Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Potawatomi Casino
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Potawatomi Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$487,000
Entries
487
Level
29
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Matt Anderson Leads Day 1b of Record-Breaking MSPT Potawatomi
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee set a new record on Saturday as 241 Day 1b entrants joined the 246 from Day 1a to create a total field of 487 – the second-largest in MSPT history – and a prize pool of $487,000, a new Wisconsin state record. After 14 levels of play, just 41 remained with Matt Anderson and his stack of 280,500 leading the way.
Those players join the 42 survivors from Day 1a — which saw David Brown finish as chip leader with 312,500 – which means 83 players will return for Day 2 action on Sunday. Others who bagged up healthy stacks on Day 1b were reigning MSPT Player of the Year Pat Steele (277,500), Kenny Go (253,000), and John Sun (244,500).
Day 1b was filled with players firing their second, third, and in some cases fourth bullets. Brandon “oncommand” Meyers was one player that fired four times, but his hopes of cashing his third MSPT in a row came to an end when he busted early on. Others who fell on Day 1b included Jason Bobby, Eric Flesch, Mike “Wisco” Murray, Lisa Siemans, Zal Irani, Kou Vang, Ravi Raghavan, Justin Filtz, Jason Sell, and Judd Greenagel.
Another player to fall was Lob Khedup, who had also fired and missed on Day 1a. In Level 7 (250/500/50), it appeared a player had opened with a standard raise and Dan Graunke raised to 2,000 from the hijack. Khedup responded by moving all in for 9,850 from the cutoff. Graunke ended up making the call and the cards were turned on their backs.
Graunke: 
Khedup: 
Khedup got it in good, but the 
flop was bad news as Graunke flopped a flush draw. The 
turn gave Graunke the lead with tens, but Khedup must have been fixated on hearts as he didn't see it because when the 
appeared on the river he began to celebrate. The table quickly filled him in on what had happened, and that left Khedup shaking his head before exiting the tournament floor.
In Level 11 (600/1,200/200), we happened upon the action with 10,000 or so already in the pot and a flop reading 
. Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon had bet 4,700, and Jay Slonske raised him to 14,700. Not to be outdone, the ever-aggressive Kroon three-bet to 34,700, but Slonske responded by snap-shoving all in for 47,500 more. Kroon asked for a count and the table talk began.
"Kings no good?" Kroon asked. Slonske indicated they were not. "How could they not be good? I honestly think you have something dumb like queen-ten."
Kroon put together some chips as he continued to think aloud. "Why would you reraise me with a set?" he asked rhetorically. "I've played worse than this before. Maybe the only hand I beat is a 
." Kroon then tossed in a call.
Kroon: 
Slonske: 
Kroon went with his read and called with ace high, and he was in about as bad shape as he could be as Slonske did have the set. The turn left Kroon drawing dead, and even though the 
river gave him two pair, he sent the majority of his chips over to Slonske.
"I didn't think you'd reraise me," Kroon explained. Slonske then went on to win the next two hands to chip up to 200K, while Kroon was knocked down to 24,000. Amazingly, Kroon kept his composure and rebounded, eventually bagging 117,500.
While hundreds fell, plenty of notables made it through the night including Jay Slonske (205,500), Paul “Big Daddy” Elfelt (147,000), Larry Ormson (117,500), “Wild Bill” Romer (113,000), and Todd Brooks (103,500).
They will join the 42 players from Day 1a, which included big stacks Frank Swierczynski (295,500), Dan Goepel (263,500) Sunny Ali (249,500); former MSPT champs Ken Baime (202,000) and Jason Zarlenga (68,500); Mike Deis (150,000), who is currently second on the MSPT POY leaderboard; MSPT Team Pro Matt Alexander (107,500); and World Series of Poker bracelet winner Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin (55,500).
Day 2 is set to kick off at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, and the field will play down to a winner. Of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to capture all the action in our Live Reporting Section, as well as to live stream the final table action once the field is down to the final 10 players.
