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

11-15-2019 03:27 UTC-5

Paul Camby Bags Day 1a Chip Lead at 2019 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship; Former MSPT Champ Josh Reichard in Second

HillKerby

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

Day 1a of the 2019 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship $1,100 Main Event is in the books after 15 levels of play. The day generated 120 entries in total and was full of action from start to finish, bringing a very real threat of the field reaching the 12 percent-figure of 14 players to result in an early bag and tag.

However, play slowed down for the last two levels of the night, seeing just two eliminations over that time to result in 16 players advancing. Paul Camby leads those 16 by a wide margin, finishing the day with 465,000 in chips.

Camby was an early chip leader, seen with over 100,000 before the second break of the day. He steadily accumulated all evening, reaching 400,000 at the beginning of the final level of play. But then he doubled up Geremi Wicinski and Paul Kelly to find himself down to around 160,000 midway through the level.

Then the tides turned again. Camby chipped back up over 200,000 and then won a massive pot at the end of the evening to knock out Kelly, flopping trips with eight-seven suited and getting stacks in against Kelly’s aces. Camby held and found himself back atop the leader board when chips went into bags.

Second in chips is 2013 MSPT Champion Josh Reichard (321,000), who finished the day well above the next three finishers in William Durkin (197,000), Bryan Mankie (195,000), and Wicinski (146,000)

A handful of familiar faces to the MSPT were not as fortunate on the first of three initial flights. Nick Pupillo, Aaron Johnson, Mike Shin, 2013 MSPT Player of the Year Pat Steele, and defending MSPT Potawatomi champion Daniel Bekavac all found themselves dry on one or two bullets apiece and some, if not all of them are likely to be seen again throughout the weekend.

The next opportunity to play is Day 1b on Friday at 3 p.m. local time. The structure will remain the same, with 15 more 40-minute levels on the docket.

Action is sure to be plentiful once again as the tournament picks up steam going into the weekend. PokerNews will be on hand every step of the way, so make sure to come back for updates.

Tags: Aaron Johnson Daniel Bekavac Geremi Wicinski Josh Reichard Mike Shin Nick Pupillo Pat Steele Paul Camby Paul Kelly William Durkin

11-15-2019 02:41 UTC-5

Camby Clips Kelly Before End of Night

HillKerby

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

An all in and a call were overheard on a board of and Paul Camby and Paul Kelly had all of the chips in the middle after going to battle several times during the last level of the night.

Paul Kelly:
Paul Camby:

Kelly's pocket aces had run into Camby's flopped trips and he would need to hit an ace to stay alive. The turn and river were clean for Camby, who covered Kelly and earned the pot and the knockout en route to reclaiming the chip lead shortly before play finishes for the night.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Camby	465,000 217,000	217,000
Paul Kelly	Busted

Tags: Paul Camby Paul Kelly

11-15-2019 01:56 UTC-5

"Congratulations, Nice Hand"

HillKerby

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

Paul Camby opened to 9,000 from middle position and was three-bet to 27,500 by Paul Kelly, who was in the small blind. Camby confirmed the amount and quickly tossed in chips to call.

The flop came and Kelly checked. Camby threw out a bet of 27,500 and Kelly check-raised all in, sliding a stack of chips forward as he did. Camby called before Kelly finished putting his chips into the pot.

Paul Kelly:
Paul Camby:

Camby's flopped middle pair and open-ended straight draw had run into Kelly's aces, taking five of Camby's immediate outs off the table. The turn came , cutting Camby's number of chances at an elimination in half.

The final card fell to give him two pair, but it filled up Kelly to Broadway and scored him the double. Kelly's stack was totaled to 80,000 exactly and Camby sent the necessary chips his way.

"Congratulations, nice hand," said Camby as he paid off the amount. Despite the lost pot, Camby had chipped up to over 400,000 for a moment and still sits with 308,000 as the likely chip leader with well under an hour of play left in the night.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Camby	308,000 29,000	29,000
Paul Kelly	221,000 106,500	106,500

Tags: Paul Camby Paul Kelly

11-15-2019 00:59 UTC-5

Herstein Calls It Off

HillKerby

Level 13 : 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Ken Komberec was in the small blind and went all in after action folded around to him. Gary Herstein was in the big blind with slightly less chips.

"Did you look?" asked Herstein.

"I did," affirmed Komberec.

Herstein looked back at his cards and then exclaimed that he had a hand that is probably supposed to lose. He then focused on what Komberec had, assuming his hand was completely random. The thought process circled back to his decision and he threw in his chips to call all in.

Ken Komberec:
Gary Herstein:

Komberec confirmed that his hand was "supposed" to lose more times than not, but that was not likely to be reality. Herstein seemed genuinely shocked, asking how he could possibly be behind with nine high.

