Welcome to Day 1a of Mid-States Poker Tour Grand Falls Casino

After a week off, the Mid-States Poker Tour has returned once more, this time for a $150,000 guaranteed tournament at Grand Falls Casino. The venue is barely more than a stone's throw away from Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota, and is sure to attract players from around the region who don't see another stop on the MSPT come nearly this close to home.

The last time the MSPT came to town, Josh Smith walked away with pockets that were $59,221 heavier after defeating a field of 218 entrants. He was joined at the final table by Steve Belland (second), Brett Kuznia (fourth), and Everett Carlton (eighth).

Cards are scheduled to be in the air at 4:00 local time, and we'll watch the contestants play 14 levels today, each lasting 40 minutes as part of the Allen Kessler-approved structure adopted by the MSPT earlier this year. Each player will begin with 20,000, and blinds will begin at 50/100. Eliminated players may choose to reenter during the first nine levels. Don't go away, as we bring you all of the live updates right here on PokerNews.