After 9 levels of play here on Day 1a of the Mid-States Poker Tour, Dustin Dirksen bagged a massive chip lead with 254,800. The next-biggest stack is more than 100,000 below Dirksen's: Mark Sandness finished the night with 148,200. Rounding out the top five were Tim Hoberstad (118,100), Ric Cacho (114,000), and Keith Doering (113,900).
Thirty-six players bagged up stacks out of the 128 total entrants, and both the survivors and the busted can return tomorrow for Day 1b, though survivors must forfeit their Day 1a stacks to do so. The fields will then combine for the final day on Sunday.
Dirksen owes a solid chunk of his massive stack to his track shoes: he won a huge race against Brett Kuznia for a sizable pot late in the tournament. He appeared to maintain a well-above-average stack for most of the night, though we didn't catch him in many hands. Dirksen, who sports a résumé that includes three World Series of Poker final tables, a PokerStars Caribbean Adventure final table, and more than $1.1 million in live tournament cashes, is certainly a player whom not many runners will be happy to see with a large stack.
Well-known pros Matt Kirby (104,500) and Blake Bohn (75,600) also bagged solid stacks. In Bohn's case, a lucky turn enabled him to avoid busting when he semi-bluffed all in and got there against a made hand.
Other notables who made it through the day with chips include Reg Powell (101,100), Rodger Johnson (88,800), Todd "sharkslayerr" Breyfogle (75,900), Rob Wazwaz (55,400), and Terry Ring (39,100).
A larger turnout is expected for tomorrow's Day 1b, so be sure to tune back in to PokerNews as we bring you all of the live updates from the first stop on this year's MSPT.
Brett Kuznia three-bet to about 13,000 after an early-position raise from Dustin Dirksen. When action folded back to Dirksen, he shoved all in. Kuznia called, though he didn't seem thrilled about it.
Kuznia:
Dirksen:
"Classic," Dirksen said, and indeed we had a classic flip that decides so many tournament lives.
This time, it was Kuznia on the wrong end of it when the board ran out , and Dirksen vaulted to the chip lead while his opponent hit the rail.
Matt Kirby, pictured here at a WSOP Circuit final table.
We caught up with Matt Kirby in a recent blind-versus-button clash in which he fired 5,600 into his opponent on the end. With the board reading , Kirby's opponent quickly called.
Kirby rolled over for a pair-turned-backdoor-flush, and his opponent mucked.
"Matthew Kirby, ladies and gentlemen," another player at the table said.
Mark Hodge checked out of the small blind on a flop of , and Blake Bohn bet 6,000 on the button. Hodge check-raised to 13,500, and Bohn announced an all in without much delay. The dealer counted out his stack of 46,000 total, and Hodge made the call.
Hodge:
Bohn:
Hodge had flopped the second nuts and had one of Bohn's outs killed since the would make him a straight flush. However, the dealer wasted no time making Bohn's hand, turning the .
"Jesus Christ," Hodge muttered.
The gave Hodge no justice, and he shipped nearly all of his chips to Bohn.
"How you running, Blake?" another player at the table asked.
John Hayes opened for 1,500 under the gun, and action folded to James Maxey in the big blind. Maxey raised to 3,600, and Hayes moved all in. Maxey called without hesitation.
Maxey:
Hayes:
Maxey held a commanding lead, and it never diminished on the runout.
On the end, with a board of , Kou Vang checked to Todd Melander, who bet 7,000 into a pot of about 20,000. Vang tanked for a couple of minutes before tossing a single black T100 chip into the middle.
"Good call," Melander said softly before tossing into the middle one at a time for a missed flush draw. Vang showed and took the pot.
Grayson Scoggin at a final table in last year's WSOP.
On a board of , two players checked to the button, who bet 2,200. The big blind made the call, and Grayson Scoggin thought for a bit before calling as well. A finished the board, and everyone checked.
The big blind shrugged and tossed in for top pair, but Scoggin had it beat with for trip jacks. The button mucked.
Scoggin, who notched a fifth-place finish in a limit hold'em event at last year's World Series of Poker for over $42,000, is showcasing some no-limit prowess in the early going here as he has nearly doubled the starting stack.
We found Blake Bohn firing 400 from under the gun into a massive multi-way pot after a flop. A long series of folds led to Brian Zupancich's action in the big blind, and he made the call. Zupancich bet out 500 on the turn, and Bohn raised to 1,200. Zupancich called, then came out betting again on the river with 1,625. Bohn quickly called, and Zupancich showed for a flopped full house.
With PokerNews proudly delivering coverage throughout Season 5 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT), we thought new readers following the coverage could use a quick primer on the live blog's set-up and structure.
The red tabs on the screen allow you to navigate between PokerNews' live blogging coverage - which includes hand recaps, player interviews, chip count updates, photos and all the rest - and the site's other extremely useful features.
If you prefer to simply scan the chip counts to see how your favorite players are faring, clicking the red tab titled "Chip Counts" will take you to a list screen with updated chip counts for the players we have information for. Those using the MyStack app from the table can always add their counts to this page through their smartphones, so if you don't see who you're searching for in the counts, have them download MyStack and update their progress as the day continues.
The “Player Updates" tab is next, and this tool allows you to see how notable players and top pros have been faring lately, with arrows showing if they have been climbing or falling in the counts.
Finally, if you just want to soak in the scene from the various MSPT stops, click on the "Photo Gallery" tab to take a look at a gallery of photos taken throughout the day.
Combining the "Live Reporting" coverage PokerNews strives to provide with these three tabs is the best way to enjoy our continued coverage of the MSPT, because you can follow along in the way you prefer. If you like the stories emerging from the event, stick with the "Live Reporting" tab to read all about the goings on here from the floor. If chip count tracking is what you prefer, the "Chip Counts" tab is the perfect way to track the tournament. When you're only interested in a particular player's progress, the "Player Updates" tab will keep you're coverage centralized. And if you just like seeing your favorite players do their thing, the "Photo Gallery" tab takes you on a visual tour of the tournament as it happens.
The PokerNews MyStack App is available for players here in the Mid-States Poker Tour Season 5 Running Aces, allowing players to directly update their chip count on the PokerNews Live Reporting page for their friends and family to see.
You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.
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, and Dirksen vaulted to the chip lead while his opponent hit the rail.
, Kirby's opponent quickly called.
for a pair-turned-backdoor-flush, and his opponent mucked.
would make him a straight flush. However, the dealer wasted no time making Bohn's hand, turning the 
gave Hodge no justice, and he shipped nearly all of his chips to Bohn.
, Kou Vang checked to Todd Melander, who bet 7,000 into a pot of about 20,000. Vang tanked for a couple of minutes before tossing a single black T100 chip into the middle.
and took the pot.
in for top pair, but Scoggin had it beat with 
turn, and Bohn raised to 1,200. Zupancich called, then came out betting again on the 
