Eric Hanson Bags Huge Chip Lead in Day 1a of RPT Tri-State Poker Championship
The first of two starting flights is in the books in the $650 Main Event here at the RPT Tri-State Poker Championship hosted by Dakota Magic Hotel & Casino. Of the 163 entries tallied in Day 1a, only 25 players will return for the Championship Day on Sunday, all of whom have locked up a min-cash.
Eric Hanson emerged as the runaway chip leader, accumulating an impressive 1,260,000. He climbed steadily throughout the day and propelled himself atop the leaderboard during the final few levels of the night. Hanson was the sole player to surpass the million chip mark and will enter the Championship Day on Sunday with over 100 big blinds.
Sitting in second is Craig Pohlmann (797,000) who scored a huge double up on the stone bubble when he flopped the nuts against Carl Derry's bottom set. Derry was left short-stacked and would go on to earn the title of bubble boy not long after.
Rounding out the podium is Gary Ewald (724,000) who also turned up the heat towards the end of the night. He won a big flip with pocket jacks against Joseph Osterbauer Sr's ace-king and held steady from there during the last couple levels.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Hanson | United States | 1,260,000 | 105 |
| 2 | Craig Pohlmann | United States | 797,000 | 66 |
| 3 | Gary Ewald | United States | 724,000 | 60 |
| 4 | Arlie Brandvold | United States | 645,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Anthony Uhlir | United States | 602,000 | 50 |
| 6 | Samuel Johnson | United States | 587,000 | 49 |
| 7 | Chad Knoblauch | United States | 561,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Robert Urbatsch | United States | 474,000 | 40 |
| 9 | Jeremy Thury | United States | 461,000 | 38 |
| 10 | Samuel Faleide | United States | 409,000 | 34 |
Oher names to keep an eye on who bagged big include RPT regulars Arlie Brandvold (645,000) and Robert Urbatsch (474,000), who complete the top five in the standings.
Flight B will begin October 4 at 11:00 a.m. local time, with blinds starting at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Play will conclude after the completion of level 18 or once 15% of the field (rounded up) remains, whichever happens first.
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 9 at approximately 5:30 p.m. The Championship Day will commence on Sunday, October 5 at 11:00 a.m. local time.
Be sure to follow PokerNews all weekend long for coverage and updates of the RPT Tri-State Poker Championship.