$1,100 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2019 MSPT Canterbury Park
$1,100 Main Event
Day: 1b
"Farmer" Phil Mader Leads as 34 Players Bag on Day 1b of the MSPT Season 10 Finale
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Day 1b of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Season 10 finale saw 263 entrants take to the felt, which along with 1a’s 172 brought the total field up to 435 entries with Saturday’s final flight still to go. After nearly 15 levels of play, just 34 bagged with Phil Mader and his stack of 397,000 leading the way. That is a little behind of Day 1a chip leader Bill Kachel, who made it through with 406,500.
Others to bag big stacks were Steve Wilkie (354,500), MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson (326,000), Charles Costanzo (266,500), and Chan Pelton (266,000), who round out the top five.
They were joined by players like Rob Wazwaz (253,500), Jonathan Kim (203,500), Ryan Phan (167,000), Vlad Revniaga (149,500), Barb Blechinger (110,500), James Gibson (104,000), Tom Stambaugh (102,500), and Craig Trost (92,500).
Of course, not everyone was so lucky. Among those to fire and fall on Day 1b were Colorado’s Sammy Aweida, WSOP bracelet winner John Reading, two-time Minnesota Magazine Player of the Year Saad Ghanem, former MSPT commentator Matt Alexander, 2019 HPT Player of the Year Nick Pupillo, Randy “Fish” Oyarzabal, three-time MSPT champs Matt Kirby and Blake Bohn, and both Dan “DQ” Hendrickson and Kou Vang, the only two players to have cashed all 10 seasons of the MSPT.
Those players, as well as any newcomers, have one more opportunity to play. Day 1c will get underway at 3 p.m. local time on Saturday. The surviving players from all three flights will then return to Canterbury at 11 a.m. on Sunday to play down to a winner. The final table will be live-streamed worldwide on a 15-minute delay.
End-of-Day 1b Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
397,000 | -18,000 |
|
354,500 | 4,500 |
|
326,000 | 26,000 |
|
266,500 | 91,500 |
|
266,000 | 66,000 |
|
253,500 | 3,500 |
|
224,500 | 39,500 |
|
220,000 | 85,000 |
|
204,500 | -35,500 |
|
203,500 | -6,500 |
|
195,000 | -15,000 |
|
167,000 | 32,000 |
|
163,000 | -37,000 |
|
149,500 | 69,500 |
|
148,000 | 82,000 |
|
138,000 | 125,500 |
|
124,000 | 74,000 |
|
|
118,000 | 18,000 |
|
115,000 | 40,000 |
|
110,500 | -44,500 |
|
|
106,500 | -53,500 |
|
105,500 | 55,500 |
|
104,000 | -56,000 |
|
102,500 | 52,500 |
|
|
94,500 | 54,500 |
Four More Hands
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
The tournament staff just announced the remaining players will play four more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a list of chips counts and a short recap.
Three-Time MSPT Champ Down
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Three-time MSPT champ Matt Kirby got his stack of 70,000 all in preflop and was flipping for his tournament life against former MSPT Canterbury Park champ Jonathan Kim.
Matt Kirby: 
Jonathan Kim: 
Kirby was looking to hold but that proved easier said than done as the 
flop paired Kim. Neither the 
turn nor 
river helped Kirby and he hit the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
210,000 | 80,000 |
|
Busted |
Min Flops Set to Eliminate Vang
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Kou Vang opened for 8,500 from the cutoff and Jason Min jammed from the small blind. Action folded back to Vang who called for less.
Jason Min: 
Kou Vang: 
Vang was in a good position to grab a late double up until the 
flop dropped giving Min a set of snowmen.
The turn was no help for Vang as he needed to set-up to stay alive.
Unfortunately for Vang, the river fell the 
ending his run in the last level of the night but the MSPT Hall of Famer showed class act shaking hands and telling everyone. "I'll see you on Sunday."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000 | 100,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 15
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Wolff Defends and Wins
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Phil Mader opened under the gun for 8,000 and Michael Wolff defended his big blind to see a 
flop.
Wolff check-called Mader's 7,000 continuation bet to see the turn pair the board with the .
Both players checked and the dealer dropped the 
on the river. Wolff tossed out a 4,000 bet and Mader was priced in as he tossed in his chips for the call then mucked his hand after Wolff tabled 
to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
415,000 | 195,000 |
|
|
210,000 | 20,000 |
Costanzo Straightens Out Eelkema
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
With around 25,000 in the pot and a flop of 
, Jim Lawrence checked from the small blind and Eric Eelkema did the same from under the gun. Charles Costanzo then bet 12,500 from the button, Lawrence called, and Eelkema check-raised all in for 52,500 total. Costanzo thought for a little bit before jamming over the top for 91,000 total and that drove Costanzo from the hand.
Charles Costanzo: 
Eric Eelkema: 
Costanzo had flopped the bottom end of the straight and score the elimination after the 
was run out on the river followed by the 
on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
175,000 | 85,000 |
|
Busted |
Fives Hold for Kim; Doubles Through Kirby
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Matt Kirby opened under the gun for 7,000 and action folded to Jonathan Kim who jammed for 66,000 on the button, Kirby called.
Matt Kirby: 
Jonathan Kim: 
Kirby held overs but couldn't connect on the 
flop.
The 
turn paired the board adding more outs to Kirby's hand as Kim could get counterfeited with any king or seven.
Luckily for Kim the river was the 
securing his double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
130,000 | 60,000 |
|
|
110,000 | -75,000 |