2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino

Gene Gioia bagged the top stack with 302,100 here at Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Day 1a. Mark Sandness, winner of MSPT Running Aces earlier this year, trails in a distant second with 234,800. John Taitt (193,800), David Gutfreund (192,100), and Charles Anderson (161,900), also bagged top five stacks.

A total of 137 entrants were recorded today, and some notable players survived the grind: Phil Mader (86,000), Ryan Tepen (61,200), and Bryan Devonshire (38,100). Though Devonshire bagged one of the shorter stacks, he still looms as one of the more dangerous players in the tournament, as his resume includes more than $2 million in live cashes.

Gioia gained most of his stack on one of the last hands of the night. With the first four cards coming , Gioia bet 25,000 and got called. On the river, he put all of his red T5,000 chips in the center: 85,000. His opponent immediately called, and Gioia tabled . The button raised his cards high into the air and slammed onto the felt. Nobody else had time to catch Gioia after that, as just one more hand was played at his table.

Day 1b will commence tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time, and PokerNews will be on the scene to bring all of the live updates, so come back and see us then.

We found a large heads-up pot brewing between Gene Gioia, in early position, and an opponent on the button. With the first four cards coming , Gioia bet 25,000 and got called. On the river, he put all of his red chips in the center: 85,000. His opponent immediately called, and Gioia tabled . The button raised his cards high into the air and slammed onto the felt.

The players just counted down their stacks under the staff's supervision, and we'll have all of the counts up shortly.

The tournament director just announced that four more hands will be played.

We found David Gutfriend contemplating an all-in wager of 48,800 from a player on the button after a flop. Gutfreund, who was in the big blind, grabbed the stack he had counted out and placed in confidently in the middle.

Gutfreund:
Button:

Gutfreund was way in front, and the and that completed the board were bricks.

After a short stack shoved all in for 32,300 from middle position, Brad Zotti thought for a bit on the button before sliding forward calling chips. Everyone else folded.

Zotti:
Middle position:

"What took you so long?!" his neighbor exclaimed.

The board gave Zotti a winning flush, and his neighbor continued to needle him.

"Are you going to write that he's the tightest player ever?' she joked.

After the cutoff opened for a raise, Jim Hansen jammed from the big blind for about 25,000 and was quickly called.

Hansen:
Cutoff:

Hansen got out of his seat, but the board ran out , giving him a pair of queens and the pot.

A player opened for 4,800 under the gun, and Larry Brookes shipped it for 25,600 from early position. One player folded, and a middle-position player reraised to about 50,000. Everyone behind him folded.

Brookes:
Middle position:

Brookes was behind the red kings of his opponent, but a flop opened up some hope with a pair and a backdoor flush draw. The turn improved his position by keeping the backdoor draw alive, and a gave him trips and the winning hand.

"Sorry, my friend," he called to the player in Seat 1.

"That's OK, good hand," the player graciously responded.

"Well, no," Brookes replied. "But I'm kind of desperate."

Phil Mader opened for 3,800 from middle position, and Thao "Scratch" Thiem three-bet to 9,200 in the small blind. Mader made it 23,800, and Thiem five-bet to around 35,000 only to hear Mader immediately announce all in. Thiem quickly folded.