Jamie Meidinger Rises to the Top in Day 1b of RPT Tri-State Poker Championship
Action has wrapped up in Flight B of the RPT Tri-State Poker Championship here at Dakota Magic Hotel & Casino after 16 levels of play. Of the 188 runners who started the day, only 27 players will return for the Championship Day on Sunday, all of whom are already in the money.
Jamie Meidinger emerged as the overwhelming chip leader of Day 1b, bagging an impressive 1,427,000. The North Dakota native sat atop the counts for most of the day and never looked back. Meidinger is having a career year on the felt, having taken down the RPT South Dakota State Poker Championship back in May for just over $90,000. He will enter the Championship Day as the overall chip leader and will look to leverage his stack in search of another big payday.
Finishing second in chips is Heidi Roggenkamp (1,126,000), who was the only other player in Flight B to reach the seven-figure mark. Right behind her is Mark Fink with 928,000 who rounds out the podium.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie Meidinger | United States | 1,427,000 | 119 |
| 2 | Heidi Roggenkamp | United States | 1,126,000 | 94 |
| 3 | Mark Fink | United States | 928,000 | 77 |
| 4 | Keith Kemper | United States | 769,000 | 64 |
| 5 | Kim Rasmussen | United States | 758,000 | 63 |
| 6 | Corey Littlewolf | United States | 727,000 | 61 |
| 7 | Joshua Matti | United States | 613,000 | 51 |
| 8 | Rich Edinger | United States | 579,000 | 48 |
| 9 | Cody Billadeau | United States | 553,000 | 46 |
| 10 | Tyler Kolness | United States | 523,000 | 44 |
Those who qualified for the finals on Sunday with two stacks include Jeremy Holmes and Cody Billadeau. They will each receive a $2,000 double bag bonus and their smaller stack will be removed from play.
RPT Tri-State Poker Championship Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $35,000 | 11-12 | $2,800 |
| 2 | $20,000 | 13-15 | $2,500 |
| 3 | $15,000 | 16-18 | $2,200 |
| 4 | $10,700 | 19-21 | $2,050 |
| 5 | $9,000 | 22-24 | $1,925 |
| 6 | $7,700 | 25-27 | $1,800 |
| 7 | $6,600 | 28-36 | $1,500 |
| 8 | $5,500 | 37-45 | $1,200 |
| 9 | $4,400 | 46-52 | $1,000 |
| 10 | $3,315 |
The 25 players from Flight A and the 27 players from Flight B will all return on Sunday, October 5 at 11:00 a.m. local time for the Championship Day. Action will resume with 40 minutes remaining in level 17 with blinds at 6,000/12,000/12,000 and the tournament will play down to a winner.
Be sure to follow PokerNews all weekend long for coverage and updates of the RPT Tri-State Poker Championship.