Main Event
Day 1a Started
2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Maryland Live! Casino
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Maryland Live! Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Entries
270
Level
26
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
5,000
Welcome to Day 1a of Mid-States Poker Tour Maryland Live! Casino
The Mid-States Poker Tour comes into a new venue and a fresh market with an event starting today at Maryland Live! Casino, one of the premier poker destinations on the East Coast. The tour rolls in with considerable momentum, having drawn one of the largest fields in tour history at Potawatomi with 635 players. That event was won by Jason Mirza, who took down a first-place prize of $147,529.
Unlike some other MSPT events, this one begins on Thursday and features three starting flights rather than the usual two. Cards are scheduled to fly at 4:15 local time for Day 1a, with 14 levels on the docket. Things begin with blinds of 50/100 and 40-levels, and each player will begin with 20,000 in starting chips. Ten-minute breaks are given every three levels, and each player is allowed one reentry per starting flight.
The usual MSPT crowd might be mostly absent at an event so far from the tour's epicenter, but one thing we can be sure of is the presence of MSPT team pros Matt Alexander and Blake Bohn. Currently Player of the Year points leader Mark Hodge has also made the trip. We'll keep an eye on all of them as Day 1a unfolds.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
The Regulars
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Mark Hodge is coming off of yet another cash in a Mid-States Poker Tour event, having gotten 37th at MSPT Potawatomi for $2,704. Hodge currently leads the Player of the Year standings for the tour, and seems to be committing to a push for the top spot as he's been in attendance for most of the recent events, even those outside his immediate area in Minnesota. Hodge has five cashes this season, including a fourth-place finish at MSPT Running Aces for over $25,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
||
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Mostafa Takes Four-Bet Pot with Nine-High
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
A player opened under the gun to 300, and Matt Alexander raised to 750 on the button. Both players in the blinds came along, and the opener reraised to 2,350. Alexander folded, but again the blinds stuck around. Action checked to the aggressor on the 
flop, and he bet 3,000. Mohamed Mostafa snap-called in the small blind, and the big blind mucked. Action checked through the 
turn, and a 
river prompted another check from Mostafa. The preflop raiser resignedly flipped over 
for a counterfeited pair.
"I can't believe I won this hand," Mostafa said with a laugh, showing 
for nine-high.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
28,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Two in a Row for Bohn
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
On a 
flop, the blinds checked to Mark Hodge, who bet 500 in the cutoff. The player on the button made it 1,200 to go, chasing out the small blind. Blake Bohn cold four-bet to 2,800 and got two snap-folds.
The next hand, the board read 
on the river, and Bohn fired a pot-sized bet of 2,000 into a lone opponent, the big blind. The player tanked for awhile and tossed out a reluctant call, and Bohn showed 
for trips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
22,500
2,500
|
2,500 |
|
|
||
Update Your Own Chip Count Using the PokerNews MyStack App!
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
PokerNews has activated the MyStack App for this event, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting blog using your iPhone or Android phone.
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.
Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.
Harder's Here
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Christian Harder has taken a seat at Table 31 in Seat 1. Harder has a decorated tournament resume with nearly $3.2 million in live earnings dating to 2007. He has numerous six-figure scores, including a near miss at a WPT tournament in 2011, when he finished second for $248,962 after falling heads up to Dan Santoro. Known as "charder30" online, Harder has another pile of cashes in online tournaments, worth more than $3.1 million.
We'll keep an eye on Harder here and see if he can add to his impressive results.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 |
Hippler Takes from Mostafa
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Mohamed Mostafa checked a 
flop from the small blind, and Andrew Hippler bet 600. Mostafa made it 2,200, and Hippler called. Action went check-check on the 
turn, and Mostafa bet 3,000 on the 
river. Hippler called.
"Just a nine," Mostafa said, figuring he was beat.
He was right, as Hippler had 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
27,500
-500
|
-500 |
|
26,100 |