Level: 14
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
MSPT Grand Falls $360 Regional Event
MSPT Grand Falls $360 Regional Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
MSPT Grand Falls $360 Regional Event
Buy-in
$360
Prize Pool
$231,054
Entries
794
Level
35
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
50,000
Entries
261
Players Left
38
More Updated Chip Counts
Level 13
: 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
215,400 | 25,700 |
|
189,700 | 89,900 |
|
170,900 | 145,900 |
|
165,300 | 52,400 |
|
156,900 | 98,200 |
|
142,300 | 126,100 |
|
110,800 | -29,700 |
|
110,000 | 28,300 |
|
96,500 | 35,300 |
|
82,300 | -32,900 |
|
45,600 | 4,400 |
|
31,200 | 16,000 |
A Look at the MSPT Hall of Fame
Level 13
: 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
The MSPT Hall of Fame, established in 2017, is proud to recognize those individuals who have shown superior skill and achieved specific long-term accomplishments.
The criteria to earn a spot on the MSPT Hall of Fame is as follows:
- Achieve a minimum of 25 MSPT Main Event Cashes and 1 MSPT Win OR 1 MSPT Player of the Year; or
- Achieve a minimum of 10 MSPT Main Event Final Tables and 1 MSPT Win OR 1 MSPT Player of the Year
To see which players are close to achieving HOF status, refer to the comprehensive MSPT Stats page.
As of today, seven players are currently enshrined in the MSPT Hall of Fame.
A Round of Chip Counts
Level 13
: 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
285,000 | 30,000 |
|
220,000 | 99,700 |
|
|
180,000 | 35,000 |
|
170,000 | 60,000 |
|
110,000 | 72,200 |
|
|
110,000 | 70,000 |
|
105,000 | -5,000 |
|
75,000 | 47,400 |
|
|
75,000 | -57,400 |
|
75,000 | 29,700 |
|
58,000 | 18,000 |
|
|
48,000 | -76,500 |
|
30,000 | -12,300 |
Level: 13
Blinds: 2,000/3,000
Ante: 3,000
Final Break of the Night
Level 12
: 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Players are now on their last 10-minute break of the night. When they return they'll play three more levels before bagging and tagging on Day 1b.
Bryan Cracks Bergers Kings for Double Up
Level 12
: 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Action folded around to Dale Berger who raised to 7,500 from the hijack before calling Jeff Bryan's 54,100 three-bet jam from the cutoff.
Jeff Bryan: 
Dale Berger: 
Berger was ahead with his made hand until an ace appeared in the window on the 
flop. The 
turn left Berger drawing to the case king but the 
dropped on the river and secured Bryan's double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | |
|
7,500 | -108,100 |
Industry Insiders: Grand Falls Poker Room Manager Renee Thomas
Level 12
: 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort was granted an operator's license for a casino in May of 2010, which followed the passage of a referendum approving a gaming structure by the citizens of Lyon County, Iowa in September of 2008. Since then, the property has won a number of awards including Midwest Gaming and Destination Magazine 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards for “Best Amenities,” “Best Golf Course,” and “Best Casino Personnel.”
It also ranked as the second-best overall property in Iowa, second-best for amenities in the entire Midwest, and having the best golf course in the entire Midwest! As far as poker at Grand Falls is concerned, Renee Thomas, a mother of three and grandmother of two (not to mention her 3 lbs. Chihuahua that she claims runs the show at her house), is the woman spearheading the team that makes the action happen.
“I’ve been in the casino industry for 26 years in three states,” Thomas tells MSPT Magazine. “I started out dealing
blackjack in South Dakota for a year before transferring to poker as a dealer. I became a supervisor there and then managed the room for three and a half years. After 10 years, I moved to Colorado and followed the same path of dealing, supervising and then managing the Lady Luck poker room for six years.”
After Lady Luck, a sister property to Golden Gates Poker Renee Thomas Parlour (another MSPT stop) just down the street, Thomas set her sights on returning to the Midwest.
“As much as I loved Colorado, I knew that I would eventually want to move back closer to my family,” Thomas explains. “A friend had told me about a casino possibly being built in Larchwood, Iowa so I started paying attention when the state was doing impact studies. When Grand Falls was hiring I came on board before the casino opened as a supervisor and assisted the poker manager in training poker dealers. I was promoted to poker room manager three and a half years ago.”
Once in the driver’s seat, Thomas helped bring one of the country’s premier poker tours to the property.
“Our players look forward to the $1,100 MSPT every year,” she says excitedly. “It’s a great way for our local players to have the opportunity to satellite into a large tournament without having to travel. Because of our location we bring in players from multiple states and because of our amenities, many of them treat it like a mini vacation with their spouse.”
Of course there’s a lot of poker action to be had even when the MSPT isn’t in town.
“Along with running the MSPT every August, our poker room runs three different tournament events each year as
well as low limit weekly tournaments,” says Thomas. “We have the Fall Poker Series in November, our Poker Championship in March and our Summer Poker Challenge in June. I know every manager says that their poker room is friendly but ours truly is! We have such a great staff of supervisors, duals and dealers here at Grand Falls and we do our very best to take care of our player’s needs from getting you a Resort Club card to calling the Big Drop to order your dinner.”
While a strong player base from nearby Sioux Falls and experienced staff help make poker at Grand Falls a success, Thomas is also quick to credit the resort itself.
“Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort has so much to offer our guests and it’s a great destination for a mini vacation,” she says. “You can relax at the spa or pool, play golf, shop in our boutique and then have dinner at Ruthie’s, Robert’s Buffet or the Big Drop.”
*This post originally appeared in MSPT Magazine and is republished here with permission from the MSPT.
Level: 12
Blinds: 1,500/2,500
Ante: 2,500
Field Doubles With Rockets
Level 11
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The under-the-gun player limped in and then called the 6,500 three-bet Bridgette Field made from the hijack.
The 
flop was checked to Field who moved all in for 14,700 and her opponent called.
Bridgette Field: 
Opponent:
Field was ahead with her pocket aces and neither the 
turn nor the 
river changed a thing.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
45,300 | 4,000 |