Main Event
Day 1a Started
2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$410,000
Entries
410
Level
33
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
Day 1a of the MSPT Meskwaki Main Event Starts Now!
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
The Mid-Stakes Poker Tour returns to Iowa and the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama today for the first of two starting flights in the $300,000 Guaranteed MSPT Iowa Main Event.
The last time the tour stopped here in July, the Main Event drew 410 entries, creating a total prize pool of $396,200 with MSPT Pro Blake Bohn dominating on the way to a $101,229 win and his second MSPT title.
Due to other commitments, Bohn is not expected to turn up to defend the crown, but all indications are the field size will be about the same.
The Allen Kessler designed "Chainsaw Approved" structure will see players begin with 20,000-chip stacks and attempt to survive and thrive through 14 40-minute levels on Day 1a with a break after every three.
The MSPT Main Event is a 2-day structure with a second starting flight planned for Saturday and the play down to a champion set for Sunday.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand for all the action from start to finish and you are welcome to follow along right here in this space beginning at 4 p.m. local time.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Update Your Chip Count With The My Stack App!
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The PokerNews MyStack App is available here at MSPT Meskwaki, 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.
Be forewarned, however, any abuse of the app will result in account suspension or termination.
Murderers' Row
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
It doesn't appear there are too many soft table draws here on Day 1 a of the MSPT Meskwaki Main Event.
However, one table stands out as a little tougher than the rest with three MSPT champs seated right next to each other on Table 19.
This virtual murderers' row includes 2013 MSPT Iowa champ Terry Ring, 2010 MSPT Colombus champ Joe Matheson and 2013 MSPT Iowa runner-up and 2014 MSPT Iowa champ Nick Jivkov. Tough luck for the rest of the players who drew seats here.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
The Level 1 Chip Lead
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Radcliffe, Iowa's Mark Maakestad made two pair on the river to take most of one opponent's chips and grab the Level 1 chip lead.
"I got lucky," he told PokerNews. "Talk to me in an hour or two."
That luck continued when he flopped a set of sixes to take yet another pot and climb close to two times the starting stack.
Skill then played a role in his ascent to the top of the counts as Maakestad was seen laying down pocket kings to a raise on an ace-high flop. Apparently it takes a little of both to earn the chip lead in the first level of an MSPT event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,500 | 39,500 |
Once Divided, Nothing Left To Subtract
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Once the poster child for World Series of Poker heartbreak, Ohio's Adam Friedman is enjoying a good start to things here in Iowa.
Friedman was seen calling one player's desperation 2,175-chip shove on a 
board with just the 
. His opponent held the 
and busted after the 
turn and river left him with just ace-high.
A hand later he stomped all over a 450-chip open, three-betting to 1,400. The original raiser called, but check-folded to a 1,200-chip continuation bet on a 
flop, allowing Friedman to push up above a starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
25,000 |
The Table of Death
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Players continue to come and go from early leader Mark Maakestad's table.
He picked up kings again, flopped a set and got all of one player's stack holding big slick.
In the meantime, two seats over, Maple Park, Illinois' Tim Thompson has leapfrogged Maakestad into the lead.
He flopped a pair and the nut flush draw before finding trips on the river to climb up the leader board, then got lucky running tens into queens and flopping set to send another foe home with a bad beat story.
Both players are now pushing close to 60,000 already.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
59,600 | 59,600 |
|
|
56,900 | 17,400 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0