2026 Maryland State Poker Championship

$1,700 Main Event
Day: 1b
1a1b1c
Event Info
2026 Maryland State Poker Championship
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,700
Prize Pool
$500,000
Total Entries
354
Players Left
136
Average Chip Stack
104,118
Total Chips
14,160,000
Level Info
Level
8
Blinds
500 / 1,000
Ante
1,000
Players Info - Day 1b
Entries
124
Players Left
16
Players Left 136 / 354
Filter

Filter

Filter By
Sort By

Anton Hangs On With Kings

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Alvin Anton led out for 1,000 from the small blind on a flop of 63J and Fernando Guedes called in the cutoff.

The turn was the J and Anton checked over to Guedes, who bet 3,500. Anton called and checked again on the A river, and Guedes checked back. Anton turned over KK, and Guedes mucked.

Terry Breeden is also at this table, while Charles Furey has fired another bullet after just missing the money yesterday.

Tags: Alvin AntonCharles FureyFernando GuedesTerry Breeden

Elsbach Has Embrey Sweating a Set

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Steven Elsbach bet 700 from the button on a flop of K35 and Clark Embrey raised to 2,000 in the small blind. Elsbach called, and the 9 fell on the turn.

Embrey then bet 2,000, and Elsbach raised to 5,000. Embrey called and checked to Elsbach on the 8 river, and Elsbach bet another 5,000. Embrey again called.

Elsbach turned over K9 for two pair, but Embrey had 33 for a set to win the pot. "You had me worried there," Embrey told him after the hand.

Tags: Clark EmbreySteven Elsbach

Chaput Shows Down Kings

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Around 8,000 was already in the pot as David Chaput and Jared Kaanga went to the turn on a board of 6Q97. Chaput then bet 5,000 from the big blind, and Kaanga called in the cutoff.

Chaput bet another 5,000 on the 6 river, and Kaanga again called. Chaput turned over KK, and Kaanga mucked.

"I thought you might have had queens there," Chaput said as he raked in the big pot.

Tags: David ChaputJared Kaanga

Level: 1

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 200

Maryland State Poker Championship Rolls On With Day 1b at 11:15 a.m.

Cards, chips, branding
Cards, chips, branding

Players get another shot at securing a piece of the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool when Day 1b of the Maryland State Poker Championship $1,700 Main Event begins at 11:15 a.m. local time.

The first opening flight yesterday saw 63 players descend on the Live! Casino Maryland, with eight surviving to make Day 2. Matthew Zambanini ended up atop the leaderboard with 663,500, followed by Valentin Lita (656,000). Clint Houck (344,000), Marcia Kuntz (271,500), Brandon Mueller (160,500), and Ari Katz (159,000) also made it through the day.

Day 1a Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip Count
1Matthew ZambaniniUnited States663,500
2Valentin LitaUnited States656,000
3Clint HouckUnited States344,000
4Marcia KuntzUnited States271,500
5Brandon MuellerUnited States160,500
6Yuriy KudrynskyyUkraine159,500
7Ari KatzUnited States159,000
8Kevin GolshanUnited States117,000

New and returning hopefuls will look to join them today. Players on Day 1b will begin with a 40,000 starting stack. Levels will be 40 minutes, with a break after every three levels and a 45-minute dinner break at the end of Level 9. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 10, with unlimited reentries allowed.

The day will conclude once 12.5 percent of the field remains. All surviving players from the three opening flights combine for Day 2 on September 6. The action on Day 2 will pick up at the earliest finishing time from one of the opening flights. Day 1a yesterday ended with 36 minutes remaining in Level 15 with blinds of 2,500/5,000 and a 5,000 big blind ante.

Never Miss a Moment with MyPlayers on PokerNews

MyPlayers
MyPlayers

Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on poker's biggest stars or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you.

No subscriptions, no paywalls, just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most. It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.

From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.

Stay tuned as PokerNews follows all the action and provides live updates throughout the day.

Tags: Ari KatzBrandon MuellerClint HouckKevin GolshanMarcia KuntzMatthew ZambaniniValentin LitaYuriy Kudrynskyy

$1,700 Main Event

Day 1b Started

Prev 1910111213 Next