$1,100 Main Event Day 1a | 2019 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship

10-10-2019 23:31 UTC-4

Nick Davidson Leads as 36 Advance from 2019 MSPT Michigan State Championship Day 1a Field

Chad Holloway

Level 15 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Day 1a of the 2019 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Michigan State Poker Championship at FireKeepers Casino saw 322 entrants take to the felt. After 15 levels of play, just 36 remained with Nick Davidson and his stack of 498,000 leading the pack.

Joining Davidson atop the counts are Al Motiwala (493,000), Bryant Miller (476,500), Mitchell Bank (298,500), and Lou Ojeda (295,500), who round out the top five.

Others who advanced to Day 2 were Adam Lampehre (261,000), Randy Bullen (168,500), MSPT Season 5 Player of the Year Mike Deis (138,000), Minnesota’s Ian Matakis (131,500), and poker media veteran Sam Cosby (110,000).

Among those to fire and fall on Day 1a were MSPT Hall of Famers Kou Vang and Aaron Johnson, 2015 MSPT Michigan State Poker Champ Michael Ferrarotti, Tony Sinishtaj, Pauly “Walnuts” Bianchi, MSPT Meskwaki winner Nathan Trenkamp, and Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer Blake Bohn.

All of those players will have the opportunity to fire again if they so choose along with any newcomers. Speaking of which, some players spotted around the gaming floor who are expected to jump in are 13-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner Maurice Hawkins, MSPT champ Keith Heine, and two-time gold bracelet winner Dan Heimiller, just to name a few.

Day 1b of the tournament will kick off at Noon local time on Friday, with the 1c flight to follow on Saturday. The surviving players from all three flights will then return on Sunday to play down to a winner.

Tags: Nick Davidson

10-10-2019 21:42 UTC-4

What a Treat: Matakis Sends One to the Rail

Chad Holloway

Level 13 : 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Minnesota's Ian Matakis raised to 5,500 from early position and two players called before Scott Treat called off his last 2,000 from the button. The lady on the button then three-bet all in for 15,000 and Matakis isolated with a four-bet to 25,000. That drove off the two limpers and all three hands were turned up.

Ian Matakis:
Scott Treat:
Button:

The flop gave both Matakis and the lady on the button a set, while Treat picked up the flush draw. The turn was of no consequence but the river was.

Treat made the flush to win the side pot while Matakis made some money by claiming the side.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ian Matakis	125,000	85,000

Tags: Ian Matakis Scott Treat

10-10-2019 19:28 UTC-4

Jarus Straightens Out Opponent

Chad Holloway

Level 10 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

On a flop of , action exploded between Jake Jarus and his opponent. The latter wound up all in for his last 35,000 and the hands were turned up.

Jake Jarus:
Opponent:

Jarus went hard on his up-and-down straight draw and he didn't have to wait long to get it as the dealer burned and turned the . The river was inconsequential and Jarus scored the elimination and raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jake Jarus	150,000	150,000

Tags: Jake Jarus

10-10-2019 16:45 UTC-4

WSOP Bracelet Winner Busts HPT Champ

Chad Holloway

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Courtney Kennedy, who won the 2016 World Series of Poker Ladies Event for $149,108, raised to 2,000 from the hijack and the player in the cutoff called. HPT East Chicago champ Jake Baumgartner came along from the big blind and the trio saw the flop come down .

Baumgartner was first to act and opted to move all in for 11,000 even and Kennedy called. The cutoff got out of the way and the hands were turned up.

Jake Baumgartner:
Courtney Kennedy:

Baumgartner went with his open-ended straight draw, but little did he know his overs were drawing live as well. Unfortunatley for him, neither the turn nor river helped him and Kennedy scored the knockout.

Kennedy lost about 10,000 shortly after losing a flip with Big Slick against pocket nines.

Player	Chips	Progress
Courtney Kennedy	24,000
Jacob Baumgartner	Busted

Tags: Courtney Kennedy Jake Baumgartner

10-10-2019 15:58 UTC-4

The Ultimate Cooler Send Lehner to the Rail

Chad Holloway

Level 6 : 250/500, 500 ante

"That's why I hate poker," Mike Lehner said just before departing the tournament area.

His angst was understandable given his bust out, which came after he got his stack of approximately 20,000 all in preflop against Matt Brenner.

Matt Brenner:
Mike Lehner:

It was a cooler and unfortunately for Lehner he was on the wrong end of it. He could still win with either a king or some other lucky runout, but it wasn't meant to be as the board instead ran out a dry .

