button in SafariCody Torke Among Big Stacks After Day 1c
There was no doubt that it was going to be the largest of the three starting flights, and the players turned out in waves for Day 1c of the Roughrider Poker Tour $640 Main Event. Despite the Jackpot Junction Casino and Hotel being stuck in a rural part of western Minnesota, players came from across the northern states to participate in this event that amassed a prizepool of over $270,000.
Nearly half of the 507 total entries for this event came from Day 1c alone, which attracted 252 entries throughout the 12 levels. Only 44 of those players advanced to Day 2 where the money will be handed on championship Sunday.
Cody Torke had an excellent day at the felt, albeit still couldn't hang out on the lead when the dust settled. At one point in the day, Torke surpassed the 1,000,000 chip mark, a feat that no other player had come close to accomplishing. However, a couple of late-night beats set him back a step as he put 729,000 chips into his bag.
He was surpassed by Reid Johnson who clipped by less than half of a big blind. A few others bagged over 10 starting stacks as well including Andrew Francis who was the last player to fire his first bullet late on Day 1c.
End of Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reid Johnson | United States | 733,000 | 73 |
| 2 | Cody Torke | United States | 729,000 | 73 |
| 3 | Paul Jain | United States | 687,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Luke Gramentz | United States | 627,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Adam Wiatrowski | United States | 613,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Andrew Francis | United States | 610,000 | 61 |
| 7 | Wade Schlecht | United States | 586,000 | 59 |
| 8 | Jonathan Kim | United States | 530,000 | 53 |
| 9 | Troy Lund | United States | 528,000 | 53 |
| 10 | Uri Foox | United States | 509,000 | 51 |
Day 1c Action
The Bingo Hall - turned into a poker room - was packed full from the onset of the day. Many players couldn't wait to take their seats for the first time while many others knew this was their last chance to bag a stack for Day 2.
The defending champion of this event, Joseph Osterbauer, fired multiple shells on the day but was unable to make his way through the field unscathed. A new champion will be crowned in 2026 and with that, an additional $10,400 WPT Wynn Main Event seat in Las Vegas.
Others that fell by the wayside throughout the day and will have no shot at the title include Garrett Dwire, Kamden Keleher, Preston Willier, and Claire and Leo LeClerc who made the trip from Canada.
When the action resumes on Sunday at 11 a.m. CST, the field will not be in the money as multiple flights failed to reach the 15% threshold before play concluded. There will be 86 players returning to the felt with only 77 of them receiving a payday. The winner will be walking away with a hefty $44,600 along with the WPT Wynn seat for a total of $55,000.
There will be 21 minutes remaining in level 16 with the blinds at 5,000/10,000 and a 10,000 big blind ante. The levels will continue to be 40 minutes in length throughout Day 2 with a 15-minute break after every three levels. There will also be a scheduled dinner break later on in the day.
Stay tuned here for all of the updates throughout the event as the PokerNews team continues to provide live coverage until a winner is crowned.