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

12-13-2015 08:36 UTC

Another 50 of 251 Survive With Matt Vaughan On Top

[user127999]

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

The second and final starting flight for the 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Canterbury Park Main Event drew 251 entries in Minnesota Saturday.

All told there were 470 entries over two starting days in this final event on the MSPT Season 6 schedule, setting a new Minnesota state record. A $454,400 prize pool was created that will pay 45 spots. A min-cash is worth $2,272 and first place will come with a $116,103 payday.

Through 14 levels of play Saturday, another 50 survived, putting a total of 93 through to Sunday's Day 2 where they will play until a champion is crowned.

The leader in the race for Minnesota Player of the Year, Rob Wazwaz, played in front for most of the day and despite getting outdrawn in a massive pot midway through, built back and bagged big.

Recent MSPT Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells Main Event winner John Hayes also ran good deep into the night to put himself in position for another big score. Plus, MSPT Meskwaki winner Rich Alsup ran hot late to put together a contending stack and give him a shot at the MSPT POY title going into Day 2. He'll need to finish seventh or better to earn that crown.

Bob Cassioppi rose to prominence early cracking queens with a set of tens, then out-kicking a heads-up opponent when they both made trips. He played aces to perfection later to get over the six-figure mark and rode a late heater to bag a huge 281,000-chip stack.

Jeremy Dresch also had a huge second half. The MSPT title holder and six-time final table participant raised 100 percent of hands for the last two hours on the way to bagging a 297,000-chip stack.

But it was Level 1 leader Matt Vaughan that grabbed the overall lead heading into Day 2. He doubled up early with a big call and climbed the counts all day long on the way to bagging 317,000 when it was all said and done.

The 93 Day 1 survivors will get back at it beginning at 11 a.m. local time tomorrow and PokerNews will be here for all the action. Tune in then to find out who the final MSPT champion of the season will be.

Tags: Bob Cassioppi Jeremy Dresch Matt Vaughan Rich Alsup Rob Wazwaz

12-13-2015 05:48 UTC

Living The Dream

[user127999]

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Josh Skrogstad is on the kind of late level heater most players only dream of.

He just simply can't be beat right now and has picked up 20,000-chip pot after 20,000-chip pot on the way to a healthy lead heading into Level 12.

Some of the miracles he's produced include going runner-runner for a straight with pocket eights versus a flopped set of sevens and having sevens of his own hold against a big-time bluff.

Player	Chips	Progress
Josh Skrogstad	180,000

Tags: Josh Skrogstad

12-13-2015 05:25 UTC

Mlsna Turns Wazwaz

[user127999]

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Matt Mlsna just tripled up through Rob Wazwaz and a third player, vaulting into the lead and knocking Wazwaz off the top of the counts.

He open jammed a flop with a set of fours and got called by a third player with pocket kings and Wazwaz holding the .

A turn card actually gave Wazwaz outs to a straight flush, but filled up Mlsna and the boat held over the straight and big pair when the river bricked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Mlsna	130,000
Rob Wazwaz	70,000 -50,000	-50,000

Tags: Matt Mlsna Rob Wazwaz

12-13-2015 03:31 UTC

Dresch Leads!

[user127999]

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

One-time MSPT champ and six-time final table participant Jeremy Dresch just jumped into the lead here after a massive three-way all in pot.

Facing an 8,000-chip bet into a 12,000-chip pot on a flop, Peixin Liu pushed all in for close to 15,000. Dresch jammed his 31,000 in behind and the original raiser called it off with just a few thousand left behind.

Dresch:
Liu:
Third Player:

Dresch had flopped a set and filled up on the turn and river to scoop, jump to 90,000, send Liu home empty handed and vault into the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremy Dresch	90,000 90,000	90,000
Peixin Liu	Busted

Tags: Jeremy Dresch Peixin Liu

12-12-2015 22:55 UTC

Big Hand Liu

[user127999]

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

The player in the small blind bet 6,500 on the turn of a board. Peixin Liu and a third player both called.

The small blind then shipped it in for 5,300 total on the river and Liu called. The third player in the hand shoved over the top for a few thousand more and Liu called that as well.

Liu turned over the for the nut straight. The third player showed for two pair and the small blind did not show.

Liu, who is a contender in the MSPT Player of the Year race and needs to finish eighth or better to overtake current leader Mark Hodge, is now up to three times the starting stack and has the early lead.

"And that's why they call him big hand Lui," said one player at the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peixin Liu	60,000

Tags: Peixin Liu

12-12-2015 22:25 UTC

The $1,000+$100+$10 Call

[user127999]

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

With about 6,000 in the middle on an board, Madison, WI's Matt Vaughan was faced with a rather tough Level 1 decision.

His opponent had pushed all in for 14,750.

"You probably don't want me to call," Vaughan said. "Which means I should probably call...I call."

Vaughan's opponent sheepishly turned over the and got up from his chair. Vaughan had the and his two pair was good.

"It's a four and half hour drive home," said Vaughan, collecting the chips and moving into the Level 1 chip lead. "I'm probably not going to make it if I'm not willing to fire again."

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Vaughan	45,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Matt Vaughan

12-12-2015 18:25 UTC

Day 1b of the MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event Starts Now!

[user127999]

The 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Canterbury Park Main Event continued just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota today with the second 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. Last night the first of two starting flights drew 219 entries with 43 pushing through to the second and final day Sunday. La Crosse, WI's Yao Yin grabbed the chip lead.

The Main Event comes with a $200,000 prize pool guarantee, but that has already been met. Canterbury Park drew 430 entrants the last time the tour stopped here this past April with tour regular and Minnesota Dairy Queen franchise owner Dan Hendrickson taking the title and $106,182 first prize.

With 219 entries already, and packed qualifiers running all week leading up to the Main Event, MSPT staff are expecting to easily surpass that number with tonight's second starting flight.

For the $1,000+$100 buy in and a $10 dealer appreciation add-on, each player 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 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 Saturday until another MSPT champion is crowned Sunday night.

Tags: Allen Kessler Blake Bohn Dan Hendrickson Mark Hodge Yao Yin