$600 Kickoff Event | 2024 Maryland State Poker Championship

08-04-2024 16:59 UTC-5

Player	Chips	Progress
Bradley McFarland	4,050,000 460,000	460,000
Hamid Sepehri	3,500,000 800,000	800,000
Lara Eisenberg	3,200,000 400,000	400,000

Justin Arnwine	2,700,000

Alan Gendelman	2,400,000 100,000	100,000
Daniel Bellis	2,125,000 1,025,000	1,025,000
John Wilson	1,825,000 275,000	275,000

Eric Florczak	1,400,000 550,000	550,000
Alex Altman	1,075,000 600,000	600,000
Michael Zazzera	925,000 675,000	675,000
Luis Nieto	730,000 255,000	255,000
Andrew Chang	720,000 55,000	55,000
Nick Kocman	650,000 690,000	690,000

Z Stein	415,000 835,000	835,000

Dinner Break

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Tyler Boyer

Level 25 : 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Players have been sent on Dinner Break and play will resume at 6:30 p.m. local time.

08-04-2024 17:13 UTC-5

Daniel Bellis Wins Gold Pass as Last Qualifier Standing

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Connor Richards

Level 25 : 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Pennsylvania's Daniel Bellis outlasted Michael Lavin to be the last online qualifier standing in the $600 Kickoff Event to win a coveted Gold Pass package to NAPT Las Vegas in November.

Bellis had his first live cash earlier this year in Las Vegas and is now guaranteed a payday of at least $5,049 as he heads to dinner break with 14 players remaining.

Tags: Daniel Bellis Gold Pass Michael Lavin

Level: 26

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 60,000

08-04-2024 17:41 UTC-5

Stein Doubles Up

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Nick Becker

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Z Stein was all in preflop on the button versus John Wilson in the small blind, who had Stein covered.

Z Stein: A♥J♥ All in
John Wilson: 9♥9♣

Stein pulled ahead on the A♦8♠K♦ flop, pairing his ace. The K♠ turn and Q♦ river earned him the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Wilson	1,450,000 375,000	375,000

Z Stein	770,000 355,000	355,000

Tags: John Wilson Z Stein

08-04-2024 18:04 UTC-5

Eisenberg Makes Two Pair

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Tyler Boyer

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Lara Eisenberg raised to 130,000 from the hijack, when Michael Zazzera in the cutoff called, as did Eric Florczak in the big blind.

The flop came K♠J♠5♠ and Eisenberg bet 125,000, Zazzera folded, and Florczak called.

Both players checked after the 10♦ on the turn.

The river was the 5♣ and Eisenberg bet out 250,000, which Florczak called.

Eisenberg showed K♣10♣ for two pair, which was good enough to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lara Eisenberg	4,300,000 1,100,000	1,100,000

Eric Florczak	800,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Eric Florczak Lara Eisenberg Michael Zazzera

08-04-2024 18:09 UTC-5

Florczak Hits an Ace

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Nick Becker

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Alex Altman raised to 130,000 on the button and Eric Florczak defended in the big blind.

The flop came J♠5♦2♣ and Florczak led out for 130,000. Altman called, bringing the A♠ turn.

Florczak led out again, this time for 225,000. Altman called and the river landed the 7♥.

Action went check-check and Florczak tabled the winner with A♦10♥ for a pair of aces.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Florczak	1,325,000 525,000	525,000
Alex Altman	500,000 575,000	575,000

Tags: Alex Altman Eric Florczak

08-04-2024 18:09 UTC-5

Life Outside Poker: Ian Simpson Thinks Science Can Save the World

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Connor Richards

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 13th episode, Connor speaks with 888poker ambassador and Twitch streamer Ian Simpson, who talked about first learning poker as a kid, getting a degree in biotechnology and becoming a biology teacher, poker streaming and his breakout year of live poker in 2013 that saw him winning the Irish Poker Open for $339,604.

Simpson also discussed the importance of being a responsible poker ambassador and how science can change the world for the better.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Ian Simpson by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Tags: Ian Simpson Connor Richards

08-04-2024 18:12 UTC-5

Gendelman Four-Bets All in

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Nick Becker

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Alan Gendelman raised to 130,000 on the button and Justin Arnwine three-bet to 530,000 in the small blind.

Gendelman then four-bet all in, putting Arnwine to the test. Arnwine thought for a moment before eventually folding and showing pocket eights. Gendelman showed ace-king suited.