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.
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.
Small blind Brandon Meyers check-called 10,000 on a board of from Grant Hinkle, who was under the gun. Meyers checked the river, and Hinkle fired out 25,000. Meyers seemed perturbed as he double-checked his cards, counted his stack, then looked at his hole cards again. He cut out calling chips, shrugged, then called.
Hinkle showed for a boat, and Meyers shook his head before showing for trips.
Meskwaki is traditionally one of the most successful stops on the MSPT schedule, which is due in part to participants only having to be 18 years old to play.
“The MSPT is excited to return to Meskwaki, which always draws players from around the Midwest,” said MSPT owner and operator Bryan Mileski. “We’re looking forward to following up our first stop in Las Vegas by returning to Iowa for another successful stop at Meskwaki, which in the past has attracted local pros Jeff Fielder and Blair Hinkle. With a little luck, we’ll set yet another state record.”
The Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel is located in Tama, IA, between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids on Highway 30. With a huge bingo hall, table games, active craps tables, good blackjack games, horse book, indoor pool, exercise room, spa, and a large number of hotel rooms, Meskwaki has something for everyone.
To prepare for this weekend’s $1,100 Main Event, PokerNews decided to take a look back at the history shared between the MSPT and Meskwaki.
Muneer Wins Inaugural MSPT Stop at Meskwaki
The inaugural MSPT stop at Meskwaki took place from March 24 to April 1, 2012. That first tournament attracted 349 entrants and created a prize pool of $348,500, easily surpassing the $300,000 guarantee. Among the notables who came to compete were Blair Hinkle, Ari “BodogAri” Engel, and Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul. Hinkle actually began Day 2 as the chip leader, but he ultimately fell in 27th place for $2,692.
Meanwhile, Muneer Ahmed began Day 2 11th in chips, and actually dipped to just six big blinds before bouncing back to make the final table. During three-handed play, a big pot developed between Ahmed, who qualified for the tournament through a satellite, and Molly Mossey. The board read and Ahmed moved all in. Mossey tanked for several minutes with , but ultimately folded. If she could see Ahmed's cards, she wouldn’t have, as Ahmed showed for a bluff.
Mossey ended up falling in third place, Jeff Petronack in second, and Ahmed went on to capture the title and $89,184 first-place prize.
“The money is great, but this bracelet means the most,” Ahmed said of the RF Moeller diamond championship bracelet he received for the victory.
Here’s a look at the first-ever MSPT Meskwaki final table:
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Muneer Ahmed
$89,184
2
Jeff Petronack
$48,799
3
Molly Mossey
$32,310
4
Heidi Roggenkamp
$21,875
5
Mark Butler
$16,827
6
Steve Reichelt
$13,462
7
John Oetker
$11,779
8
Ben Jacobs
$10,096
9
Mitch Ackerman
$8,414
Dan Sun Captures His First MSPT Title at Meskwaki
Only two players have won two MSPT titles. MSPT Pro Matt Kirby is one, and the other is Dan Sun of Cedar Rapids, IA, and his first-ever win came at Meskwaki. It came back in late July 2012 when he conquered a field of 301 entrants, which created a prize pool of $301,500.
One man that was in the tournament was 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event champJamie Gold. The former world champ made it deep on Day 1, but with an hour left in the night he got many of his chips all in preflop holding and was well out in front of MSPT regular Jeremy Dresch, who was at risk with . A queen on the flop ended up crippling Gold, and he hit the rail a short time later.
“I had a blast this week.” Gold said of his MSPT experience. “I had heard about this tour a year ago and have been wanting to check it out. I finally got a week off and decided last minute to make the trip to Iowa to spend a few days playing cash games and the main event. I couldn’t have been more impressed, the players are so friendly here and fun to play with.”
Meanwhile, Sun, a software engineer, thrived on Day 1 as he bagged up the seventh biggest stack of the advancing 101 players, and by the time the final table rolled around he held the chip lead. Others at the final table included the aforementioned Dresch, local fan favorite Gene Bennett and 2011 MSPT Player of the Year Nate Fair. Fair ended up falling in seventh place for $10,183, while Bennett lasted a little longer before hitting the rail in fifth place for $14,548.
