The stage is set as the final qualifier finishes up for Day 1b of Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino. One of the most consistent stops on the tour and the only one to get three tournaments this season, the turnout is once again solid at the very least, with a record Day 1a for the stop at this site turning out for yesterday's Day 1a.
David Gutfreund bagged up the lead with 238,500, so players in today's flight will be looking to top that. Among those who failed to advance yesterday and will most likely be playing today: Aaron Johnson, Dustin Dirksen, Josh Reichard, Brandon Meyers, former MSPT Meskwaki champ Jonathan Olson, Will Givens, Phil Mader, tour pro Matt Kirby, and feared professional Blair Hinkle. We also heard that Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler has made his way to Tama, Ia., to try his luck on Day 1b.
The Kessler-approved structure will once again be in use, featuring a 20,000 starting stack and blinds beginning at 50/100. Levels go up every 40 minutes from there, and players will be allowed to reenter once on each of two starting days. Entries will end after Level 9.
Live updates will begin with the start of the tournament at 4 p.m., so don't go far.
The board was on the turn when two players were all in with another player thinking. Mike Ross was under the gun with his stack in the middle, and Josh Reichard on the button had called off. Apparently, the action had started with a bet from the big blind, a call from Ross, and a raise from Reichard. The big blind called, and Ross shipped it. After the big blind finally folded, Ross revealed he had been caught.
"I thought 1,000 percent you had no hand," he said with a laugh, turning for the nut flush draw and a gutshot.
Reichard had the goods with for the nut straight. The big blind said he folded a weak straight. The dealer burned and turned the though, giving Ross his flush and putting a painful beat on the Wisconsin native. He took it in stride and headed for the reentry desk.
Blair Hinkle bet 1,000 on a flop from early position and was called by the small blind. In the big blind, Scott Moses put in a raise, and Hinkle got it all in with him, forcing out the small blind.
Hinkle:
Moses:
"Don't do it to me, dealer," Moses prayed.
The dealer obliged, delivering a and , eliciting a big sigh of relief from Moses.
Hinkle was left with about 700 and busted shortly after.
A player opened for 2,100 in middle position, and Phil Mader made it 5,000 to go on his immediate left. Everyone else folded, and the two took in a flop heads up. Both checked, and an fell, prompting the opener to shove for about 7,000. Mader immediately called, tabling for top set. His opponent showed the bad luck: for a turned set. He missed the one-outer on the river.
Three players saw a flop of and action checked to the cutoff, who bet 2,200. Josh Reichard called out of the big blind, and Brandon Meyers slid his whole stack of just over 20,000 forward. The cutoff folded, and Reichard made the call without much delay.
Reichard:
Meyers:
The and were bricks, and Reichard was left telling Meyers "nice hand" and shipping him the double.
On a monotone flop of , Phil Mader checked from middle position and saw cutoff Will Stone bet 3,600. Mader raised to 9,000, and the Stone called, seeing a turn. Mader switched it up with a tiny bet of 5,000, and Stone again called. A fell on the river, and Mader bet 10,000. His opponent shoved, causing Mader to sigh.
"How much do you have, only about 10 more?" Mader asked. It was 12,300 more. "You got kings huh?"
He sighed and tossed in a call, and was shown as he feared. Mader tossed in , showing he'd flopped the nuts.
With a total of 426 registrations after the 244 here on Day 1b, the Mid-States Poker Tour has shattered their own Iowa record of 389 entrants for a major (buy in > $1,000) tournament.
Jeremy Dresch got it all in on the turn with , a dream spot on the board. His opponent in the small blind had been in command on the flop with , but Dresch binked the two outer on the turn and got it in, holding when the fell on the river.
Jonathan Olson has quickly run up a monster stack after being unable to get much going for the last two days. In one recent pot, he check-called 21,000 on the river against a player on the button with a board of between them.
"You got it," the player said with a shake of his head, turning over for a missed straight draw.
Arron Salandro opened for a raise in middle position, and Jeremy Dresch made it 17,700 to go from the button.
"This is gonna be good," Salandro predicted as he made the call.
The flop came , and Salandro check-called 23,000. Both players checked the , and Salandro checked the river. Dresch thought for about a minute before announcing he was all in, and Salandro snap-called.
Dresch tabled an before sliding his other card to the muck, knowing he was beat, and Salandro showed for a flush.