A Champion Will Be Crowned In The RPT Montana State Poker Championship
Poker was played and records were broken in The Roughrider Poker Tour’s Montana State Poker Championship at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center saw the conclusion of its registration flights yesterday evening. A total of 348 entrants came out to make this the biggest Montana poker prize pool ever built, sitting at $182,700. The final 42 players will all be guaranteed $1,000, with first place paying out $40,000.
Leading the way is North Dakota Resident Dave Ouellette who ended his flight with 803,000, the only player to cross the 800k chip threshold. With plenty of tournament experience under his belt, he will be a force to reckon with in his quest for main event glory.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Ouellette | 803,000 |
| 2 | Donovan Thomas | 787,000 |
| 3 | Jacob Brouse | 736,000 |
| 4 | Frank Lucero | 671,000 |
| 5 | Jimmy Hadley | 648,000 |
| 6 | David Mize | 618,000 |
| 7 | Arlie Brandvold | 615,000 |
| 8 | Jeremy Johnson | 602,000 |
| 9 | Rick Lehman | 579,000 |
| 10 | Merle Bierschenk | 545,000 |
One former RPT Montana State Poker Champion remains in the field as Frank Lucero (671,000) hunts to be the first two time champion. Casino state poker champion Jimmy Hadley (648,000) also sits among the top ten just ahead of David Mize (618,000), and former RPT player of the year Arlie Brandvold (615,000). Others that found bags into the day include WSOP bracelet winner Chad Himmelspach (433,000), and tournament crusher Miles Barnum (180,000).
Play ended at the conclusion of Level 15, so tomorrow blinds will return to 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante. Levels will last 40 minutes with play continuing until a winner is crowned.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all updates regarding The Montana State Poker Championship.