Action has wrapped up in Flight B of the RPT Minnesota poker debut here at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel after almost 17 levels of play. Of the 268 runners who started the day, only 38 players will return for the Championship Day on Sunday, all of whom are already in the money.
Stephen Peppin emerged as the overwhelming chip leader of Flight B, bagging an impressive 1,226,000. The Minnesota native ascended to the top of the counts late in the day after cracking Joseph Larson’s pocket aces and never looked back. He will enter the Championship Day second in chips behind Kurt Fetzer and will look to leverage his stack in search of a big payday.
Finishing Flight B second in chips is Kevin McMahon (1,009,000), sitting with just over a million. Right behind him is Richard Gamez with 928,000 who rounds out the podium.
Flight B Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Peppin | United States | 1,226,000 | 123 |
| 2 | Kevin McMahon | United States | 1,009,000 | 101 |
| 3 | Richard Gamez | United States | 928,000 | 93 |
| 4 | Phillip Nesburg | United States | 802,000 | 80 |
| 5 | Michael Dehen | United States | 774,000 | 77 |
| 6 | Gene Boyer | United States | 691,000 | 69 |
| 7 | Benjamin Valder | United States | 603,000 | 60 |
| 8 | Taylor Maas | United States | 537,000 | 54 |
| 9 | Arlo Strozewski | United States | 504,000 | 50 |
| 10 | Arlie Brandvold | United States | 464,000 | 46 |
Those who qualified for the finals on Sunday with two stacks include Curtis Vierstraete, Richard Perkerewicz, and Nancy Beasley. They will each receive a $2,000 double bag bonus and their smaller stack will be removed from play.
RPT Jackpot Junction Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $41,000 | 13-15 | $3,100 |
| 2 | $32,000 | 16-18 | $2,700 |
| 3 | $24,000 | 19-21 | $2,300 |
| 4 | $18,000 | 22-24 | $1,920 |
| 5 | $13,000 | 25-27 | $1,600 |
| 6 | $10,000 | 28-36 | $1,300 |
| 7 | $7,500 | 37-45 | $1,150 |
| 8 | $6,000 | 46-54 | $1,100 |
| 9 | $4,800 | 55-63 | $1,050 |
| 10-12 | $3,800 | 64-69 | $1,000 |
The 31 players from Flight A and the 38 players from Flight B will all return on Sunday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m. local time for the Championship Day. Action will resume with 12 minutes remaining in level 16 with blinds at 5,000/10,000/10,000 and the tournament will play down to a winner.
Be sure to follow PokerNews all weekend long for coverage and updates of the RPT Jackpot Junction.
