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

04-11-2015 07:56 UTC

Day 1a of the 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour Potawatomi Casino Wraps Up

[user127999]

Level 14 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

The 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour returned to Milwaukee's Potawatomi Casino in a big way Friday.

After setting a Wisconsin state record for field size by attracting 487 entries at this very same venue this past September, the first of two starting flights drew a whopping 309 entries today.

With another starting flight set for 4 p.m. local time Saturday, the MSPT has already obliterated the event's $200,000 guarantee, and if the numbers for the second starting day are anywhere near what the event drew today, both state and tour records should fall hard.

After 14 levels of play on the day, just 69 players survived. They will be joined by anyone who can make it through Day 1b to play down to a winner Sunday beginning at 10:30 a.m. local time.

2014 MSPT Gary, Indiana, runner-up Leon Morford, who also has a Heartland Poker Tour title under his belt, jumped out to the early chip lead thanks to one set-over-set hand and another where he made a full house against an opponent's flush. He found a comfortable gear as the day moved on, finally bagging 247,000.

However, Brett Reichard, who has twice made the MSPT final table in Tama, Iowa, managed to bag the biggest stack when all was said and done.

Reichard made a set of fours that held against a pair and a flush draw early to push past 100,000 in chips. He picked off a bluff later to push up near 200,000, and while he dipped a bit as the day wore on, Reichard made a late push to bag 290,500 and the chip lead.

While recognizable names like Allen Kessler, World Poker Tour title holder Ravi Raghavan, Wisconson's own Mark Kroon, and PokerNews Senior Editor and World Series of Poker bracelet winner Chad Holloway all found a way out the door, MSPT sponsored pro Matt Kirby and MSPT regulars Michael Ross and Steve Anderson were among those to build contending stacks before Day 1a was done.

The PokerNews Live Reporting team return to Saturday at 4 p.m. local time to capture all the Day 1b action.

Tags: Allen Kessler Brett Reichard Chad Holloway Leon Morford Mark Kroon Ravi Raghavan

04-11-2015 04:44 UTC

Morford's Reign

[user127999]

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Leon Morford continues to lead as the players head into the late stages of the day.

However, it appears he's shifted gears to a much tighter style of play, as evidenced by a recent hand where he raised it up to 2,800 from the button.

When the short stacked big blind defended, Morford joined him in checking it down the whole way on a board.

At showdown the big blind showed and Morford mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Morford	215,000	14,000

04-11-2015 03:54 UTC

To Heck With It

[user127999]

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

After getting off to a fast start, Gerald Heckathorn has just a few chips and a chair left now.

He made it 2,500, then called it off with when Alex Watts shipped it in for some 28,000 against him.

Watts held and made a set on the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Watts	71,000	71,000
Gerald Heckathorn	12,000	-2,000

04-11-2015 03:10 UTC

Kroon Implodes

[user127999]

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

Mark Kroon is out and Bill Wagner is up near the top of the counts after a Kroon meltdown moments ago.

Apparently Wagner flopped a set of eights and even check-raised a Kroon bet on the turn, but Kroon still didn't get the message.

Wagner checked again on the river and Kroon shipped it in with seven-high, leaving the room rather quickly when Wagner called and showed him the goods.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bill Wagner	170,000
Mark Kroon	Busted

04-11-2015 02:33 UTC

Leon: The Professional

[user127999]

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

The Leon Morford show continues here in Milwaukee.

No details on the hand, but Morford was just seen collecting yet another player's stack and is now sitting on 200,000 in chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Morford	200,000	61,000

Tags: Leon Morford

04-11-2015 01:45 UTC

Past The Post

[user127999]

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

Chicago's Yu Dong has found his way past the 100,000-chip mark here into the day's seventh level.

Most of the chips were collected in a huge boat-over-boat hand where Dong held on an flop versus a player holding .

Player	Chips	Progress
Yu Dong	101,000	101,000

Tags: Yu Dong

04-11-2015 00:54 UTC

Overflow

[user127999]

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Due to the huge number of entrants here on Day 1a, the poker room across the hall from the Woodland Dreams event center where the event is playing out has had to accommodate a number of tables.

A quick check over there showed short-stacked structure junkie Allen Kessler nursing a nub and Anthony Breunig making hay.

Breunig claims a number of big hands and a few sets have helped him climb the leader board on over 70,000 now.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anthony Breunig	70,300	70,300
Allen Kessler	13,500	13,500

04-10-2015 23:50 UTC

A New Leader Emerges

[user127999]

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

2014 MSPT Gary, Indiana runner-up Leon Morford has come out of the gate running here in Milwaukee.

The Rockford, Illinois resident is the first player past the 100,000-chip post and has built a sizable lead already.

This due to mostly to one set-over-set situation and another hand where he made a boat against an opponent's flush.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Morford	100,500

Tags: Leon Morford

04-10-2015 22:32 UTC

Say It Ain't So

[user127999]

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

Joe Landazzi drove up from nearby Chicago, Illinois and its a good thing he made it on time for the 4 p.m. start.

Landazzi is off to about as good a beginning as one could expect here in Milwaukee after flopping three different sets.

He got one player all in with eights against his pocket aces preflop and even though he didn't need it, Landazzi still managed to make a set to bust him and vault into the early chip lead.