End-of-Day 1b Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
280,500
107,500
|
107,500 |
|
277,500 | |
|
253,000 | |
|
244,500
19,500
|
19,500 |
|
205,500
-14,500
|
-14,500 |
|
196,000
-4,000
|
-4,000 |
|
160,500 | |
|
|
147,500
-37,500
|
-37,500 |
|
|
147,000
-23,000
|
-23,000 |
|
144,500 | |
|
|
134,000 | |
|
132,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
127,000 | |
|
126,000 | |
|
|
124,500 | |
|
118,000
118,000
|
118,000 |
|
117,500
-32,500
|
-32,500 |
|
117,500
42,500
|
42,500 |
|
|
116,500 | |
|
113,000
-7,000
|
-7,000 |
|
|
110,000
-15,000
|
-15,000 |
|
|
109,500 | |
|
|
105,000 | |
|
103,500
18,500
|
18,500 |
|
|
96,000 |
Big Slick Does the Trick for Steele
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Mark Sandness opened for 5,500 and received a call from the player on the button. Pat Steele, who had a massive stack, then three-bet all in from the small blind. The player in the big called off for roughly 50,000, and Sandness agonized before folding what he claimed was pocket jacks. The button did the same — claiming he had 
— and the cards were turned up.
Steele: 
Opponent: 
It was a flip, and the coin came down in Steele's favor on the 
flop. Neither the 
turn nor 
river helped the big blind, and Steele took down the pot to chip up to 320,000.
Steele went on to double Larry Ormson a few hands later, which dropped him back below 300K.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
270,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
River Reduced Revello to Oblivion
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
After a player opened with a raise, Howard Hankin three-bet to 17,000. When action reached Nick Revello in the blind, he moved all in for 43,600 more, which inspired the original raiser to fold. Hankin then asked for a count before dropping in a call.
Hankin: 
Revello: 
It was the most classic of races, and Revello held strong through both the flop and 
turn. He just needed to avoid an ace and king on the river to double through, but that proved easier said than done as the spiked. Revello was clearly upset and walked away from the table before returning to make sure he was covered. Indeed, he was.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
125,000 | |
|
|
Busted |
Five More Hands
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The tournament staff has just announced that the remaining players will play five more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. We're headed out to the field to catch any last-minute action and to compile a list of chip counts. Stay tuned for those as well as a full recap of the Day 1b action.
The Final Table Payouts
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The official numbers are in. The MSPT Potawatomi has attracted 487 entries, which has created a prize pool of $487,000 (a Wisconsin state record). That will be distributed to the top 45 finishers with a min-cash being worth $2,352.
Here's a look at how the final table will be paid:
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $120,164 |
| 2nd | $69,370 |
| 3rd | $42,328 |
| 4th | $34,097 |
| 5th | $26,808 |
| 6th | $22,340 |
| 7th | $17,872 |
| 8th | $13,639 |
| 9th | $9,414 |
| 10th | $6,109 |
Kroon Shoots Greenagel with Bullets
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Judd Greenagel took a bit of a hit when his flopped set of fives ended up getting four flushed, and then in the very next hand he would watch the rest of his chips join the stack of Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon.
It happened when action folded to Greenagel on the button and he raised holding . Greg Brooks called from the small blind, and then Kroon moved all in from the big. Greenagel called off for around 50,000, Brooks folded, and Kroon tabled the . Greenagel was in big trouble, but the flop gave him some hope with a royal flush draw. Unfortunately for him, both the turn and river blanked and his MSPT Potawatomi Main Event came to an end after having fired a bullet on both starting days.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
Busted |
Steele Doesn't Bend
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
We saw reigning MSPT Player of the Year Pat Steele sitting with a massive stack of chips, and he was kind enough tell us how he got them.
"They respect me," Steele said with a big smile. He then explained that on a 
flop with two hearts, he checked from the small blind and Mike Holm bet 25,000. The player on the button then raised to 71,000, and Steele check-raised all in for heaps. Holms ended up folding 
, and the button released 
. Steele then showed the for the flush draw.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
256,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400