After three days of warm-ups, the championship Sunday has arrived for Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates. Day 2 play will commence at 11 a.m. local time here in Black Hawk, Colo., with 104 players in contention for the first prize of more than $120,000. The total number of runners was 500, so 54 of the 104 will walk out with payouts.
Mike Wright brings the overall chip lead into Day 2 with 600,000, trailed by the 511,500 of MSPT team pro Blake Bohn. Plenty of other notables remain in contention as well, including Alex Greenblatt, Adam Friedman, John Beauprez, Will Givens, Phil Mader, Ben Keeline, John Hayes, and Bohn's fellow team pros Kou Vang and Matt Kirby.
Play will begin at Level 16 (2,000/4,000/500) and progress until the final table is set, at which point everyone will break for dinner. Keep an eye on the live updates right here on PokerNews.
In a span of five seats at Table 13, there sits roughly $5 million worth of tournament winnings.
In Seat 1, Kou Vang has about $600,000 in live cashes to his name, while Seat 3 houses Vang's fellow Mid-States Poker Tour team pro Blake Bohn, who sits at just under $2 million. The five seat, meanwhile, is home to Kevin "1sickdisease" Eyster, well-known online crusher who also sports north of $2.3 million in live cashes. Needless to say, the other players at this table have their work cut out for them if they hope to accumulate any chips, and worse still, the table is likely to be one of the last to break.
It goes without saying that we'll keep a close eye on Table 13.
Blake Bohn opened for 10,000 in the cutoff and saw the player on the button jam for about 40,000. Kevin "1sickdisease" Eyster jammed over that for about 160,000 total, and Bohn called immediately.
Bohn:
Eyster:
Button:
A grim flop for Bohn arrived: , giving Eyster a flush draw and the player on the button a pair. The turn meant Bohn was drawing very slim for the smaller main pot, but he was able to bust Eyster and take the larger side pot when a completed the board. It's a result he's surely happy with since it also eliminated a dangerous opponent.
Blake Bohn and Matt Kirby checked from middle position and saw Alex Greenblatt bet 13,000 on a flop from the hijack. Both tour-sponsored pros called, bringing a on the turn. Bohn checked again, but Kirby fired out 32,000. Greenblatt called, and Bohn left the two heads up. An paired the board, and Kirby announced all in. Greenblatt didn't seem pleased, but he called off for what looked like about 115,000, slightly less than Kirby's stack.
Kirby showed for aces full, and Greenblatt flashed before mucking and getting up.
Play is hand-for-hand now, and Blake Bohn narrowly avoided bubbling out as he jammed in from the cutoff with after a flop and was called by Mike Wright, who had in the blinds. The turn gave Bohn life with trips, but he still had to avoid some hearts and the remaining kings. He did so as a fell.
In a three-bet pot, a player in the cutoff shoved all in for about 200,000 on a board of and got snapped by Reza Yazdi on the button, who had . His opponent was upset at Yazdi's holding, showing for two pair. Yazdi faded the aces and eights as a hit the river.
At another table, Kevin Boudreau is back atop the counts after busting Steve Anderson.
Reza Yazdi opened for a raise on the button and called a three-bet to 160,000 from small blind Zack Whitney. The flop brought , and Whitney announced the same bet. Yazdi tossed out about 400,000, and Whitney said he was all in. Yazdi quickly called and tabled for a set as he stood up.
"Give me a nine," Whitney said, showing for a pair and a gutter. The was a brick, as was the river, and Yazdi's hot run continues.
David Lang shipped all in and was called by John Beauprez for about 250,000. Beauprez had and was able to outdraw Lang's despite a flop when the turn brought an and the river a blank.
Shortly thereafter, Mike Wright shoved all in for what looked like about 350,000 on a board, but his timing was poor as Beauprez had and held against Wright's .
, giving Eyster a flush draw and the player on the button a pair. The 
turn meant Bohn was drawing very slim for the smaller main pot, but he was able to bust Eyster and take the larger side pot when a 
completed the board. It's a result he's surely happy with since it also eliminated a dangerous opponent.
flop from the hijack. Both tour-sponsored pros called, bringing a 
for aces full, and Greenblatt flashed 
before mucking and getting up.
after a 
flop and was called by Mike Wright, who had 
in the blinds. The 
turn gave Bohn life with trips, but he still had to avoid some hearts and the remaining kings. He did so as a 
fell.
was way behind the 
of "Phwap."
and got snapped by Reza Yazdi on the button, who had 
for two pair. Yazdi faded the aces and eights as a 
for a set as he stood up.
was a brick, as was the 
river, and Yazdi's hot run continues.
and the river a blank.
flop, and an 