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

10-11-2019 22:37 UTC-4

Koch Fades the Spades to Double

Chad Holloway

Level 14 : 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Erik Koch raised to 6,000 under the gun and the player on the button called. MSPT Season 8 Player of the Year Chris Meyers came along from the big and the trio saw a flop of .

Meyers checked, Koch continued for 6,500, and the button raised to 16,500. Meyers got out of the way and Koch jammed for 76,000. The button called and the hands were turned up.

Erik Koch:
Button:

Koch was ahead with top pair but his opponent had the spade flush draw. The turn gave the player on the button even more outs, but he missed when the bricked the river. Ship the double to Koch.

Player	Chips	Progress
Erik Koch	172,000	172,000

Tags: Erik Koch

10-11-2019 20:13 UTC-4

"Better to Be Lucky Than Good"

Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

James Gallagher opened for 3,700 from middle position and the player in the small blind raised all in for 44,200. Gallagher thought long and hard before spiking in a call.

James Gallagher:
Small Blind:

"Ten ball," Gallagher said upon seeing he was way behind.

The dealer did not oblige on the flop nor turn, but did deliver the two outer on the river when the spiked.

Gallagher winced knowing the bad beat he just delivered. As he was pushed the pot he quipped, "It's better to be lucky than good."

Player	Chips	Progress
James Gallagher	120,000

Tags: James Gallagher

10-11-2019 19:28 UTC-4

Brinn Smacks the Heine with Quad Aces

Chad Holloway

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

Cody Brinn raised to 2,500 from the hijack and called when MSPT Meskwaki champ Keith Heine three-bet to 6,500 out of the small blind.

When the flop came down , Heine down-bet to 3,000 and Brinn called to see the turn, which both players checked.

The completed the board on the river and Heine checked. Brinn put him to the test by moving all in and Heine called off the 13,000 or so he had behind.

Keith Heine:
Cody Brinn:

Heine had flopped queens full but Brinn had turned quads. A shellshocked Heine wished the table good luck and then headed for the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cody Brinn	100,000	25,000
Keith Heine	Busted

Tags: Cody Brinn

10-11-2019 18:16 UTC-4

Byrnes Finishes Off Keeline

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

HPT St. Louis champ Bill Byrnes opened for 2,500 and Darryll Jerred called next to act. Another player came along from late position before WSOP bracelet winner Ben Keeline three-bet all in for 14,200 from the small blind. Byrnes called and the other two players got out of the way before the hands were turned up.

Ben Keeline:
Bill Byrnes:

It was a flip and Keeline was looking to improve to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, that proved easier said than done as the board ran out a dry .

Player	Chips	Progress
Bill Byrnes	85,000
Ben Keeline	Busted

Tags: Bill Byrnes Ben Keeline

10-11-2019 16:08 UTC-4

Keeline Three-Bet Jams the Flop

Chad Holloway

Level 6 : 250/500, 500 ante

The under-the-gun player limped and WSOP bracelet winner Ben Keeline did the same next to act. Action folded around to the player in the small blind who raised to 2,200. Both the UTG player and Keeline called and the trio watched the flop come down .

The small blind continued for 3,000 and the UTG player popped it to 7,000.

Keeline, who had the big stack, paused for a few beats and then announced a reraise before spiking in a big stack of T5,000 chips.

The player in the small blind quickly released while the UTG player, who had 9,300 back, shook his head and released his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ben Keeline	80,000	60,000

10-11-2019 15:24 UTC-4

Three-Time MSPT Champ Doubles Up

Chad Holloway

Level 5 : 200/400, 400 ante

The details escaped us but we do know that Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer and three-time MSPT champ Blake Bohn got his last 13,600 all in on a flop of .

Blake Bohn:
Opponent:

Bohn was looking for either a diamond to make the flush or king to take the lead. The dealer wasted little time in giving him the former by burning and turning the . The was run out on the river and Bohn was pushed the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Blake Bohn	32,000	16,000

Tags: Blake Bohn

10-11-2019 11:02 UTC-4

Welcome to Day 1b 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 second of three starting flights will get underway at Noon local time.

On Thursday's Day 1a flight, 322 entrants take to the felt and 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.

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).

Among the players we expect to see in action today are MSPT Hall of Famers Kou Vang and Aaron Johnson, 2015 MSPT Michigan State Poker Champ Michael Ferrarotti, Minnesota Poker Hall of Famer Blake Bohn, 13-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner Maurice Hawkins, MSPT champ Keith Heine, and two-time gold bracelet winner Dan Heimiller.

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.