2021 Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian Day 1a | 2021 Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian

01-01-2021 16:27 UTC-7

Sammarco Scoops One Just Before the Break

LoriPersinger

Level 6 : 300/500, 500 ante

There was a preflop raise to 1,500 four players saw a flop of .

Action checked to Daniel Sammarco who bet 2,500 and got three callers. On the turn Sammarco bet again, this time for 6,000, and got one caller.

After Sammarco checked the river his opponent shoved all in. Sammarco asked for a count, thought for a moment and then made the call for 15,400.

Sammarco:
All-in Player:

The all-in player's top pair was no good against Sammarco's turned two-pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Sammarco	60,000

Tags: Daniel Sammarco

01-01-2021 16:27 UTC-7

Pupillo Two-Outed on Turn

mnuwwarah

Level 6 : 300/500, 500 ante

Nick Pupillo was facing an all-in wager of 11,000 into a pot of 20,000 or so, with on the felt. He was in the cutoff, with the opponent on his right putting all his chips at risk. Pupillo tossed in the call with a shrug.

His opponent didn't seem to want to show, but when Pupillo tabled , he was shown , meaning he didn't even have a river card to sweat.

Back to the starting stack for the multiple-time MSPT final tablist.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Pupillo	25,000 -25,000	-25,000

01-01-2021 16:27 UTC-7

Time for Another Break

Chad Holloway

Level 6 : 300/500, 500 ante

Another three levels have come and gone. That means it's time for the second 15-minute break of the day.

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

01-01-2021 16:50 UTC-7

WSOP Main Event Finalist Looking for MSPT Venetian Success

Chad Holloway

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Shawn Stroke, a 31-year-old recreational player from Long Island, New York, has put together a pretty strong run of cashes in recent years.

Stroke had a near miss on a bracelet in 2017, when he got second to William Reymond in the $365 online bracelet event for a score of $94K. He then cashed three more online bracelet events in 2019 for a total of more than $10K.

Last week, he was the second-largest stack coming into the 2020 WSOP Main Event final table, which meant he had locked up his biggest score ever, one that dwarfed even his total live cashes of $68K according to The Hendon Mob.

The mechanic has come a long way since losing his brother's bankroll as an underage player back in the day, and he soaked it all in ahead of the biggest final table of his life.

“Feels nothing less than amazing, taking it all in each day,” he said of making it to poker’s biggest stage. “I wake up and remind myself that this is real and envision myself hoisting that WSOP bracelet.”

Unfortunately for Stroke, the cards didn't go his way at the final table and he wound up bowing out in seventh place for $163,786.

Stroke stuck around Vegas after busting the WSOP Main Event and has ventured over to the Venetian to fire today's MSPT tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Shawn Stroke	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Shawn Stroke

01-01-2021 16:53 UTC-7

Brown Scores a KO

mnuwwarah

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Camille Brown had a player at risk and was in a dominating position, holding against . The player with queen-ten looked to have shove from the button after she opened in early position. The flop came and no help emerged on the turn or river for the all-in player.

Player	Chips	Progress
Camille Brown	69,000

01-01-2021 17:04 UTC-7

Ajayi Stays Alive

LoriPersinger

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

The dealer spread a flop of .

The first player to act in the heads-up pot put out a bet of 9,000, which was more than was in the middle. Dapo Ajayi, then three-bet shoved, and with action back on other player he asked for a count.

After the dealer confirmed a total of 25,300 the player made the call.

Dapo Ajayi:
Opponent:

Ajayi was ahead but definitely had to fade some outs, which he did on the turn and river and secured the double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dapo Ajayi	60,300

Tags: Dapo Ajayi

01-01-2021 17:04 UTC-7

One for Wisconsin's Dan Dombrowski

Chad Holloway

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

After the under-the-gun player limped, Wisconsin's Dan Dombrowski raised to 1,700 next to action. It folded around to the player in the big blind, who called, and then the UTG limper put in the additional 1,100 to see a flop.

Two checks saw Dombrowski continue for 3,800 and the player in the big blind insta-folded.

The UTG player gave it some thought, double-checked his cards, and then sent them to the muck.

It wasn't much of a hand, but it gave us a good excuse to update you on Dombrowski's chip stack, which is among the biggest in the room.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Dombrowski	110,000 12,000	12,000

Tags: Dan Dombrowski

01-01-2021 17:13 UTC-7

Most MSPT Main Event Final Tables in Single Season

Chad Holloway

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 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

01-01-2021 17:16 UTC-7

Baker Three-Bets River

mnuwwarah

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Two players put in about 7,500 apiece on an flop, and an early player checked to Aaron Baker on a turn. He bet small with 2,700 and his opponent was in there with a check-call. Baker nudged up to 2,800 on the river and faced a check-raise to 12,000. He responded with another raise to 27,800, and his opponent tank-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aaron Baker	95,000