Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
368
Level
30
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Meyers Looking to Pad Winnings After Bagging Day 1a Lead
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
After 14 levels of play here on Day 1a of the Mid-States Poker Tour's second stop at Meskwaki Casino this year, tournament crusher Brandon Meyers bagged 294,000 to book a wide lead over second-place Matt McGrory. Meyers is a name familiar to many in the tournament poker world, as he has more than $4 million in online cashes under the screen names "oncommand" and "norajean," as well just under $1 million in live cashes. Meyers is a Minnesota native.
Thirty-five other players made it through the 10-hour grind out of 164 total registrants. McGrory (247,000), bracelet winner Grant Hinkle (183,000), Harold Poignant (166,000), and Ken Auker (131,500) joined Meyers in the top five. John Oetker (117,000), Gennady Shimelfarb (114,000, coming off a Main Event cash), Phil Mader (103,000), Kou Vang (65,000), Adam Dahlin (56,500), and Jason Seitz (35,000) were among those advancing to Sunday's Day 2.
Meyers was working with a hefty stack for most of the day. One pot in particular vaulted him to the top of the counts early on. Nemesis Adam Zych doubled him up on a board of 
when Zych's 
failed to catch the 
held by Meyers, good for the nut straight. After a costly setback at the hands of Grant Hinkle's boat, Meyers rallied in the late levels to take a monster lead and hang on.
Some of today's less fortunate: Lance Harris, Matt Kirby, Taylor Tollefson, Zych, Brett Kuznia, Jeff Bryan, Allen Kessler, Chris Tryba, Dustin Dirksen, Aaron Johnson, and Tyler Caspers. We hope to see all of these players and more take a crack at Saturday's Day 1b, and we'll be bringing you all of the interesting happenings, right here on PokerNews.
End of Day 1a Counts (full)
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
294,000 | 7,000 |
|
247,000 | 212,000 |
|
183,000 | 16,000 |
|
166,000 | |
|
131,500 | |
|
121,000 | 23,000 |
|
117,000 | |
|
114,000 | 9,000 |
|
111,000 | |
|
|
103,500 | |
|
103,000 | -14,300 |
|
|
93,500 | |
|
91,500 | 500 |
|
89,500 | 5,000 |
|
|
83,500 | |
|
82,500 | |
|
|
82,000 | |
|
|
75,500 | |
|
|
74,500 | |
|
74,500 | -100 |
|
|
72,000 | |
|
|
69,000 | |
|
65,500 | |
|
65,000 | 40,200 |
|
65,000 | -73,000 |
Photos: MSPT Meskwaki Day 1a
Two More Hands; Meyers Solidifies Lead
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Just as the tournament director announced that two more hands will be played, Brandon Meyers called a short-stacked player who shoved all in from middle position for 23,200. Everyone else folded.
Meyers: 
Opponent: 
The board ran out in Meyers' favor: 
, giving him top pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
287,000 | 4,000 |
Neighbors Busts After Sending Chunk of Stack to Neighbor Mader
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
According to Phil Mader, he defended his big blind with 
and bet the turn and shoved the river as the board came 
against Gabe Neighbors. Neighbors called with 
, sending most of his stack to the Nebraskan. Mader said Neigbors busted shortly thereafter when he ran into a player holding aces all in preflop.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
117,300 | 78,800 |
|
|
Busted |
The Number of the Beast
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
We found Adam Dahlin all in with 
, dominated by the 
of Jason Seitz for his last 29,700. The 
flop brought a set for Dahlin and a sigh from Seitz, and Seitz sent the requisite chips to his right after the 
and 
completed the board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
65,400 | 31,500 |
|
24,000 | -30,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Hammers Pushing Six Figures
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
A player opened for a raise in the hijack and was called by Tom Hammers on the button, as well as the small blind. Hammers then called a continuation-bet on the 
flop before both remaining players checked the 
turn. Hammers bet 15,500 on the river after his opponent checked, and the bet went uncalled. Hammers showed 
for aces and sixes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
98,000 | 62,900 |
Lucky Lawrence
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
We found the aftermath of a three-way all in at Table 19. Jim Lawrence had made a flush with 
on a board of 
, and he needed it since an opponent who covered him held 
. Meanwhile, an empty seat had 
in front of it; we were told it formerly housed Aaron Johnson. According to players at the table, Johnson had open-shoved, while Lawrence shoved over the top and was called by the player holding aces in the blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
91,000 | 66,500 |
|
Busted |