Action has wrapped up in Flight A of the RPT Minnesota poker debut here at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel after almost 16 levels of play. Of the 206 runners who started the day, only 31 players will return for the Championship Day on Sunday, all of whom are already in the money.
Kurt Fetzer emerged as the runaway chip leader, accumulating an impressive 1,425,000. He climbed steadily throughout the day and propelled himself atop the leaderboard during the last couple levels of the night. Fetzer was one of two players to surpass the million chip mark and will enter the Championship Day on Sunday with over 100 big blinds.
The other player to bag seven figures is Michael Wilklow, finishing Flight A second in chips with 1,041,000. Wilklow won his first WSOP bracelet two months ago by taking down Event #1: $1,000 Mystery Millions at the 2025 World Series of Poker. He navigated a field of 19,654 players and walked away with a cool $1,000,000 for his victory. Wilklow will look to leverage his experience and big stack on Day 2 to set himself up for another deep run.
Rounding out the top three is Joseph Osterbauer (899,000) who eliminated Cary Long on the last hand of the night to burst the bubble.
Flight A Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Fetzer | United States | 1,425,000 | 143 |
| 2 | Michael Wilklow | United States | 1,041,000 | 104 |
| 3 | Joseph Osterbauer | United States | 899,000 | 90 |
| 4 | Dave Ledeman | United States | 798,000 | 80 |
| 5 | Miguel Martinez (MN) | United States | 735,000 | 74 |
| 6 | Rodney Colson | United States | 587,000 | 59 |
| 7 | Thomas Zabka | United States | 545,000 | 55 |
| 8 | Lucas Christoffer | United States | 513,000 | 51 |
| 9 | Preston Willier | United States | 503,000 | 50 |
| 10 | Matthew Alexander | United States | 490,000 | 49 |
Flight B will begin August 3 at 2:00 p.m. local time, with blinds starting at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Play will conclude once 15% of the field (rounded up) remains and those who bag will be in the money.
A 20-minute break will occur at the end of every three levels and a 75-minute dinner break will take place at the conclusion of level 6 at approximately 6:15 p.m. The Championship Day will commence on Sunday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m. local time.
Be sure to follow PokerNews all weekend long for coverage and updates of the RPT Jackpot Junction.
