A player checked to Matt Kirby on the button in a three-bet pot, and he bet 1,200 on the flop. Kirby's opponent check-raised to 3,300, and Kirby responded by reraising to 10,000. His opponent pushed all in, and Kirby called for about 8,000 more.
Kirby:
Middle position:
Kirby's opponent had flopped a flush, but Kirby was still drawing live to a pair on the board. A turn changed nothing, but the river gave Kirby the boat he needed. The sponsored pro is not a player others will want to see with a hefty stack, but he's on his way.
The dealers are in their seats and the cards are ready for a 4 p.m. start here at Mid-States Poker Tour Ho-Chunk Gaming. With the hefty turnout of 148 players in yesterday's Day 1a,, a very large field is expected today, with the possibility of all 18 tables being full.
Aaron Johnson finished with 233,500 in chips yesterday, and today's players will be shooting for an even higher total as they play through 14 scheduled levels. It's the second day of the new Allen Kessler-designed structure, which calls for blinds to begin at 50/100 and 40 minute levels with breaks given every three levels. Players will begin with 20,000 in chips, and they're allowed one reentry should they bust out.
We expect to see some notable players like Matt Kirby, Blake Bohn, Lance Harris, Eddie Blumenthal, Larry Ormson, Patrick Steele, and the last MSPT Ho-Chunk champion, Josh Reichard, as those players entered yesterday but failed to last to the end of the night. Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you news of these players and many more.