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Brenner	55,000
Mike Lehner	Busted

Tags: Matt Brenner

10-10-2019 13:58 UTC-4

Pupillo Looks to Continue Red-Hot Year

Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

With just shy of $3 million in lifetime earnings, Nick Pupillo is arguably the most accomplished player in today’s field. In 2017, Pupillo had $716,869 in tournament earnings and followed that up last year with $662,877. He’s already surpassed both in 2019 and is enjoying a career year with $853,560 through September.

Pupillo, who is in action today, is fresh off winning his third World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring, which came when he took down the WSOPC Potawatomi Event #1: $400 NLH for $19,413. Back in August, he also finished runner-up in the HPT St. Louis for $98,19, and back in February he won the HPT Golden Gates for $194,478. He currently enjoys a big lead atop the HPT Season XV Player of the Year leaderboard.

On the MSPT, Pupillo has amassaed $176,785 in earnings including two deep runs here in the MSPT FireKeepers. Back in Season 5, he finished fifth for $28,000 and the following season placed sixth for $27,031. In the 2018 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship, he just missed out on his third FireKeepers final table when he busted in 11th place for $17,239.

Tags: Nick Pupillo

10-10-2019 13:42 UTC-4

Poker Media Veteran on the Other Side of the Felt

Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

California's Sam Cosby is no stranger to poker. For many years he offered live updates here on PokerNews. More recently, Cosby has given up his pad and paper to try his hand as a player, and he's been doing quite well.

This past summer, Cosby opted not to work the World Series of Poker but instead to play it. He notched a half dozen cashes including a career-high $38,499 for finishing 34th in Event #19: $1,500 Millionaire Maker.

Cosby made the cross-country trip to fire at FireKeepers and is looking for his first cash on the MSPT.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sam Cosby	20,000

Tags: Sam Cosby

10-10-2019 13:03 UTC-4

MSPT Meskwaki Champ in the House

Chad Holloway

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Nathan Trenkamp of Grand Mound, Iowa has just one MSPT cash on his poker resumé, but it’s a big one!

Back in March 2018, Trenkamp topped a 414-entry field to win the MSPT Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa for $88,018. It was a nice payday considering he won his way in via a $250 satellite. Prior to the win, Trenkamp’s biggest tournament score was just $1,600.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Trenkamp said after the win. “This is incredibly awesome, way more than my previous win. I’m getting into real estate investment, so probably put some of the winnings in there. Maybe go on a vacation. Boring stuff.”

Trenkamp has made the journey to FireKeepers Casino and is in action here on Day 1a of the 2019 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nathan Trenkamp	20,000

Tags: Nathan Trenkamp

10-10-2019 10:52 UTC-4

Welcome to Day 1a of the 2019 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship

Chad Holloway

Season 10 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) continues today at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan. The $1,100 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD 2019 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship tends to be the largest Midwest stop on the tour and is looking to eclipse a seven-figure prize pool for the sixth time in a row. Today, the first of three starting flights will get underway at Noon local time.

Day 1b and 1c will take place at Noon on Friday and Saturday respectively. The surviving players from each flight will then return on Sunday, October 13 to play down to a winner. The final table will be live streamed on a 15-minute delay.

Last year, the tournament drew 1,271 entries and saw Matt Stammen, the older brother of WPT champ Keven Stammen, take it down for a $218,565 payday. The year before it was Chris Meyers who topped a 1,067-entry field to win $191,196 on his way to capturing Season 8 Player of the Year.

Other past MSPT Michigan State Poker champions include Brett Blackwood (2016 for $188,314), Michael Ferraroti (2015 for $134,642), Ryan Dykhouse (2014 for $124,500), and Jordan Townsend (2013 for $76,975).

About FireKeepers Casino

FireKeepers Casino Hotel opened in August of 2009. The venue features a 111,700-square foot gaming floor with 2,900 slot machines, 70 table games, multiple restaurants and lounges, a live poker room and bingo room.

FireKeepers Casino Hotel is located just off Interstate 94 at Exit 104, has been named Best Casino by audiences in Western Michigan and Northern Indiana, plus earned nine first-place awards in the Casino Player Magazine Best of Gaming 2015 Native Midwest category, including Best Overall Gaming Resort.

FireKeepers was also selected as one of the Best Casinos to Work for by Casino Player Magazine. Their signature restaurant, Nibi, is a multiple recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

FireKeepers offers a AAA-rated Four Diamond resort-style hotel with 243 rooms, a functional multi-purpose event center, six distinctive dining destinations, and multiple lounges. FireKeepers is the title sponsor of the FireKeepers Casino 400, a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, and host of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship a Symetra Tour-Road to the LPGA golf event.