Main Event Day 1a | 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino

11-12-2015 22:08 UTC-6

A Round of Chip Counts

Chad Holloway

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ross Reichert	270,000 130,000	130,000
Aaron Thomas	160,000 50,000	50,000
Adam Wilbur	110,000 33,000	33,000
Gary Reisman	90,000 35,000	35,000
Ben Keeline	90,000 30,000	30,000
Nick Pupillo	50,000 134,500	134,500

Lou Mortellaro	42,000 38,000	38,000
Matt Alexander	25,000 3,000	3,000
Nicholas Trimble	24,000 9,000	9,000
Aaron Massey	22,500 29,500	29,500

11-12-2015 21:52 UTC-6

Defending Champ Score a Double

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Chad Holloway

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Local pro Kane Lai has had a heck of a year. He's the defending champ of this event after topping a field of 409 back in the spring to win $101,365, which brought his lifetime tournament earnings to just under $400,000. It was his first six-figure score, but he notched another this past Monday when he won the Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles for $150,593.

Lai is looking to defend his title, and he took a step in the right direction with a recent double through Mike Harris. It happened when Lai shipped all in for 27,400 under the gun and Harris called.

Harris:
Lai:

It was a flip, but the flop strengthen Lai's position by giving him a flush draw. The turn was safe for him, as was the river. Ship the double to Lai.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kane Lai	60,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Kane Lai Mike Harris

11-12-2015 21:47 UTC-6

Kessler Done In By Karahalios

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Chad Holloway

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

We haven't heard much from Allen Kessler all day long. It seemed he was patiently grinding, which was reflected in his chip count, which dipped down to 20,000.

That is when he opted to jam after Tony Karahalios' limped. Action folded back to Karahalios, and he opted to make the call with , which was out in front of Kessler's .

"I folded ace-five," Norecia Austin admitted.

The flop gave Kessler the lead, but it was only temporary as the dealer burned and turned an . The river was no help to Kessler, and his Day 1a came to an end.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tony Karahalios	250,000 22,000	22,000
Allen Kessler	Busted

Tags: Tony Karahalios Allen Kessler

11-12-2015 21:44 UTC-6

One for Carter

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Chad Holloway

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Tony Karahalios limped from middle position and Norecia Austin did the same from the hijack. Bruce Carter then raised to 7,500 from the button, Bruce Russell called from the big blind, and Karahalios called. Austin got out of the way and it was three-way action to the flop. Two checks saw Carter continue for 17,500, and it did the trick as both his opponents folded.

It wasn't much of a hand, but it gave us a good excuse to update you on all their counts. As you can see, they're all up since the last time we checked in on them.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bruce Russell	340,000 10,000	10,000
Tony Karahalios	228,000 28,000	28,000
Bruce Carter	175,000 95,000	95,000
Norelia Austin	36,500 11,500	11,500

Tags: Norecia Austin

Level: 12

Blinds: 800/1,600

Ante: 200

11-12-2015 21:24 UTC-6

Northrope Cut Down By Campbell

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Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

A short-stacked Travis Northrope moved all in for his last 7,100 from middle position and Danny Gonzalez called from the hijack. When action reached Michael Campbell in the small blind, he three-bet to 30,000, which prompted Gonzalez to fold.

Northrope:
Campbell:

Northrope was in dire straits, and it got even worse when the flop delivered Campbell top two. The turn left Northrope drawing dead, but just to rub salt in the wound the dealer put out the on the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Campbell	152,000
Travis Northrope	Busted

Tags: Travis Northrope Michael Campbell

11-12-2015 21:20 UTC-6

Russell Wins Huge Pot Off Reisman

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Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

After Gary Reisman raised from the hijack, Bruce Russell three-bet to 7,600 from the small blind. Reisman made the call and then action went check-check on the flop. When the appeared on the turn, Russell led out for 16,000 only to have Reisman raise to 50,000.

Russell thought long and hard before making the call, and the completed the board on the river. Russell paused for a few moments before betting 50,000, and Reisman called off about half his remaining stack. Russell tabled the for a flopped full house, and it was good as Reisman sent his cards to the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bruce Russell	330,000 140,000	140,000
Gary Reisman	55,000 120,000	120,000

Tags: Bruce Russell Gary Reisman

11-12-2015 21:11 UTC-6

Set Over Set Sends Massey to the Rail

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Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

In the very next hand after Bryan Devonshire was eliminated from the tournament, Ralph Massey joined him on the rail.

It happened when four players each put in 2,500 preflop and took a flop of . Massey checked from the big blind, Corey Zedo bet 5,500 from middle position, and Aaron Thomas folded from the cutoff. Ben Keeline called from the button, Massey check-raised all in for 37,800 total, and Zedo moved all in over the top, which inspired Keeline to fold.

Massey:
Zedo:

It was a brutal set-over-set flop for Massey, who was drawing to the case three. The turn wasn't it, and neither was the river. Massey was felted on the hand, while Zedo jumped up among the chip leaders.

Player	Chips	Progress
Corey Zedo	190,000
Ralph Massey	Busted

Tags: Corey Zedo Ralph Massey

11-12-2015 21:06 UTC-6

Devo's Day is Done... Unless He Wants to Reenter

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Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

We caught the elimination of Bryan Devonshire just as he was getting up from the table and collecting his things.

Devonshire got his stack in with on a board reading , but was drawing dead as Aaron Thomas had turned a flush with the .

Player	Chips	Progress
Aaron Thomas	110,000
Bryan Devonshire	Busted

Tags: Bryan Devonshire Aaron Thomas

11-12-2015 21:03 UTC-6

Wilbur Sliding; Karahalios on the Uptick

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Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

We missed the hand happen, but we do know that Tony Karahalios doubled through Bruce Russell. Karahalios got his stack of 83,000 all in preflop holding and was racing against the of Russell. A king on the river secured the pot for Karahalios, and Russell took a hit, though he soon recoup the chips off Adam Wilbur.

Not long after, Wilbur opened with a raise from the button only to have Karahalios three-bet to 16,200 from the big blind. Wilbur called and then bet 15,000 after Karahalios checked the flop. Both players proceeded to check the turn as well as the river and Karahalios rolled over the . It was good as a frustrated Wilbur sent his cards to the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tony Karahalios	200,000 65,000	65,000
Bruce Russell	190,000 25,000	25,000
Adam Wilbur	77,000 143,000	143,000

Tags: Adam Wilbur Bruce Russell Tony Karahalios