The 2015 Mid-States Poker Tour is poised to set records today with the second of two starting flights for the $1,100 Main Event beginning at 4 p.m. local time at Milwaukee's Potawatomi Casino.
The last time the tour stopped here in September, a Wisconsin state record for field size was set as the event drew 487 entries.
Friday, the first of two starting flights drew 309 entries, already meeting the $200,000 guarantee and putting the event on pace to break the state record once again.
The players will begin with a 20,000-chip starting stack and plans to play fourteen 40-minute levels.
Those who make it that far will join the 69 survivors from Day 1a Friday to play down to a winner beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
The Main Event final table, featuring 60-minute levels, will be broadcast live (15-minute delay) with hole cards on msptpoker.com and PokerNews.
Two time MSPT Iowa final table participant Brett Reichard bagged 290,500 and the overnight chip lead on Day 1a leaving today's field a big number to shoot for.
The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand to capture all the action throughout and players can use the MyStack app to update chip counts straight into the live blog.
To download the My Stack app free on either Apple or Android, click here.
Madison, Wisconsin's own Matt Jaeger has tripled up early on and moved into the chip lead.
First he busted one player flopping a five-high flush against a nut-flush draw that failed to materialize, then he got it in with a set of aces against a flopped flush and busted another making a full house.
Milwaukee's Jeremy Farkas took full advantage when a player at his table made a rather big mistake. Using the wrong color chips he made a rather big raise preflop having intended to make a lot smaller one.
When Farkas looked down at two tens he made the call.
Farkas flopped a set and when his opponent made trip kings on the river the mistake was compounded with Farkas taking his chips holding a full house.
With that Farkas has vaulted up to a spot at the top of the counts.
Sam Desilva jumped up to 50,000 in chips after a massive hand where he got it in with a straight draw and got there to bust two players after one called the clock on him.
Since then he's almost doubled that without having to show down too many hands and now finds himself in the chip lead.
With no less than 10 cashes here on the MSPT, including four final table appearances, Patrick Steele has developed a reputation as a beast on this tour.
Add in a Heartland Poker Tour win back in 2013 and he is quickly becoming one of the Mid-West's most feared players.
Today he's managed to chip up steadily and get one player to commit his stack with tens versus his queens and now finds himself among the leaders.
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when his opponent flopped a queen and he's now taken up residence near the top of the chip counts.
to bust one player holding two kings, then cracked kings again by making two pair to climb the ladder even further.