Dresch managed to make it to heads-up play against Sun, but failed to overcome his chip disadvantage. In what would be the final hand, Dresch raised with offsuit and Sun called to see a flop of . Dresch bet, San raised, and Dresch moved all in. Sun called with , and captured the $77,103 first-place prize after a blanked on the turn followed by a brick on the river.
Here’s a look at the second-ever MSPT Meskwaki final table:
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Dan Sun
$77,103
2
Jeremy Dresch
$42,183
3
Michael Fink
$27,932
4
Jason Brin
$18,912
5
Gene Bennett
$14,548
6
Erik Burton
$11,638
7
Nathan Fair
$10,183
8
David Gutfreund
$8,729
9
Brett Reichard
$7,274
Reynolds Wins MSPT’s Third Visit to Tama
The MSPT visited Meskwaki for the third time from October 27 to November 4, 2012, and this time the Main Event attracted 297 entries and resulted in a $300,000 prize pool. The final table featured former MSPT champ Jason Seitz, but he was looking up at the massive chip lead of Chicago’s Mike Reynolds.
Seitz ended up busting in eighth place, but around this time Reynolds fell to the short stack. Not to be deterred, Reynolds battled back and ultimately captured the title and accompanying $81,060 first-place prize. After the win, Reynolds stated that he planned to use some of the money to buy a condo in Las Vegas and continue to play poker there.
Here’s a look at the third-ever MSPT Meskwaki final table:
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Michael Reynolds
$81,060
2
Jeff Grimes
$43,421
3
Phil Mader
$27,501
4
Brad Sullivan
$20,265
5
Steve Federspiel
$17,370
6
Ed Nassif
$13,028
7
Kirk Flom
$11,001
8
Jason Seitz
$9,843
9
Gennady Shimelfarb
$8,106
Ring Overcomes Stacked Final Table to Win MSPT Meskwaki
The first MSPT Meskwaki stop of 2013 accounted for 342 entries and created a prize pool of $342,700. Even more impressive is that it resulted in a “final table [that] may have been the toughest in MSPT history.” That’s because it included WSOP bracelet winners Blair Hinkle and Nick Jivkov; winner of the Chicago Poker Classic and MSPT Pro Blake Bohn; MSPT Running Aces champ David Gonia; an MSPT regulars Mark Sandness and Eric Loehr. There was also an amateur from Durant, IA by the name of Terry Ring.
Wouldn’t you know it, Ring’s slow-and-steady approach earned him pot after pot, and before long he found himself heads up against Jivkov holding a massive chip lead. Ring, who also has a Heartland Poker Tour title on his résumé, used it to seal the deal and take down the $87,694 first-place prize.
Here’s a look at the fourth-ever MSPT Meskwaki final table:
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Terry Ring
$87,694
2
Nick Jivkov
$47,983
3
Kevin Boskey
$31,768
4
Dominic Giarango
$21,510
5
Doyle Elwell
$16,546
6
David Gonia
$13,237
7
Eric Loehr
$11,582
8
Mark Sandness
$9,928
9
Blair Hinkle
$8,273
Van Blair Captures $88,958 First-Place Prize
The MSPT returned to Meskwaki for a second time in Season 4 from July 20-28, 2013 and saw 348 entrants create a prize pool of $347,600. It turned out to be the longest Main Event in MSPT history up until that point, and in the end it was Andy Van Blair, an occupational therapist from Des Moines, that walked away with the $88,958 first-place prize.
Van Blair survived Day 2 with 76,600 in chips, which put him 33rd of the advancing 102 players. From there, he continued to build and ended up at the final table with 1.2 million, putting him second in chips behind Kansas construction operator Shane Fuller. Action stalled when just four players remained, but after several hours Sam Desilva got his chips all in holding the and was up against Fuller’s . An ace on the flop would be all it took for Desilva to bow out in fourth place for $21,819.
