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

01-02-2021 13:58 UTC-7

Big Slick Does the Trick for Berk

Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 100/300, 0 ante

Action folded around to the player in the small blind, who limped, before Michael Berk raised to 1,100 from the big. The small blind called and then check-called a bet of 700 on a rainbow flop.

On the turn, which brought a backdoor flush draw, the small blind check-called another bet, this time 3,000.

When an offsuit completed the board on the river, the small blind checked and Berk bet 10,000. His opponent hit the tank for two minutes before making the call only to muck when Berk rolled over the .

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Berk	36,000 15,500	15,500

Tags: Michael Berk

01-02-2021 13:55 UTC-7

Pupillo Wins Seven-Way Pot

Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 100/300, 0 ante

After the under-the-gun player raised to 700, the next player folded and Nick Pupillo called from middle position. From there, all the remaining players — which included Mike Lang and Erv Bjerga — called to make it seven-way action to a flop of .

A trio of checks put action on Pupillo and he didn't hesitate to bet 4,000.

One by one his opponents folded all the way around to the original UTG raiser, who thought for a solid minute before ditching the hand and conceding the pot to Pupillo.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Pupillo	45,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Nick Pupillo

01-02-2021 13:52 UTC-7

A Round of Chip Counts

Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 100/300, 0 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Sarah Stefan	40,000 15,000	15,000
Nick Pupillo	40,000 -1,000	-1,000

Lexy Gavin	36,000
Darren Attebery	35,000 -6,000	-6,000
Joe Saleh	30,000 5,000	5,000
Bob Whalen	29,700 4,700	4,700
Terry Fleischer	29,500 4,500	4,500
David Levi	28,000 3,000	3,000
Brian Berthiaume	26,500 1,500	1,500
Dan Daconti	26,000
Lee Markholt	25,000

Erv Bjerga	24,500 -500	-500
Tony Yuan	24,000 -2,000	-2,000
Rich Alsup	22,000 -3,000	-3,000

Michael Berk	20,500 -4,500	-4,500
Jason Vanstrom	20,000
Jerry Yang	20,000

Carl Carodenuto	19,000
Anthony Zinno	18,000 -7,000	-7,000

Mike Lang	14,000 14,000	14,000
Donnie Phan	13,000 -12,000	-12,000
Steve Wilkie	Busted

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/300

Ante: 0

01-02-2021 13:27 UTC-7

England Takes One at the End of Level 2

LoriPersinger

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

A player called from early position, Kyna England made it 800 to go from the button and was called by the big-blind player and the player in early position.

The action was checked to her on the flop, she bet 1,100 and both players check-called. After both players checked to her again on the turn England put out a larger bet of 5,500, which was enough to take down the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kyna England	35,000 10,000	10,000

01-02-2021 13:24 UTC-7

Most MSPT Main Event Cashes in History

Chad Holloway

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 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. Click here for a look at all the leaderboards.Click here for a look at all the leaderboards.

Here's a look at the top ten MSPT Main Event cashers:

Place	Player	Hometown	Main Event Cashes
1	Aaron Johnson	Red Wing, Minnesota	39
2	Kou Vang	Maplewood, Minnesota	32
3	Richard Alsup	New Hope, Minnesota	30
4	DJ Buckley	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	27
5	Patrick Steele	Chelsea, Michigan	26
6	Mark Hodge	Fernandina Beach, Florida	25
7	Blake Bohn	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	25
8	Jason Seitz	Shakopee, Minnesota	22
9	Phil Mader	Grand Island, Nebraska	23
10	Rob WazWaz	Minneapolis, Minnesota	22

01-02-2021 13:19 UTC-7

Pupillo Makes the Right Call

LoriPersinger

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

On the turn of a board reading and about 6,000 in the middle of a heads-up pot, Hayden Liotta checked. Nick Pupillo bet 3,200 and Liotta made the call.

After the dealer fanned the on the river, Liotta carefully counted his chips and then slid out a bet of 4,200, which appeared to make Pupillo a little uncomfortable.

Pupillo thought for a quick moment, made the call, and after Liotta tabled , Pupillo then tabled and scooped the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Pupillo	41,000 16,000	16,000

Hayden Liotta	16,300 16,300	16,300

Tags: Hayden Liotta Nick Pupillo

01-02-2021 13:16 UTC-7

2020 WSOP 5th-Place Finisher Tony Yuan in the House

Chad Holloway

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Less than a week ago, 25-year-old Tony Yuan was competing at the 2020 World Series of Poker Main Event. He ultimately finished in fifth place for $286,963.

Yuan, who originally hails from China, was one of the out-of-nowhere stories at the WSOP final table. He's a student at the Univeristy of Wisconsin - Madison. He had just $6K in live cashes heading into the 2020 WSOP Main Event according to The Hendon Mob, but he does have a strong background in math considering he's studying for his doctorate in probability.

Combine that with his love for the game stemming from his teenage years when he just played for fun, and he's got the ability to perhaps follow in the footsteps of his poker hero, Fedor Holz.

Furthermore, despite his limited live poker ledger, he said he's entering his realm of greater comfort as the tournament transitions from the online portion.

"I think my live play is better than my online play," he said. "I can read people.”

Yuan has ventured over to the Venetian and is in action here on Day 1b of the MSPT $1,100 Main Event.