Main Event Day 1b | 2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino

Player	Chips	Progress
Joe Illingworth	269,500 8,700	8,700
Jonathan Olson	262,000 18,000	18,000
John Kurfman	216,500 47,000	47,000
Arron Salandro	215,500 215,500	215,500
Ken Auker	211,500 40,000	40,000
Nick Jivkov	182,500 108,500	108,500

Ken Rosheisen	179,500 179,500	179,500
Jeremy Dresch	171,500 120,500	120,500
Cory Gourley	154,000 11,000	11,000
Jason Seefeld	142,000 32,000	32,000
David Steger	130,000 130,000	130,000
Rick McGown	126,500 6,500	6,500
Brian Zupancich	115,000 25,000	25,000
Jeff Grimes	111,500 3,500	3,500
John Reading	109,000 109,000	109,000

Nik Stone	105,000 38,000	38,000
Henry Tran	103,500 11,500	11,500
Darren Ficek	101,500 101,500	101,500
Chuck Costanzo	96,000 96,000	96,000
Alan Cutler	94,000 94,000	94,000
Brandon Smith	92,500 92,500	92,500
Jake Wilding	92,000 92,000	92,000
Mike Pelsley	90,000 90,000	90,000
Frank Helm	89,000 89,000	89,000
James Mordue	85,000 85,000	85,000

Player

Chips

Progress

Joe Illingworth

269,500

8,700

Jonathan Olson

262,000

18,000

John Kurfman

216,500

47,000

Arron Salandro

215,500

Ken Auker

211,500

40,000

Nick Jivkov

182,500

108,500

Ken Rosheisen

179,500

Jeremy Dresch

171,500

120,500

Cory Gourley

154,000

11,000

Jason Seefeld

142,000

32,000

David Steger

130,000

Rick McGown

126,500

6,500

Brian Zupancich

115,000

25,000

Jeff Grimes

111,500

3,500

John Reading

109,000

Nik Stone

105,000

38,000

Henry Tran

103,500

11,500

101,500

96,000

94,000

92,500

92,000

Mike Pelsley

90,000

Frank Helm

89,000

James Mordue

85,000

Two former Mid-States Poker Tour champs topped the chip counts at the end of Day 1b of MSPT Meskwaki, leading a field of 50 survivors. Iowa native Joe Illingworth, who won MSPT Ho-Chunk in 2012 for $65,742, finished with the top stack, 269,500. That was enough for a small lead over the defending champion of this event, Jonathan Olson, who banked $95,741 here in July. Olson finished with 262,000.

The field size of 244 for the second starting flight was enough to push the total to 426, smashing the old record (also set by the MSPT in April) of 389 players for a tournament with a buy-in greater than $1,000 in Iowa.

Others who moved on to Sunday's Day 2 included John Kurfman (216,500), Arron Salandro (215,500), Ken Auker (211,500), bracelet winner Nick Jivkov (182,500), Jeremy Dresch (171,500), Nik Stone (105,000), Yossi Azulay (62,000), "Minneapolis" Jim Meehan (61,000), Phil Mader (58,000), and European Poker Tour champion Tim Vance (45,000).

Illingworth was among the leaders just before the last break, and he only added to his stack from there. In one notable pot, he was able to outdraw the of Cash Carpenter with his all in preflop when two diamonds hit the flop and a third hit on the river.

Olson was unable to get anything going for most of the day after coming up empty-handed on Day 1a, but he began to turn things around by doubling through bracelet winner Will Givens with the , good for a boat on a board of against Givens' . At that point, Olson had 36,500 at Level 10 (500/1,000/100), and he rode the heater from there to a top stack.

Dresch looked poised to bag the chip lead when he had more chips than both leaders ended with, but he bluffed off a large chunk of his stack on one of the last big hands of the night.

Many of the most notable and feared players in the field failed to advance to Day 2, including Blair Hinkle, Brandon Meyers, Lance Harris, Kou Vang, the aforementioned Givens, Allen Kessler, and Matt Kirby. Other eliminations included Mike Mustafa, Jon Hanner, Mike Holm, Judd Greenagel, Jason Seitz, Mario Hudson, Mike Ross, Jason Sell, Aaron Johnson, and Tony Lazar.

Day 2 play will resume at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, so don't miss the final day of this tournament, which will see a six-figure score head to the winner.

Tags: Joe Illingworth Jonathan Olson