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$1,200 Main Event
Day 1ef Completed
2026 Great Lakes Poker Classic
$1,200 Main Event
Day: 1ef
Event Info
2026 Great Lakes Poker Classic
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1ef
Buy-in
$1,200
Prize Pool
$321,700
Total Entries
314
Level
26
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
80,000
Entries
163
Players Left
24
Players Left 1 / 314
Filter
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The biggest flight yet of the Great Lakes Poker Classic drew out a total of 114 entrants to play in the penultimate flight of the event. This number, combined with the growing field in the final flight of play, ensures that the $300,000 guarantee will be passed. Today’s field only saw 17 able to advance to the next step of seeing any piece of the prize pool, so be sure to check back in tomorrow for confirmed payouts on the event.
Leading the way of the largest batch of survivors yet is Pat Steele, who sits with the overall lead of 905,000. Hailing from Chelsea, Michigan, Steele’s been a staple of the midwestern poker scene for the past 13 years. Winning an HPT Main Event back in 2013 for $155,636, he managed to final table many MSPT Main Events throughout the country before winning his first in 2020. He sits as one of only seventeen players inducted into the MSPT hall of fame and with his massive stack here today, he looks to further enrich his legacy on the midwestern poker scene and cross the seven-figure threshold.
Paul Lentschke held the lead for most of the latter part of the night and if not for a hand between Steele and Aaron Brown, he would have likely bagged the chip lead with 640,000. Sitting down in Level 1 and continuing since, Lentschke saw quite a few swings that saw him near the top of the stacks at dinner, only to drop down afterward. He recovered and hopped back up to the top of the chip counts towards the later levels of the night. Lentschke has traveled around playing the poker tournament circuit for some time and his deep runs and wins come from states from Texas to Pittsburgh. With the second biggest stack going into Day 2, he looks to add a Michigan title to his resume and sits in good position to do so.
Day 1e Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Hometown | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Steele | Chelsea, MI | 905,000 |
| 2 | Paul Lentschke | College Station, TX | 640,000 |
| 3 | Dan Schmitt | Lakewood, CO | 343,000 |
| 4 | Connor Vachon | Grand Rapids, MI | 329,000 |
| 5 | Jamie Eisenhut | Bluffton, IN | 301,000 |
| 6 | Rudy Mamo | Southfield, MI | 300,000 |
| 7 | Kannon McCavit | Hillsdale, MI | 237,000 |
| 8 | Mark Schmid | Henderson, NV | 237,000 |
| 9 | Joseph Damon | Highland, MI | 223,000 |
| 10 | Jake Kolbicz | Cadillac, MI | 185,000 |
All of the other players see their chip counts bunched up together, but a stacked field of tournament regulars remain. Players like MSPT champions Satish Thakur (160,000), George Janssen (145,000), Thomas Midena (141,000), as well as WSOP bracelet winner Mark Schmid (237,000). They look to further expand their trophy shelf for room for the first ever GLPC Main Event trophy.
It was not the friendliest to some of the regulars around the midwestern poker circuit. Poker mainstays like Scott Sisler, Angela Gambino, WSOP bracelet winners Jean “Prince” Gaspard, and Brek Schutten all found their chance in this flight up in smoke. They all have just one more flight to be able to advance into Day 2.
Day 1f continues on the other side of the room with registration still open. Players who bag two times will receive a $3,000 bonus for their second bag and $5,000 for every additional bag they secure. Chip counts for the players advancing in that flight will be posted tomorrow morning. Currently only Alec Magdan has succeeded in that endeavor, bagging up three times to get $8,000 in bonuses so far. All of the surviving players will return tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. to play down to a winner.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the exciting updates on the ground at Firekeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
934,000
934,000
|
934,000 |
|
||
|
905,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
||
|
640,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
343,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
329,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
310,000
310,000
|
310,000 |
|
301,000
87,000
|
87,000 |
|
300,000
59,000
|
59,000 |
|
254,000 | |
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
237,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
237,000
163,000
|
163,000 |
|
||
|
|
234,000
234,000
|
234,000 |
|
223,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
185,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
172,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
167,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
160,000
226,000
|
226,000 |
|
145,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
141,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
|
|
116,000
116,000
|
116,000 |
|
|
116,000
116,000
|
116,000 |
|
45,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
29,000
194,000
|
194,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The final 17 players have bagged up for the night.
Stay tuned to Pokernews for a full recap and chip counts.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Aaron Brown raised to 15,000 from early position and in the big blind, Pat Steele called.
The flop rolled 10♣6♠4♣ and Steele checked over to Brown who bet 20,000. Steele raised to 87,000, prompting an immediate jam from Brown for 223,000 and Steele looked back at his hand before slamming in the chips saying "I don't have a very good hand."
Aaron Brown: A♠10♣
Pat Steele: 8♥7♠
Nothing changed on the Q♥ turn, but the river 9♣ completed Steele's straight draw to give him the winning hand to eliminate Brown with just one more hand left to go in the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
893,000
268,000
|
268,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The tournament staff has announced just three more hands will be played tonight.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Joseph Damon raised to 12,000 from the hijack and George Janssen called in the cutoff. On the button, Dan Schmitt three-bet to 31,000 to see Rudy Mamo call in the small blind. Damon moved all in for 120,000 total to see only Mamo call.
Joseph Damon: A♣A♥
Rudy Mamo: J♥J♠
The board ran out 10♥8♥7♠6♠5♠ and the aces held up for Damon to double through Mamo.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
321,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
|
295,000
121,000
|
121,000 |
|
|
241,000
46,000
|
46,000 |
|
|
136,000
56,000
|
56,000 |
Level: 15
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
George Janssen moved all in for 36,000 from under the gun and action folded around to Joe Beachnau in the small blind who called.
George Janssen: J♥9♠
Joe Beachnau: A♥9♥
The board ran out K♦Q♣10♦K♥4♥ and the flopped straight was good for the MSPT champion to take down the pot to survive.
One table over, Jake Kolbicz raised to 75,000 in the cutoff and in the big blind, Tracy Sibon called for his last 55,000 in the big blind.
Tracy Sibon: J♥J♠
Jake Kolbicz: K♣Q♥
The board ran out A♥9♣5♠8♦Q♦ and the river queen saw Kolbicz pair up to eliminate Sibon from the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
212,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
135,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
80,000
57,000
|
57,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Pat Steele raised to 11,000 from the hijack and Tracy Sibon called in the small blind. In the big blind, Phil Sayers moved all in for 30,000 to see both Steele and Sibon call.
The flop rolled out 10♦5♣4♠ and action checked to the turn J♦ where Steele called the 30,000 bet from Sibon.
Sibon checked the river 5♠ to Steele who bet 38,000 and Sibon called.
Phil Sayers: A♠K♥
Tracy Sibon: 10♣9♦
Pat Steele: Q♥J♣
Steele's jacks and fives were good for the pot and the MSPT hall of famer took down the pot to overtake the chip lead.
At another table Kamiran Taymour was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
625,000
397,000
|
397,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
38,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
