Main Event Day 1a | 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Canterbury Park

12-12-2015 08:33 UTC

Just 43 of 219 Survive Day 1a With Yao Yin On Top

[user127999]

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

The first of two starting flights for the 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Canterbury Park Main Event drew 219 entries to the racetrack and card room just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday.

This quickly rendered the $200,000 guarantee moot with Saturday's second Day 1 flight still to come. Through 14 levels of play, 43 survived and will return to play down to a winner — along with the Day 1b survivors — on Sunday at 11 a.m. local time.

On a night when it was announced that MSPT Pro Blake Bohn and "Minneapolis" Jim Meehan were inducted into Minnesota Poker Hall of Fame, it was MSPT Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells eighth-place finisher Yao "YY" Yin that stole the show. Yin flopped bottom set against MSPT title holder Jeremy Dresch's top two pair and held to grab a massive pot and the chip lead in Level 11.

He kept his foot on the gas after that on the way to bagging 268,000.

While Bohn, current MSPT Player of the Year leader Mark Hodge and the venerable Allen Kessler joined the masses in hitting the rail throughout the flight, others bagged contending stacks, including Willie Olson (229,500), Vladimir Revniaga (186,000) and Hank Mlekoday (186,000).

While this group will be on ice until Sunday, Day 1b kicks off at 4 p.m. local time Saturday and organizers are expecting a field at least the same size.

PokerNews will be on hand from start to finish as the 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Canterbury Park Main Event moves on and you are welcome to follow along right here.

Tags: Allen Kessler Blake Bohn Jeremy Dresch Mark Hodge Yao Yin

12-12-2015 06:22 UTC

In The Driver's Seat

[user127999]

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Yao Yin is in the driver's seat and his foot his firmly on the gas.

Moments ago, he pushed over a bet, heads up on a flop. Yao's opponent called with and was miles ahead of Yin's . The turn changed little, but the river changed it all.

Yin scooped the pot with two pair, collected another tournament life, crested the 300,000-chip mark and is now officially running away with Day 1a here in Minnesota.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yao Yin	315,000 135,000	135,000

Tags: Yao Yin

12-12-2015 03:57 UTC

The Poker Gods Giveth

[user127999]

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

The ink was still fresh on the post showing Mark Sandness as the first player past the 100,000-chip mark when he lost a massive pot to local hedge fund manager Andy Redleaf, handing him the chip lead.

With about 15,000 in the middle already, heads up on a board, Sandness sat with a bet of 5,800 in front of him and Redleaf had raised to 12,000. Sandness made the call and then checked the river.

Redleaf wasted little time shoving in for 20,650 and although it appeared he didn't like it, Sandness made the call. Redleaf sheepishly turned over the and collected the pot after Sandness mucked, leaving the table for a moment to cool off.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andy Redleaf	84,000 56,000	56,000
Mark Sandness	60,000 -46,000	-46,000

Tags: Andy Redleaf Mark Sandness

12-12-2015 03:46 UTC

Sandness Crests 100,000

[user127999]

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

2014 MSPT Columbus winner Mark Sandness has just become the first player past the 100,000-chip mark.

He now leads thanks to one shorter stack who shoved the into his , gave some kind of speech and failed to improve after Sandness made the call.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Sandness	106,000 36,000	36,000

Tags: Mark Sandness

12-12-2015 00:44 UTC

DuBray's Second Bullet

[user127999]

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Mobridge, SD's Leroy DuBray got aces cracked in his first kick at the can here at Canterbury Park.

Rather than head home with a bad beat story, he bought in again and has emerged as the chip leader now as the start of Level 5 looms.

His rise up the leader board came courtesy of one opponent who shipped it in for a little more than 20,000 after flopping a seven-high diamond flush. DuBray had the , also known as the nuts. He made the call and is now over 50,000 and counting.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leroy DuBray	51,000

Tags: Leroy DuBray

12-11-2015 23:38 UTC

In His Defense

[user127999]

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

Defending MSPT Canterbury Park champ Dan Hendrickson has turned up here tonight.

But the defense of his title will not be an easy one, as he appears to have drawn one of the toughest tables in the room.

There's no less than eight MSPT final table appearances among those seated with Hendrickson and St. Paul, MN's Christian Pham is there as well.

Pham is the 2015 WSOP bracelet winner who accidentally bought into the $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball No-Limit this past summer, then won it.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Pham	20,000 20,000	20,000

Dan Hendrickson	20,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Christian Pham Dan Hendrickson

12-11-2015 18:33 UTC

The 2015 MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event Starts Now!

[user127999]

The 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Canterbury Park Main Event kicks off just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota today with the first of two starting flights.

This represents the final stop on the hugely successful sixth season of the MSPT, which has seen more than $10 million in prize money handed out already.

The Main Event comes with a $200,000 prize pool guarantee, but with Canterbury Park drawing 430 entrants the last time the tour stopped here this past April, that number could double by the time registration closes. Tour regular and Minnesota Dairy Queen franchise owner Dan Hendrickson took the title and $106,182 first prize at that stop.

With packed qualifiers running all week leading up to the Main Event, MSPT staff are predicting as many as 500 could pony up the $1,000+$100 buy in. For that, and a $10 dealer appreciation add-on, each will get 20,000 in chips to navigate their way through the Allen Kessler "Chainsaw Approved" structure that features 40-minute levels throughout.

The plan on the first day is to play through 14 levels or until 15 per cent of the starting field remains. Late registration and single re-entry is available through the first nine levels.

With Season Six on the MSPT wrapping up this weekend, a number of players remain in contention for the MSPT Player of the Year title that comes with an $1,100 Main Event seat to the Mid-Season Championship in Las Vegas, $400 cash toward airfare, $250 to every Mid-States Poker Tour event next season up to $5,000, and a $5,000 Custom Home Audio package from Holm Audio.

Mark Hodge currently holds the lead over tour pro Blake Bohn, but several others are close, and with as many as 1,500 points up for grabs for the win here in Minnesota, this race will likely come down to the wire.

Add that to the MSPT Main Event title and likely six-figure top prize up for grabs this weekend and the action should be hotly contested throughout.

The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand for every flop, turn and river and you can follow along right here from 4 p.m. local time Friday until another MSPT champion is crowned Sunday night.