It all comes down to this: Just 77 players remain in the hunt for the Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Main Event title and the $101,229 first place prize that comes with it.
Today, inside the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama, Iowa, a champion will be crowned. But first, they'll have to push past the 45-player money bubble and onto the final table of 10 before the MSPT goes live on the Twitch Stream, where they will square off for the big money.
Through 14 levels of play on both Day 1a and Day 1b, Calmar, Iowa's Marty Faldet built the biggest stack and will bring 317,000 in chips with him when play resumes at 11 a.m. local time.
But getting through this field will be no easy task, with World Series of Poker bracelet winner and four-time final table participant Adam Friedman hot on his heels.
Plus, Day 1b leader Brett Reichard, who has four cashes on the MSPT this year, including a tenth-place finish here this past March, is right there as well.
Add in cash machine and structure guru Allen Kessler, MSPT Player of the Year contenders Peixin Liu and Mark Hodge, MSPT Team Pro Matt Alexander and World Poker Tour final table participant Jose Serratos and the remaining field is clearly stacked.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand for all the action as the remaining 77 play down to one, so keep it locked right here to see how it all goes down.
There was a huge roar from the tournament floor moments ago as Mark Hodge busted yet another player, making runner-runner Broadway out of to crack his pocket aces.
Hodge suddenly had a huge stack of chips good for the lead with 46 players remaining on the money bubble.
Play went hand for hand for one hand and it popped. The remaining field is now in the money with Hodge on top.
James Wilson made it 50,000 and Matt Alexander pushed it to 125,000 one seat away. It folded back to Wilson and he called, sending them heads up to a flop.
Both players checked before Wilson led 150,000 on the turn. Alexander called and the river came the . Wilson checked and Alexander jammed for 224,000.
After a good four minutes of Wilson tanking, Alexander called the clock. Wilson called all in for just a tiny bit less before the countdown began with .
Unfortunately for Wilson, Alexander wasn't bluffing, turning over the to drag the massive pot with a flopped boat and send him home.
Rich Alsup made it 100,000 from early position and Hamid Feiz called out of the small blind. Marty Faldet then shipped it in for some 300,000 from the big blind and after Alsup moved all in for heaps more, Feiz folded.
Faldet:
Alsup;
Faldet had it in good, but it did not last as the flop rolled out giving Alsup a set.
The turn and river did nothing for Faldet and the start-of-day-2 chip leader bowed out eighth.
Matt Alexander made it 120,000 and Hamid Feiz called on the button. The blinds folded and the flop rolled out .
Alexander checked and after Feiz bet 200,000, he pushed all in for close to 1 million chips. Feiz snap-called with and was well in front of Alexander's .
Alexander said goodbye and good luck after the turn and river.
Mark Hodge shoved the small blind for his last 500,000 and Shaun Burnett made the call with .
Hodge held but picked up some flush draw outs on the flop. The gave him straight outs as well, but the was a brick, sending Hodge to the rail sixth.
As a consolation prize, Hodge did pick up enough MSPT Player of the Year points from this finish to overtake MSPT Pro Blake Bohn for the lead in that race.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
to crack his pocket aces.
flop. 
turn. Alexander called and the river came the 
. Wilson checked and Alexander jammed for 224,000.
. 
to drag the massive pot with a flopped boat and send him home.
run out and Seitz is out tenth.
. 
making Feiz a pair and dropping Toderici out ninth.
giving Alsup a set. 
turn and 
river did nothing for Faldet and the start-of-day-2 chip leader bowed out eighth.
.
turn and 
river.
but picked up some flush draw outs on the 
was a brick, sending Hodge to the rail sixth.
was dominated and Burnett held on the 
run out to eliminate him in fifth.
, putting Burnett at risk with the 
