Allen Kessler opened to 800 in the hijack, and Michael Lerma made it 2,200 to go on the button. Kessler came along, and both checked to the river as hit the board. At that point, Kessler fired 3,500 and Lerma quickly called.
Nick Jivkov bet 2,600 on a board from the big blind and then called a raise of 3,000 more from his lone opponent. That player showed down for trips, and Jivkov couldn't beat it.
Jose Serratos opened for a raise and called a three-bet to 1,400 from button Adam Friedman. Both checked the , and Serratos check-called 1,200 on the river. Two more checks on the , and Serratos showed to take the pot with ace-high.
Steve Anderson swung and missed on his first try here at Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers. Already well below the starting stack, Anderson sent 4,000 to an opponent on a board with , outkicked once again by . Left with just 1,075, Anderson busted moments later.
A player in the cutoff had 500 in front of him, and the player on the button three-bet to 3,500. Mike Jacobs jammed in the small blind for 8,950, and the player on the button called.
Jacobs:
Opponent:
Jacobs had his opponent dominated and turned him dead as the board out .
A huge field looks imminent here at Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers, as already nearly 140 players have showed up. Last year's Day 1a drew 122, so this is a big step up with hours of registration still open.
Just before the break, we saw a player walking away from one of the tables with his head in his hands, leaving his remaining stack to blind off the last few minutes until the break. The board had come , and his had been outdrawn by Jake Baumgartner's as the latter made a straight on the river. We didn't see when the money went in, but Baumgartner received more than 13,000 from his opponent.
Jose Serratos, who made a WPT final table last year, and bracelet winner Adam Friedman, who has been a fixture on the tour in the past eight months or so, are seated at opposite ends of the tournament area.