Level: 9
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100
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
Heaps for Hinkle
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
85,000 | |
|
||
|
68,900
41,700
|
41,700 |
|
38,500
18,500
|
18,500 |
|
33,000
-5,425
|
-5,425 |
|
30,150
-3,850
|
-3,850 |
|
23,225
-4,075
|
-4,075 |
|
16,250 | |
|
||
Meyers Gets it Back From Zych
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
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.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
123,500
67,500
|
67,500 |
|
22,800
2,400
|
2,400 |
Hammers Hands Vang a Beat
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
We found Kou Vang with 2,200 in front of him in the cutoff, facing a reraise to 9,800 from the big blind and a shove for 11,950 from Tom Hammers, who had limped from middle position according to Jason Seitz. Vang shoved all in, and the big blind quickly folded.
Vang: 
Hammers: 
"Good luck," Hammers said with a laugh, clearly expecting to be out of the tournament. The 
flop gave him some equity with a flush draw though, and he got there on the 
turn. Vang could still eliminate Hammers if the river brought a club or a pair on board, but a 
was a blank.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
42,100
-26,800
|
-26,800 |
|
35,100
15,100
|
15,100 |
Take 10
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Players are on a 10-minute break. When they return, no more entries and reentries will be allowed and T25 chips will be gone from the tables.
Level: 10
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Registration Closed for Day 1a
Level 10
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
A total of 164 registrations have been recorded for Day 1a, and anyone else looking to enter the tournament will have to wait for tomorrow.
Dirksen Busts Tollefson
Level 10
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
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.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,000
22,750
|
22,750 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Boone Calls Light
Level 10
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Three players limped into the pot, and the big blind made it 7,000 to go. Jim Boone called from under the gun, and everyone else folded. The big blind slowed down with a check on the flop, and Boone bet 8,000. The big blind called, and then came out with a shove for about 28,500 on the 
turn.
"Ah, I just think you have ace-king," Boone said, leaning back in his chair before opting to call off his 22,800.
Boone turned over 
, and his read was nearly on as his opponent held 
for a straight draw and two overs. Boone had plenty of cards to fade, but the 
wasn't one of them, and he clapped in celebration.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
79,600
46,600
|
46,600 |
History of Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki
Level 10
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
This weekend, Season 5 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) continues in Tama, IA at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel with a $1,100 Main Event featuring a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool.
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 champ Jamie 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:
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Anderson | $100,075 |
| 2 | Matt Kirby | $54,481 |
| 3 | Jeremy Putthoff | $36,070 |
| 4 | Taylor Howard | $24,423 |
| 5 | Ken Payne | $18,787 |
| 6 | Aaron Johnson | $15,029 |
| 7 | Ricky McGown | $13,151 |
| 8 | James Martimo | $11,272 |
| 9 | Ryan Tepen | $9,393 |
For more on the MSPT's upcoming stop at Meskwaki, visit MSPTpoker.com. Also, don’t forget PokerNews will be live reporting the event, which you can follow in our Live Reporting section.
***Article by Chad Holloway***