After Derek Dempster fell in third place, Fuller took a 3-1 chip lead into heads-up play against Van Blair. On the third hand between the two, Van Blair got his stack in with the and was flipping against Fuller’s pocket threes. The board ran out and Van Blair rivered a straight to keep his tournament alive.
Van Blair went on to take over the chip lead, and on the 10th hand between the two, Fuller raised from the button with the and then called when Van Blair shoved with the . Fuller got it in good, but the flop gave Van Blair the lead with fours. Neither the turn nor river helped Fuller, and he had to settle for second place and a $48,672 consolation prize.
The stop marked the MSPT’s 31st event, and it’s worth noting that it was Everett Carlton’s seventh MSPT final table and ninth cash, making him the most decorated MSPT player up to that point.
Here’s a look at the fifth-ever MSPT Meskwaki final table:
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Andy Van Blair
$88,958
2
Shane Fuller
$48,672
3
Derek Dempster
$32,224
4
Sam Desilva
$21,819
5
Nathan Russler
$16,784
6
Everett Carlton
$13,427
7
Brett Schwertley
$11,749
8
Derek Crooks
$10,070
9
Shaun Decker
$8,392
Survival was the Name of the Game for Spooner
From October 26 to November 3, 2013, the MSPT was back at Meskwaki and 296 entrants turned out to create a prize pool of $300,000. Six out of the 10 final tablists were from Minnesota, but it’d be Jesse Spooner, a process engineer from Easton, MI, that would walk away with the $81,060 first-place prize.
Spooner didn’t exactly thrive on Day 1 — finishing 65th out of the advancing 90 players — but he went into survival mode on Day 2. He made it all the way to the final table, but was the short stack with just nine big blinds. Fortunately for him, he doubled early and then hit a heater that eventually led to him becoming the chip leader; in fact, he began heads-up play against Tom Tracy, a supply chain manager from Apple Valley, MN, with a 9-1 chip lead.
Tracy managed to fight his way into the chip lead, but then momentum swung back in Spooner’s favor. In the 140th hand of the final table, Tracy got his stack all in holding the and was way out in front of Spooner’s . The flop was disaster for Tracy, and he watched helplessly as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river.
Here’s a look at the sixth-ever MSPT Meskwaki final table:
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Jesse Spooner
$81,060
2
Thomas Tracy
$43,425
3
Ryan Hartmann
$27,503
4
Jason Sell
$20,260
5
Jeff Bryan
$17,370
6
Daniel Schmidt
$13,027
7
Joe Matheson
$11,001
8
Aaron Johnson
$9,843
9
Jacob Kramer
$8,106
Anderson Wins Largest MSPT Meskwaki to Date; Denies Kirby Third Title
The last time the MSPT was at Meskwaki was from March 29 to April 6, 2014. The first of three stops in Season 5 attracted 389 entrants, which made it the biggest MSPT Meskwaki to date.
MSPT Pro and two-time champ Matt Kirby began Day 2 as the chip leader among the returning 70 players, and he won a big pot midway through the day. It happened when James “mig.com” Mackey got his stack all in with , another player with , and Kirby with . A six on the flop gave Kirby a set, and he turned a full house to send Mackey to the rail and rake in a massive pot that allowed him to make it all the way to the final table.
In fact, Kirby made it to heads-up play against Matthew Anderson. Kirby was seeking his record third MSPT title, but in one of the first hands the two played, Kirby shoved over a check-raise from Anderson on a flop. Anderson quickly called with the , which was ahead of Kirby’s flush draw. Anderson managed to turn quads, and that was all she wrote for Kirby, who took home $54,481 for his runner-up finish. Meanwhile, Anderson was awarded the top prize of $100,075.
Here’s a look at the most recent MSPT Meskwaki final table:
We found Taylor Tollefson all in and at risk on the button for his last 10,500 or so against Dustin Dirksen.
Dirksen:
Tollefson:
The board came , no help to Tollefson's eights. Tollefson has had plenty of success this season with four cashes in Mid-States Poker Tour events, including a fourth-place finish, so we may see him try his luck again tomorrow.
We found Brandon Meyers and Adam Zych butting heads again, this time with Meyers all in and at risk for 56,525 on a board of .
