button in Safari
$635 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2026 RPT Montana State Poker Championship
$635 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
2026 RPT Montana State Poker Championship
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
$635
Prize Pool
$175,500
Total Entries
325
Level
28
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
141
Players Left
24
Players Left 1 / 325
Filter
Josh Brown Cracks a Million as 24 Players Survive Day 1a of the RPT Montana State Poker Championship
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Josh Brown raced away from the field on Day 1a of the Roughrider Poker Tour $635 Montana State Poker Championship.
Brown was the only player to bag up more than 1,000,000 on the event’s opening flight, finishing up with 1,090,000 and atop the leaderboard as 24 players secured their spots for Day 2. He’s followed far behind by Leighton Lindsey (630,000), Josh Egle (604,000), Rick Lehman (551,000), and Keat O’Hearn (521,000).
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Brown | United States | 1,090,000 |
| 2 | Leighton Lindsey | United States | 630,000 |
| 3 | Josh Egle | United States | 604,000 |
| 4 | Rick Lehman | United States | 551,000 |
| 5 | Keat O'Hearn | United States | 521,000 |
| 6 | Justin Fowler | United States | 462,000 |
| 7 | Leonardo Valenzuela | United States | 441,000 |
| 8 | Brian Lytle | United States | 417,000 |
| 9 | Damon Muehl | United States | 407,000 |
| 10 | Jeff Heiberg | United States | 391,000 |
Lindsey was already sporting a big stack when he flopped the nut straight in a three-way all in to earn the double knockout. Egle’s speciality today was flopping sets. He first hit a set of deuces to beat Nathaniel Palmer’s ace-king, then coolered Andrew Jelle with a set of threes after Jelle flopped top two pair.
Justin Fowler was lucky to survive the day. During the last level, he was all in for 205,000 with two kings but ran right into Brandon Luckey’s aces. Luckey’s luck ran out, though, and Fowler spiked top set on the flop to win the pot and double up. Fowler ended up with 462,000, while Leonardo Valenzuela (441,000), Damon Muehl (407,000), Alan Strouf (361,000), 2024 runner-up Weston Wells (309,000), Gabe Gaddis (304,000), and Alex Smith (117,000) also survived the day.
Strouf was responsible for sending out defending champion Dan Burcham, picking up ace-king and improving to a flush against Burcham’s ace-queen. Brad Magnus burned through all three of his allowed bullets today, while Steve Kelly, Dave Ouellette, Nick Hammarstrom, Miles Barnum, Kevin Ellis, Harold Brenden, and John Schroer were also sent to the rail.
A total of 141 players gathered inside the Billings Hotel & Convention Center today. A new crop of hopefuls gets their shot tomorrow on Day 1b beginning at 2 p.m. local time. All surviving players from the two opening flights then combine for Day 2 on Sunday, May 3, to play down to a champion.
Be sure to return tomorrow as PokerNews provides live updates from another action-packed day in Billings.
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,090,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
||
|
630,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
604,000
254,000
|
254,000 |
|
551,000
181,000
|
181,000 |
|
521,000
141,000
|
141,000 |
|
462,000
52,000
|
52,000 |
|
441,000
161,000
|
161,000 |
|
417,000
117,000
|
117,000 |
|
407,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
391,000
191,000
|
191,000 |
|
361,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
338,000
178,000
|
178,000 |
|
309,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
304,000
54,000
|
54,000 |
|
303,000
153,000
|
153,000 |
|
|
281,000
281,000
|
281,000 |
|
|
269,000
31,000
|
31,000 |
|
163,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
156,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
|
132,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
|
125,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
120,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
117,000
103,000
|
103,000 |
|
||
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see four more hands before bagging up for the night.
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Leighton Lindsey bet 18,000 from the button on a flop of Q♦8♠2♥ and Weston Wells called in the big blind.
The turn was the J♥ and Lindsey bet another 15,000. Wells then raised to 35,000, and Lindsey called.
The 5♦ fell on the river and Wells bet 80,000. Lindsey snap-called, and Wells showed 7♦6♣ for a bluff. Lindsey turned over K♠K♣ and took the pot.
At the same table, Josh Brown has increased his stack to around 1,000,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000
220,000
|
220,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
650,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
|
300,000
280,000
|
280,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Justin Fowler raised to 17,000 in the cutoff before Brandon Luckey three-bet to 71,000 in the small blind. Fowler then moved all in for 205,000, and Luckey snap-called.
Justin Fowler: K♥K♦ 
Brandon Luckey: A♣A♠
Luckey slammed down his aces as Fowler found himself crushed holding kings. The flop, though, came K♠6♦8♣ to give Fowler top set. The rest of the board ran out 5♦10♥ and Fowler collapsed in his chair in disbelief as he doubled up.
"How does he run so good?" he asked himself.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
410,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
160,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
After three limps in front of him, Gabe Gaddis moved all in for 117,000 in the big blind and Billy Davila called in early position, while the rest of the table got out of the way.
Billy Davila: 5♦5♠
Gabe Gaddis: A♥7♦
The two players were racing to the Q♦9♠4♥ flop as Davila remained in the lead with his fives. The turn was the 3♦, but Gaddis hit the 7♠ on the river to win the pot.
"I like getting it in bad. It works," Gaddis said as the stacks were counted down. He barely had Davila covered, and Davila was sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
250,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Billy Davila raised to 16,000 in the hijack before Jeff Bowen moved all in for 55,000 on the button. Action folded around to Rick Hass who took a minute before folding in the big blind, while Davila called to put Bowen at risk.
Jeff Bowen: A♣2♣
Billy Davila: K♦J♦
"I can't believe I laid that down," Hass said as the board ran out 8♥10♣2♠6♥9♣. Bowen hit a pair of deuces, while Davila couldn't catch up and handed over the double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
120,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The hand after Justin Fowler beat Bill Schwarzkopf with a river shove, he again went heads-up in in a blind-versus-blind battle, this time against Leonardo Valenzuela.
Fowler led out for 12,000 on the 2♣4♥2♠ flop and Valenzuela called. Both players then checked the 9♣ turn.
Fowler bet another 15,000 on the 3♠ river, and Valenzuela raised to 45,000. Fowler took a minute before calling, and Valenzuela showed A♦5♦ for a rivered straight. Fowler flashed 9♦3♦ before mucking.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
210,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
Level: 15
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
