$1,100 Main Event ($150K GTD) Day 1a | 2020 Mid-States Poker Tour Grand Falls

08-28-2020 22:34 UTC-5

Join the Newly-Launched PokerNews Discord Server Today!

Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

We have exciting news for poker fans around the world, especially those following the 2020 World Series of Poker online bracelet events on both WSOP.com and GG Poker.

Given it's a virtual series, we thought players and fans should have an interactive platform in which to engage with one another, as well as us here at PokerNews. That's why we've created a PokerNews Discord server and are inviting you to join our new community.

Discord specializes in text, image, video, and audio communication between users in a chat channel. It's a digital message board where you can share your thoughts with others who also love poker. The Pokernews Discord will give you a place to get caught up on whats going on in poker today and a place where you can share your thoughts with others.

Think of Discord as a house where different categories within the server are like a different room in the house. You can jump from one to the other to interact, gather information, or just have some fun.

We give you an area to share your bad beats, share your big wins, and talk about what is going on in poker today. We'll share links to live updates, highlight the biggest poker news, and offer special promotions.

Click Here to Join the PokerNews Discord Server

08-28-2020 22:27 UTC-5

A Round of Chip Counts

Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Renato Spahiu	260,000	40,000
John Cap	130,000	-15,000
Dapo Ajayi	105,000	5,000
Ben Keeline	100,000	50,000
Nick Pupillo	100,000	55,000
Tim Garles	90,000	40,000
Dan Bekavac	80,000	-80,000
Bruce Swart	60,000	10,000
Donnie Phan	60,000	-70,000
Rich Alsup	50,000	10,000
Max Young	45,000	-25,000
Matt Kirby	40,000	15,000
Phil Mader	25,000	-20,000

08-28-2020 22:14 UTC-5

Most MSPT Main Event Final Tables in Single Season

Chad Holloway

Level 11 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Since its inception in 2009, the MSPT has done a great job keeping track of player stats. As a result, 11 years on they have one of the best player databases in the industry.

On their "Leaderboards" page, the MSPT tracks such things as Career Earnings, Main Event Cashes, Main Event Final Tables, Main Event Titles, Total Cashes, Most Cashes/Final Tables in a Season, Most Final Tables All-Time, and much more.

Here's a look at the top ten MSPT Main Event final table in a single season:

Player	Hometown	Season	Final Tables
Patrick Steele	Chelsea, Michigan	4	4
Brett Kuznia	Stephen, Minnesota	4	4
Dan Sun	Cedar Rapids. Iowa	3	3
Christian Pham	St. Paul, Minnesota	4	3
Everett Carlton	St. Paul, Minnesota	1	3
Kou Vang	Maplewood, Minnesota	5	3
Michael Deis	Ann Arbor, Michigan	5	3
Nick Pupillo	Addison, Illinois	5	3
Mark Hodge	Fernandina Beach, Florida	6	3
DJ Buckley	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	6	3

Level: 11

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000

08-28-2020 22:06 UTC-5

Anderson's First MSPT Event Since 2012 Ends as Vierstraete Thrives

Chad Holloway

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

The under-the-gun player raised to 3,500 and five players called, including Eric Anderson in the small blind. Anderson is no stranger to the MSPT having worked for the tour for seven years, though now he finds himself on the otherside as a player. This is the first MSPT event he's played since 2012.

Both Anderson and the player in the big blind checked and the UTG player continued for 8,500. Curtis Vierstraete called from middle position while another player got out of the way. Anderson then check-raised all in for 22,500, Max Young folded from the big blind, and the UTG player called.

Vierstraete then jammed over the top for what looked like another 30,000 or so and the UTG player called that as well.

Curtis Vierstraete:
Eric Anderson:
UTG Player:

Vierstraete was ahead with a set, but the turn did give Anderson an up-and-down straight draw. Unfortunately for him, it didn't come in as the bricked on the river to give Vierstraete the big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Curtis Vierstraete	125,000
Eric Anderson	Busted

Tags: Eric Anderson Curtis Vierstraete

08-28-2020 21:54 UTC-5

Big Slick Does the Trick for Garles

Chad Holloway

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Two-time MSPT champ Dan Bekavac opened for 4,500 and Tim Garles three-bet jammed for 22,000 from the button. Both blinds folded and Bekavac had some chips to spare.

Tim Garles:
Dan Bekavac:

The flop paired both players but Garles maintained the lead. Neither the turn nor river helped Bekavac and he sent some chips over to Garles.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Bekavac	160,000	-22,000
Tim Garles	50,000	28,000

Tags: Tim Garles Dan Bekavac

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

08-28-2020 21:23 UTC-5

Break Time

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Players are now on another 10-minute break.

08-28-2020 21:16 UTC-5

Woodworth Holds to Double

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With around 7,000 in the pot and a flop of , Lyman Woodworth jammed for 18,500 from the big blind and his big-stacked opponent called from middle position.

Lyman Woodworth:
Opponent:

Woodworth was ahead but his opponent had outs. Fortunately for Woodworth, neither the turn nor river hurt him and he shipped the double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lyman Woodworth	45,000

Tags: Lyman Woodworth

08-28-2020 20:57 UTC-5

"Red Bull Robbie" Brings Big City Experience to Grand Falls

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Back in the day, Robbie Thompson was a staple at the annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Not only that, he was a fixture on the poker circuit.

So how did the man, who hails from nearby Egan, South Dakota (Pop. 720) and still lives in the same house he did when he was just three years old, get to such a spot in the poker world?

In 1993, Thompson, who used to work manual labor, took a job as a blackjack dealer.

“After a couple years in the pit, I made my move to poker,” Thompson previously said in an interview with CardsChat. “I was leaving my shift one day and my manager asked if I would deal poker that night. She knew that I played, so without any training I sat in the box to a 7-Card Stud hi-lo game and the rest is history.”

Eventually, around 2002, Thompson became a traveling dealer and worked his first WSOP in 2004. Two more years of experience saw him dealing the WSOP final table, and from there it was off to gigs on the European Poker Tour and World Poker Tour. In 2008, he had his chance to become the final table announcer of the WSOP.

In 2017, things came full circle when Thompson got off the road and Renee Thomas, the poker room manager at Grand Falls, offered him a job. As it happened, she was the aforementioned manager who gave him his start 25 years earlier.

Thompson has been using his big-time experience here at the Grand Falls poker room ever since.

Tags: Robbie Thompson