Zych:
Meyers:
Meyers had the nuts, but Zych still had equity with a flush draw, while a ten would give him a chop. The dealer burned and turned the , leaving Meyers' straight best and giving him all of the chips he previously lost to Zych along with some interest.
An early-position player opened to 1,200 and was called in two spots before Mark Hodge shipped all in for 6,950 in the small blind. The big blind folded, and the opener called, as did Jim Boone. The two active players checked down the run out, and Boone showed . Much to his amazement, he had both opponents drawing nearly dead the whole time, as each held .
"Ship it!" Boone shouted, standing up and spreading his arms wide.
Hodge collected his belongings and headed out, having exhausted his two allotted bullets for the day.
Brandon Meyers was in late position, and he called 4,600 from a player in the small blind on a board of . On the river, the small blind checked and snap-called 5,000 from Meyers, but he was shown for trips.
Meyers is an accomplished online tournament player, cashing for more than $4 million under the screen names "oncommand" and "norajean."
Elsewhere, Jim Lawrence and Tom Hammers have joined the action.
After the community came , Mark Hodge bet 1,500 from the hijack. Adam Dahlin was his lone opponent, and he raised to 2,850 from the cutoff. Hodge thought for about two minutes before announcing a raise as he tossed out a pink T5,000 chip, making it 6,500. Dahlin responded by pushing all in for what appeared to be about 23,000, enough to cover Hodge's stack. Hodge considered briefly before stacking all of his chips and dropping them in the middle.
Dahlin showed for sevens full.
"God-d*** it," Hodge said, turning over for a lower boat, having gotten unlucky on the river.
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Matthew Anderson claimed a six-figure pay day last time the MSPT was here.
After nearly two months between main events, the Mid-States Poker Tour has returned with another stop at Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa. The location may be remote, but the action isn't; Matthew Anderson can attest to that. The Lincoln, Neb., based player took home $100,075 for winning the last MSPT event here on April 6.
Anderson topped a field of 389 players, a record for a poker tournament in Iowa with a buy in of more than $1,000. The hard-working MSPT crew undoubtedly enjoyed their long stretch of time off, but they've been hard at work trying to break their own record since arriving in Iowa. If the official MSPT Twitter account is any indication, things are shaping up well with some dense qualifier fields and action-packed cash games throughout the week leading up to today's Day 1a.
The tournament will begin at 4 p.m. local time as is customary for the MSPT since switching the majority of their events to the Allen Kessler-approved structure earlier this year. Coincidentally, the "Chainsaw" himself announced via Twitter that he will be in attendance. Players will begin with stacks of 20,000, and blinds start at 50/100. The plan for the day is to play 14 levels, each lasting 40 minutes. Breaks are given are every three levels, and late registration will end after Level 9.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all of the live updates and photos as the MSPT kicks off the second half of its record-breaking season.
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.
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.
from Grant Hinkle, who was under the gun. Meyers checked the 
and Ahmed moved all in. Mossey tanked for several minutes with 
, but ultimately folded. If she could see Ahmed's cards, she wouldn’t have, as Ahmed showed 
for a bluff.
and was well out in front of MSPT regular Jeremy Dresch, who was at risk with 
. A queen on the flop ended up crippling Gold, and he hit the rail a short time later.
offsuit and Sun called to see a flop of 
. Dresch bet, San raised, and Dresch moved all in. Sun called with 
, and captured the $77,103 first-place prize after a 
and was up against Fuller’s 
. An ace on the flop would be all it took for Desilva to bow out in fourth place for $21,819.
and was flipping against Fuller’s pocket threes. The board ran out 
and Van Blair rivered a straight to keep his tournament alive.
turn nor 
river helped Fuller, and he had to settle for second place and a $48,672 consolation prize.
and was way out in front of Spooner’s 
blanked on the turn followed by the 
, another player with 
, which was ahead of Kirby’s 
, leaving Meyers' straight best and giving him all of the chips he previously lost to Zych along with some interest.
run out, and Boone showed 
. Much to his amazement, he had both opponents drawing nearly dead the whole time, as each held 
