$1,100 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2022 MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship
$1,100 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2022 MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship
Buy-in
$1,110
Prize Pool
$300,000
Entries
979
Level
33
Blinds
200,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
140
Players Left
16
MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship Main Event Day 1a: The Record-Setting Dan Bekavac Show
Level 14
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
The first flight of the 2022 MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship $1,110 Main Event officially been completed, and it was a day to be remembered.
A total of 140 entrants took their shot at the first flight. Instead of playing the full 15 levels that were scheduled, the players made it down to 12 percent of the field first, which means 16 players found bags at the end of the day. That early exit was thanks in large part to one man: Dan Bekavac.
The action of the day was highlighted by the record-setting sun run of Bekavac. In the history of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT), no one has ever bagged more than the 1,183,000 of Bekavac on any Day 1. To make it all the more impressive, he did so on a Thursday flight, historically the smallest of the three flights planned.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Bekavac | 1,183,000 | 295 |
| 2 | Tyler Yates | 347,000 | 86 |
| 3 | "Vegas Victor" Gayheart | 273,000 | 68 |
| 4 | Aaron Johnson | 249,000 | 62 |
| 5 | Ben Rasmussen | 171,000 | 42 |
| 6 | Brandon Reyes | 156,000 | 39 |
| 7 | Ross Ferger | 156,000 | 39 |
| 8 | Michael Anderson | 146,000 | 36 |
| 9 | Jesse Bowman | 140,000 | 35 |
| 10 | Paul Cogliano | 132,000 | 33 |
Bekavac's day didn't start so well, as Tyler Yates called him down to leave his first bullet a blank, After that, though, he couldn't be stopped.
Bekavac pushed through airball bluffs with ease, ran down sets with backdoor straights, won nearly every flip, and found the right side of monster coolers. Even when he didn't win, he ran well by finding unlikely chops.
Play ended with 5:07 left in level 14. Two more flights will be played over the next two day before these 16 players will join with those fields and return on Sunday at 11 a.m. local time.
Bekavac has already set one record in this event, will he also set another record by winning a fifth MSPT Main Event title? Stay tuned to PokerNews all weekend to see if Bekavac can ride his chips all the way to the top spot.
End of Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,183,000 | |
|
||
|
347,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
|
273,000
148,000
|
148,000 |
|
249,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
|
171,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
|
156,000
-9,000
|
-9,000 |
|
156,000
44,000
|
44,000 |
|
146,000
146,000
|
146,000 |
|
140,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
132,000
132,000
|
132,000 |
|
|
124,000
124,000
|
124,000 |
|
|
116,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
|
97,000
29,000
|
29,000 |
|
93,000
44,000
|
44,000 |
|
|
67,000
67,000
|
67,000 |
|
52,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
Bekavac Ends the Night Early for the Field
Level 14
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Dan Bekavac opened from early position and a player behind him moved all in for about 50,000. Action folded back to Mekavac who made the call.
Opponent: 
Bekavac: 
"Promo!" shouted Bekavac.
The flop came out 
, giving Bekavac some straight outs. The turn was a brick 
, but the river was the 
, drilling the pair for Bekavac to send his opponent to the rail.
At 16 players, they reached 12% of the field and play was stopped near the end of level 14. A full recap will be posted shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,183,000
83,000
|
83,000 |
|
|
||
Not Everyone Loves a Chopped Pot
Level 14
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Mitchell Bank opened to 12,000 in the cutoff and saw big stack Dan Bekavac call from the small blind.
The player in the big blind moved all in for about 50,000. Back on Bank, he also shoved.
"Count, please," said Bekavac. "I think my pocket threes might be ahead." After hearing the number was about 150,000, Bekavac made the call.
Big blind: 
Mitchell Bank: 
Dan Bekavac: 
"You can have that one, I just want to beat him," Bekavac said to the big blind.
The flop came out 
, and Bank jumped into the lead over both pocket pairs. The turn was the 
, bringing in some chop outs. One of those came in with the 
.
"Chop it up, baby," said Bekavac.
Just when it looked like Bekavac would lose a big flip, the deck had other plans and the three chopped it up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,100,000
181,000
|
181,000 |
|
|
||
|
150,000 | |
Reyes Wakes Up with a Pair in the Big Blind
Level 14
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
A player in late position moved all in for 58,000 and action folded to Brandon Reyes in the big blind. After some thought, Reyes made the call for about half of his stack.
Opponent: 
Brandon Reyes: 
Reyes flopped an overpair on the 
. but needed to dodge the flush draw and two overs to hold. The board ran out 
to eliminate the all-in player. Reyes jumped up and clapped in celebration before stacking his new chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000
165,000
|
165,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Reichard's Set Gets Full Value
Level 13
: Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
Action started on the turn in a heads-up pot. Josh Reichard was in late position battling with a player in the small blind.
On a board of 
, Reichard bet 14,000 and his opponent made the call in the small blind.
The river brought the 
, as Reichard watched his opponent lead for 15,000. Reichard didn't think long before moving all in for 27,000 total. His opponent paid the 12,000 extra to see the bad news.
Reichard showed 
for the flopped set against the 
of this opponent.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
103,000
91,500
|
91,500 |
Johnson Doubles Through Smith
Level 13
: Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
Peyton Smith opened to 7,000 on the button, but he faced an immediate all in from Aaron Johnson in the small blind for 69,000. After the big blind folded, Smith dedided to call after thinking for about 30 seconds.
Aaron Johnson:
Peyton Smith: 
"I sense bad news for you," a tablemate told Johnson.
"Then I'll get to go to bed early," Johnson responded.
The prediction proved false as the board ran out 
to give Johnson the double and keep him up a while longer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
152,000
-48,000
|
-48,000 |
|
|
144,000
113,000
|
113,000 |
Rasmussen Binks a Jack
Level 13
: Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
Mitchell Bank raised to 10,000 from early position before action folded to Ben Rasmussen, who moved all in for 49,000.
Action folded back to Bank who started talking.
"I hate this hand more than any other, but I can't fold," and he dropped a pile of chips in the pot.
Ben Rasmussen: 
Mitchell Bank:
"I'm going to stand up to get that working for me," said Rasmussen, looking for a jack.
The flop must have seen his efforts as it came out 
to propel him into the lead. The turn and river kept him there to give him the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
|
|
108,000
108,000
|
108,000 |