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$600 Kickoff Event
Day 1de Completed
2024 Maryland State Poker Championship
$600 Kickoff Event
Day: 1de
Event Info
2024 Maryland State Poker Championship
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1de
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$456,704
Total Entries
892
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
284
Players Left
37
Players Left 1 / 892
Filter
Level 17
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Action has concluded in Day 1d of the the $600 Kickoff Event here at the Maryland State Poker Championship hosted by Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. Of the 145 runners who started the day, only 19 players will return for Day 2 on Sunday, all of whom have already made the money.
Justin Arnwine emerged as the overwhelming chip leader of Day 1d, bagging an impressive 707,000. Arnwine chipped up steadily throughout the day, and propelled his stack to the top of the leaderboard with just 20 players left when found himself in the dream spot with pocket aces versus his opponent's pocket kings. Arnwine, who is no stranger to the Maryland poker scene, heads into Day 2 with a healthy stack in hopes of locking up another victory.
Finishing Day 1d second in chips is Maryland native Lara Eisenberg with 537,000. Eisenberg won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in the 2021 $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Ladies Championship. Not far behind her in third is Sean Magness with 450,000.
Day 1d Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Arnwine | United States | 707,000 |
| 2 | Lara Eisenberg | United States | 537,000 |
| 3 | Sean Magness | United States | 450,000 |
| 4 | Paul Kiem | United States | 349,000 |
| 5 | Wesley Clark | United States | 276,000 |
| 6 | Alan Gendelman | United States | 265,000 |
| 7 | Yevgeny Gans | United States | 235,000 |
| 8 | Michael Robinson | United States | 208,000 |
| 9 | Anthony Collurafici Jr | United States | 207,000 |
| 10 | Kirk Willis | United States | 205,000 |
The remaining 19 players all locked up a seat for Day 2 when Mark Castaldo was eliminated on the stone bubble, when he was involved in a three-way all in as the short stack at the table.
Day 1e began at 6:15 p.m. local time, and chip counts will be posted once the flight is completed.
Day 1f will begin August 3 at 11:15 a.m. local time, with blinds starting at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Play will conclude once 12.5% of the field remains, and those who bag will be in the money for Day 2. At the end of every four levels, players will be sent on a 15-minute break. Day 2 will commence on Sunday, August 4 at 11:15 a.m. local time.
Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the entirety of the $600 Kickoff Event here at the Maryland State Poker Championship.
Level 17
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The field has reached the final 19 players, and play has concluded for the day. The 19 remaining players have all made the money and will return on Sunday for Day 2.
Level 17
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Mark Cunningham moved all in on the button for 37,000, Mark Castaldo called in the small blind for 16,000, and Sean Magness called from the big blind, covering both of his opponents.
Mark Castaldo: A♣6♠ 
Mark Cunningham: A♦J♥
Sean Magness: 9♣6♣
The board ran out 5♠K♠Q♥2♦J♣, sending Castaldo to the rail on the stone bubble. Cunningham scooped the main and side pots.
Level: 17
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
Level 16
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The 20 players who are still playing hand for hand have been sent on a 15-minute break.
Level 16
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Action folded around to Zachariah Kates in the small blind, who took a look at Rahul [Removed:550]'s chips before moving all in, putting [Removed:550] at risk. [Removed:550] tossed his cards into the muck.
The next hand, Kates open shoved on the button, resulting in folds from [Removed:550] in the small blind and the player in the big blind.
There are still 20 players remaining and play is still hand-for-hand.
Level 16
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 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 11th episode, Connor speaks with Dan "Jungleman" Cates about accountability in poker, his notorious heads-up challenge with Tom Dwan, Game of Gold, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, mindfulness in poker and his new podcast Winning the Game of Life.
Cates also talked about his iconic Poker Players Championship outfits and a six-figure downswing he experienced at Bellagio during the summer.
This interview was filmed at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