The flop came .

"How do you like that flop?" asked Komberec, seeing Herstein pick up eight more outs in addition to his two live cards. Herstein displayed his satisfaction.

The turn fell to fill up Herstein's straight, scoring the double along the way as the river came to complete the runout, leaving Komberec short as Herstein found a double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gary Herstein	57,500 14,000	14,000
Ken Komberec	6,000 -35,500	-35,500

Tags: Gary Herstein Ken Komberec

11-15-2019 00:11 UTC-5

Steele Eliminates Weiss

HillKerby

Level 12 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Pat Steele was in the small blind and saw action folded around to him. He completed to put action onto Walter Weiss, who went all in from the big blind for less than 10 big blinds. Steele thought for a few moments and then tossed out chips to make the call.

Walter Weiss:
Pat Steele:

Weiss was primed for the double but his forecast quickly loomed dark as the flop dropped . The turn and river were of no help to him and he was left with no chips left to play, resulting in his elimination from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pat Steele	153,000 33,200	33,200
Walter Weiss	Busted

Tags: Pat Steele Walter Weiss

11-14-2019 23:36 UTC-5

Steele Gets Value With Rockets

HillKerby

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

Jeremy Brown opened to 3,500 from under the gun and was three-bet to 8,700 by Pat Steele, who was in middle position. Walter Weiss cold-called from the hijack and action folded back to Brown, who also folded.

The flop came and Steele made a continuation-bet of 7,500. Weiss called. Both players checked the turn to bring the river . Steele fired out a bet and the dealer reached out to cut the bet. Weiss quickly announced a call.

Steele tabled for aces up.

"How much is that?" asked Weiss. The dealer continued her motion to break down Steele's bet, announcing it was 18,300. Weiss mucked his hand and paid off Steele, resulting in the pot being sent Steele's way.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pat Steele	135,000 41,600	41,600
Jeremy Brown	73,000 22,000	22,000
Walter Weiss	27,300 -36,400	-36,400

Tags: Jeremy Brown Pat Steele Walter Weiss

11-14-2019 22:48 UTC-5

Dembiec Gets a KO; Eclipses Six Figures

HillKerby

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

Action folded around to the hijack and he shoved all in for around 15,000. Steven Dembiec was waiting in the big blind and called when it became his turn to do so.

Hijack:
Steven Dembiec:

The board came to give Dembiec a full house after the runout, leaving his opponent dry on chips. Dembiec was seen with 4,200 a couple of levels ago and looked to be on his way out, but things have turned for him as of late and he now finds himself with around double the average stack with five tables and less than four hours of play left in the night.

Player	Chips	Progress
Steven Dembiec	101,600 86,200	86,200

Tags: Steven Dembiec

11-14-2019 22:13 UTC-5

Lauson Trending Upwards

HillKerby

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

Travis Lauson defended his small blind to an open to 2,500 from the player on the button. Action went check-check on the flop .

The turn came and Lauson checked again. His opponent bet 3,500, which he called to bring the river . Lauson led out, firing 5,500. After a few moments, Lauson's opponent folded and he took down the pot.

Lauson had already eclipsed the six-figure mark in chips prior to the last break nearly two hours ago, and has seen that figure continue to climb over the last two-plus levels, making him one of the largest stacks in the room with the third break of the evening looming near.

Player	Chips	Progress
Travis Lauson	176,700 62,900	62,900

Tags: Travis Lauson

11-14-2019 21:58 UTC-5

Garcia Wins a Flip To Double

HillKerby

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

Ravi Raghavan opened to 2,300 from under the gun and action made its way over to Andres Garcia, who three-bet all in for around 17,000 from the hijack. Raghavan made the call once action was back on him and the two were off to the races.

Andres Garcia:
Ravi Raghavan:

Garcia started out on the shorter end of the coin flip and was in need of some help. An ace on the flop gave him just that and a clean turn and river scored him the double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ravi Raghavan	36,300 36,300	36,300

Andres Garcia	35,600 -3,400	-3,400

Tags: Andres Garcia Ravi Raghavan

11-14-2019 20:56 UTC-5

Manke Sends One To the Showers

HillKerby

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

There was around 20,000 in the pot with heads-up action between Bryan Manke, who was in the big blind and an opponent in early position. The board read and Manke announced he was all in, sliding out well over a pot-sized bet.

The early-position player had about 14,000 left behind him, meaning he was the one who was put to a decision for the rest of his chips. After close to a minute, he committed the chips into the pot.

All-In Player:
Bryan Manke:

"Gah! Good game," said the player, standing up as the river fell . Manke's jacks remained best at showdown and the pot was sent his way, bringing him close to three starting stacks worth of chips around 30 minutes after the second break of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bryan Manke	55,700 7,700	7,700

Tags: Bryan Manke