lance Harris
Lance Harris
213,000 57,000
Mario Hudson us
Mario Hudson
Busted

Tags: Brian ZupancichBrandon MeyersChance LautnerDavid GoniaLance HarrisMario Hudson

Level: 14

Blinds: 1,200/2,400

Ante: 400