Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
426
Level
28
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
5,000
Illingworth Bags Narrow Lead Over Defending Champ Olson
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Two former Mid-States Poker Tour champs topped the chip counts at the end of Day 1b of MSPT Meskwaki, leading a field of 50 survivors. Iowa native Joe Illingworth, who won MSPT Ho-Chunk in 2012 for $65,742, finished with the top stack, 269,500. That was enough for a small lead over the defending champion of this event, Jonathan Olson, who banked $95,741 here in July. Olson finished with 262,000.
The field size of 244 for the second starting flight was enough to push the total to 426, smashing the old record (also set by the MSPT in April) of 389 players for a tournament with a buy-in greater than $1,000 in Iowa.
Others who moved on to Sunday's Day 2 included John Kurfman (216,500), Arron Salandro (215,500), Ken Auker (211,500), bracelet winner Nick Jivkov (182,500), Jeremy Dresch (171,500), Nik Stone (105,000), Yossi Azulay (62,000), "Minneapolis" Jim Meehan (61,000), Phil Mader (58,000), and European Poker Tour champion Tim Vance (45,000).
Illingworth was among the leaders just before the last break, and he only added to his stack from there. In one notable pot, he was able to outdraw the 
of Cash Carpenter with his 
all in preflop when two diamonds hit the flop and a third hit on the river.
Olson was unable to get anything going for most of the day after coming up empty-handed on Day 1a, but he began to turn things around by doubling through bracelet winner Will Givens with the 
, good for a boat on a board of 
against Givens' 
. At that point, Olson had 36,500 at Level 10 (500/1,000/100), and he rode the heater from there to a top stack.
Dresch looked poised to bag the chip lead when he had more chips than both leaders ended with, but he bluffed off a large chunk of his stack on one of the last big hands of the night.
Many of the most notable and feared players in the field failed to advance to Day 2, including Blair Hinkle, Brandon Meyers, Lance Harris, Kou Vang, the aforementioned Givens, Allen Kessler, and Matt Kirby. Other eliminations included Mike Mustafa, Jon Hanner, Mike Holm, Judd Greenagel, Jason Seitz, Mario Hudson, Mike Ross, Jason Sell, Aaron Johnson, and Tony Lazar.
Day 2 play will resume at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, so don't miss the final day of this tournament, which will see a six-figure score head to the winner.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
269,500 | -8,700 |
|
262,000 | -18,000 |
|
216,500 | 47,000 |
|
|
215,500 | 215,500 |
|
211,500 | 40,000 |
|
182,500 | 108,500 |
|
179,500 | 179,500 |
|
171,500 | -120,500 |
|
|
154,000 | -11,000 |
|
142,000 | 32,000 |
|
|
130,000 | 130,000 |
|
126,500 | 6,500 |
|
115,000 | -25,000 |
|
111,500 | -3,500 |
|
109,000 | 109,000 |
|
105,000 | 38,000 |
|
103,500 | -11,500 |
|
101,500 | 101,500 |
|
96,000 | 96,000 |
|
94,000 | 94,000 |
|
92,500 | 92,500 |
|
|
92,000 | 92,000 |
|
|
90,000 | 90,000 |
|
|
89,000 | 89,000 |
|
85,000 | 85,000 |
Dresch Bluffs Off a Chunk
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Arron Salandro opened for a raise in middle position, and Jeremy Dresch made it 17,700 to go from the button.
"This is gonna be good," Salandro predicted as he made the call.
The flop came 
, and Salandro check-called 23,000. Both players checked the 
, and Salandro checked the 
river. Dresch thought for about a minute before announcing he was all in, and Salandro snap-called.
Dresch tabled an 
before sliding his other card to the muck, knowing he was beat, and Salandro showed 
for a flush.
Photos: MSPT Meskwaki Day 1b
Olson Mounting Title Defense
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Jonathan Olson has quickly run up a monster stack after being unable to get much going for the last two days. In one recent pot, he check-called 21,000 on the river against a player on the button with a board of 
between them.
"You got it," the player said with a shake of his head, turning over 
for a missed straight draw.
Olson showed 
for top pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000 | 45,000 |
Gourley Bounces "Moe S."
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
A player who would only identify himself as Moe S. shove all in for 54,000 or so in middle position and saw Cory Gourley shove a few spots later. Everyone else folded.
Gourley:
Moe S.: 
The board brought a bit of a scare on the turn as it read 
, but Gourley faded the sixes and fives as the board paired with the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000 | |
|
|
Busted |
Dresch Atop Counts
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
292,000 | 155,000 |
|
|
235,000 | 156,000 |
|
|
171,500 | 16,500 |
|
|
115,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
115,000 | 9,000 |
|
69,000 | 24,000 |
|
65,200 | 13,300 |
|
50,800 | 31,600 |
|
30,600 | -24,400 |
|
27,000 | -32,000 |
|
26,000 | -14,500 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Illingworth Stacks Carpenter
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
Joe Illingworth just sent Cash Carpenter packing after the two got it in preflop with Carpenter's small stack at risk. Illingworth had but was behind Carpenter's . Fortunately for Illingworth, two diamonds flopped and he was able to fill his flush draw on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
278,200 | 108,200 |
|
Busted |