Main Event Day 1a | 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino

11-12-2015 15:30 UTC-6

Pupillo Straightens Out Sanoubane

Chad Holloway

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Just after coming back from the break, a big hand went down between MSPT Team Pro Nick Pupillo and Bobby Sanoubane, who was fresh off winning the $360 MSPT Regional event earlier this week.

According to Pupillo, a flop saw him bet 1,000 and receive two calls, including one from Sanoubane. After the dealer burned and turned a , Pupillo bet 3,000, an unknown opponent called, and Sanoubane raised all in for roughly 18,000. Pupillo called with for the nuts, the other player folded, and Sanoubane was caught with his hand in the cookie jar holding queen high.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Pupillo	60,000 23,575	23,575

Bobby Sanoubane	Busted

Tags: Nick Pupillo Bobby Sanoubane

11-12-2015 15:51 UTC-6

Zupan Coolered

Chad Holloway

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

A preflop raising war saw Heather Zupan get her stack of 30,000 or so all in against the big stack of Bruce Russell.

Zupan:
Russell:

It was a cooler for Zupan, and she would find no reprieve as the board failed to deliver a king.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bruce Russell	95,000 25,000	25,000
Heather Zupan	Busted

Tags: Heather Zupan Bruce Russell

11-12-2015 15:58 UTC-6

Gonzalez Doubles Through Mortell

Chad Holloway

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

A series of preflop raises saw Danny Gonzalez get his stack of 18,950 all in preflop and at risk against Edith Mortell.

Mortell:
Gonzalez:

Gonzalez was looking to dodge an ace or some other such nonsense, which is just what he did after the board ran out . Ship the double to Gonzalez.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edith Mortell	55,000 55,000	55,000
Danny Gonzalez	38,000 19,000	19,000

Tags: Danny Gonzalez Edith Mortell

11-12-2015 16:00 UTC-6

Karahalios on a Roll

Chad Holloway

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

"You've got aces, don't you," we heard a player, who was all in for approximately 18,000, ask as he began to get out of his seat.

Sure enough, Tony Karahalios tabled the , which was well out in front of his opponent's . The board ran out and a smiling Karahalios was pushed the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tony Karahalios	80,000

Tags: Tony Karahalios

Level: 5

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

11-12-2015 16:13 UTC-6

Some Shots from the Day 1a Field

Chad Holloway

11-12-2015 16:30 UTC-6

Carter Cracks Aces to Send Bender to the Rail

Chad Holloway

Level 5 : 150/300, 25 ante

Gary Reisman opened for 950 under the gun and Bruce Carter called from middle position. The player in the small blind came along, and then Jason Bender three-bet to 6,300 from the big. Reisman called, as did Carter, and the small blind folded to make it three-way action to the flop.

Bender wasted little time in moving all in for just over 9,000, Reisman folded, and Carter snap-called.

Carter:
Bender:

"How about a jack?" Carter asked the dealer.

"No jack," Bender replied.

"Or a king," Carter added. The dealer obliged with the on the turn.

Bender was clearly upset, and watched helplessly as a blank on the river to send him to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gary Reisman	76,000
Bruce Carter	39,000 15,000	15,000
Jason Bender	Busted

Tags: Bruce Carter Jason Bender

11-12-2015 16:33 UTC-6

A Look at the Current MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Leaderboard

Chad Holloway

Level 5 : 150/300, 25 ante

Rank	Player	Points
1	Mark Hodge	3,540
2	Blake Bohn	3,000
3	Nicholas Pupillo	2,950
4	Peixin Liu	2,900
5	Bill Rogers	2,900
6	Richard Alsup	2,750
7	Daniel Goepel	2,500
8	Angelina Rich	2,500
9	Daniel Buckley	2,167
10	Kane Lai	1,900

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

11-12-2015 16:50 UTC-6

Tyler Shoots to the Top of the Leaderboard

Chad Holloway

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

We discovered Max Tyler sitting with a mountain of chips, which looked to be roughly 140,000.

We asked him how he got them, and he explained that his most recent win was the elimination of MSPT Team Pro Matt Kirby.

According to Tyler, he flopped the nut flush draw and Kirby bet. He called and then called another bet on a turn. The river was a blank, and Kirby checked. Tyler moved all in, and Kirby called off what little he had left only to muck when Tyler tabled his pair of aces.

We'll no doubt see Kirby back in action either later today or in a subsequent starting flight, while Tyler is primed to make some noise here on Day 1a.

Player	Chips	Progress
Max Tyler	140,000
Matt Kirby	Busted

Tags: Max Tyler Matt Kirby