Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$494,700
Entries
510
Level
33
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
Derek McMaster Leads Advancing 27 Players from Day 1b Field
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Season 6 of Mid-States Poker Tour continued on Friday with Day 1b action from the MSPT Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. The second of three starting flights attracted 161 entrants, which along with Day 1a's 126 brings the current total up 287, which already ensures the $200,000 guarantee is crushed.
The question is, with another starting flight to go, how high will the prize pool climb?
One man who'll be competing for a chunk of it is Derek McMaster, who finished atop the Day 1b counts with a stack of 450,000, which is well ahead of Day 1a chip leader Ross Reichert, who bagged 357,500. Others who bagged after 16 levels of play on Day 1b were Ben Keeline (375,000), William Givens (374,500), and Kyle Wagner (315,500). All told, just 27 players survived the night, meaning with the 20 Day 1a survivors, 47 players have punched their ticket to Sunday's Day 2.
Unfortunately not everyone was so lucky. Kevin "Phwap" Boudreau, who finished fourth in the same tournament a year ago, returned to Golden Gates Casino, but didn't find much luck. He busted early, reentered, and then busted again when he got his stack all in preflop holding pocket aces against pocket kings. A king on the flop put a quick end to Boudreau's day.
Others who fell on Day 1b were former MSPT Golden Gates champ Reza Yazdi, Allen Kessler, Jeff Fielder, Sean Munjal, Mike Harris, Mark Hodge, Matt Kirby, and Aaron Massey.
Massey fell in Level 14 (1,200/2,400/400) when John Vitt opened for 6,500 from the hijack and Tom Heine three-bet to 16,000 from the cutoff. Massey then four-bet jammed for 29,300 from the big blind, Vitt five-bet all in over the top for 86,100, and Heine hit the tank before spiking in a call.
Vitt: 
Heine: 
Massey: 
"That's a problem," Heine said upon seeing he and Massey shared the same hand. Indeed it was, and neither player got lucky as the board ran out 
to give Vitt a full house.
While dozens fell, a select few advances to Day 2 including Rich Dixon (296,500), Bryan Devonshire (178,000), Sylvain Cote (159,000), Danny Gonzalez (108,000), and Kevin Eyster (56,000).
Day 1c will kick off at 12:00 p.m. local time on Saturday with the plan of playing 16 levels. Late registration and reentries are open all day long, and of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will there every step of the way.
End-of-Day 1b Chip Counts (full)
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
450,000 | 125,000 |
|
375,000 | |
|
374,500 | 199,500 |
|
315,500 | 315,500 |
|
296,500 | -3,500 |
|
285,000 | -5,000 |
|
251,500 | 41,500 |
|
237,500 | 57,500 |
|
205,000 | -60,000 |
|
196,500 | 131,500 |
|
178,000 | -77,000 |
|
170,000 | -20,000 |
|
159,000 | 24,000 |
|
|
158,500 | 158,500 |
|
153,000 | 153,000 |
|
126,500 | 91,500 |
|
125,500 | -134,500 |
|
112,000 | 112,000 |
|
108,000 | 93,000 |
|
97,000 | -8,000 |
|
|
88,500 | 88,500 |
|
|
82,500 | -142,500 |
|
82,500 | 15,500 |
|
68,000 | 43,000 |
|
56,000 | 20,000 |
Hasab Eliminated on Last Hand of Day 1b
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
A short-stacked Mike Hassab got his chips in preflop on the last hand of the day and found himself at risk against Ben Keeline.
Keeline: 
Hassab: 
The 
flop was gin for Hassab, but his lead was short lived as the dealer burned and turned a 
. Keeline made a straight, and it help when another completed the board on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
375,000 | 150,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Bagging and Tagging
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
The tournament staff just halted play at each table. A few more hands will be dealt, and then players will bag and tag for the night. We're headed out to capture any last-minute action and to compile a list of chip counts. Stay tuned for those as well as a recap of the Day 1b action.
Some Shots of the Big Stacks
No Day 2 for Hodge... At Least Not Yet
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
"Well, I get to play again tomorrow," Mark Hodge said as he stopped by our desk before departing Golden Gates Casino for the night.
Hodge explained that Ben Keeline opened for 9,000 from the cutoff and he decided to three-bet shove for 43,000 from the small blind.
Keeline: 
Hodge:
Hodge was drawing to live cards, but as he put it, "the board ran out dry."
Hodge, who currently sits atop the MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Leaderboard, will return tomorrow to give it another go.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Alipour-Ford Sends One to the Rail
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Mansour Alipour-Ford opened with a raise only to have another player three-bet ham for 65,000. Action folded back to Alipour-Ford, who made the call.
Alipour-Ford: 
Opponent: [ahqh[
It was a flip, and Alipour-Ford was looking to hold to score the knockout. That's just what he did too after the board ran out a clean 
.
Meanwhile, MSPT champ Alan Curl was eliminated from the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
265,000 | 165,000 |
|
Busted |
Curl Crippled Just Before the Break
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
In another leftover hand from Level 15, Charles Harder opened for 6,000 and Alan Curl moved all in for roughly 55,000 from the hijack. Brandon Miller then called off for 47,700 from the small blind, and Harder got out of the way.
Miller:
Curl: 
Miller was dominated, but not after the flop came down 
to give him top pair with a flush draw. The 
turn was no help to Curl, and neither was the 
river. Miller doubled on the hand while Curl was left with just 6,500. He managed to double that in the last hand before the break, but he is still incredibly short.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
105,000 | 58,000 |
|
|
15,000 | -43,000 |
Level: 16
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 500