$625 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 RPT Montana State Poker Championship
$625 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 RPT Montana State Poker Championship
Buy-in
$625
Prize Pool
$182,700
Entries
348
Level
28
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
146
Players Left
25
Ouellette Leads Day 1a of The Montana State Poker Championship
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
This year’s edition of the RPT’s Montana State Poker Championship saw a total of 146 players come out to play in Day 1a at Billings Hotel and Convention Center in Billings, Montana. After the dust settled, just 25 survived in the flight to make it into Day 2.
Leading the way is Dave Ouellette, who ended the day with 803,000. Ouellette found his luck on the third bullet of the day as in the final three levels of the night, he rose from average stack to massive chip leader after a couple of big confrontations with Mike Fick. The North Dakota native is no beginner when it comes to tournaments as his Hendon Mob reads $355,357 for lifetime cashes. Accompanying him throughout the day was his trusted and adorable Morkie Jack, sitting right in his bag.
Day 1a 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 | Merle Bierschenk | 545,000 |
| 6 | John Rohrbach | 534,000 |
| 7 | Lance Schuchard | 522,000 |
| 8 | Virgil Taylor | 442,000 |
| 9 | Chad Himmelspach | 416,000 |
| 10 | Whitney Bell | 403,000 |
Others who survived included 2022 Montana State Poker Champion Frank Lucero (671,000), WSOP Bracelet Winner Chad Himmelspach (471,000), tournament crusher Miles Barnum (184,000), and form RPT player of the year Arlie Brandvold (92,000). Each one of them is looking to carve up a piece of what could be the biggest tournament prize pool in Montana history.
Not all saw fortunes shine on them. Players like Weston Wells, Jimmy Hadley, Mikiyo Aoki, and Mike Fick all saw their hopes of an end of day bag vanish. Those who did not fire three bullets this flight will have the opportunity to fire again tomorrow.
Play ended at the conclusion of Level 15, which is where the players will return to on Sunday April 14th, barring tomorrow’s flight ending earlier.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all updates regarding The Montana State Poker Championship.
End of Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
803,000
803,000
|
803,000 |
|
787,000
-106,000
|
-106,000 |
|
736,000
736,000
|
736,000 |
|
671,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
545,000
545,000
|
545,000 |
|
534,000
534,000
|
534,000 |
|
522,000
251,000
|
251,000 |
|
|
442,000
442,000
|
442,000 |
|
416,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
||
|
|
403,000
403,000
|
403,000 |
|
390,000 | |
|
374,000
261,000
|
261,000 |
|
328,000
328,000
|
328,000 |
|
237,000
177,000
|
177,000 |
|
|
233,000
233,000
|
233,000 |
|
|
222,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
204,000
-8,000
|
-8,000 |
|
184,000
109,000
|
109,000 |
|
184,000
184,000
|
184,000 |
|
165,000
-86,000
|
-86,000 |
|
|
140,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
130,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
92,000
-267,000
|
-267,000 |
|
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
32,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
Play Has Ended
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The 25 remaining players have bagged up for the night.
Stay tuned for the end of day chip counts and recap.
Final 6 Hands
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The final 6 hands of the day are now being played.
At the conclusion of these hands, players will bag up for the night.
Thomas Adds To Growing Lead
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Action was picked up between Donovan Thomas on the button and another player in early position.
The flop rolled out 3♦2♥2♦ and the early position player checks over to Thomas who bets 30,000 which is quickly called.
On the 3♥ turn, the early position player checks over to Thomas who bet 60,000 and is called a second time.
Thomas bet a third time on the Q♥ river when his opponent checked to him and was met with a quick fold, adding to his chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
893,000
83,000
|
83,000 |
Level: 15
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
Oullette Spikes The River To Double Through Fick
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Action was picked up on the turn between Mike Fick in the hijack and Dave Oullette in the big blind.
The board read 3♦A♣3♣Q♣ and Oullette checks over to Fick who moves all in for 166,000 which Oullette calls.
Dave Oullette: A♠7♣
Mike Fick: A♦Q♥
Oullette stood up out of his seat but the river peeled off a 4♣ to give Oullette a flush to rake in a sizable pot off of Fick.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
541,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
412,000
323,000
|
323,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Barnum Fades The Straight Flush
Level 13
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Brad Magnus called in the small blind, prompting Miles Barnum to move all in from the big blind for 35,000 and Magnus called.
Miles Barnum: A♣10♦
Brad Magnus: 6♣4♦
The flop of Q♣7♣5♣ saw Barnum pick up the nut flush draw while Magnus flopped an open ended straight draw. The turn 8♣ gave Barnum the nut flush, still needing to fade the two straight flush outs. The river came the K♠ and Barnum held up as the victor with his ace-high flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
113,000 | |
|
|
75,000
-18,000
|
-18,000 |