MSPT Riverside $1,100 Main Event ($200K GTD) Day 1a | MSPT Riverside $1,100 Main Event ($200K GTD)

07-24-2021 02:41 UTC-5

Schmall Takes Day 1a Lead at MSPT Riverside $1,100 Main Event

HillKerby

Level 15 : 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) returned to Riverside, Iowa for its second-ever $1,100 Main Event Friday and the turnout did not disappoint: in total, 408 entries showed up for Day 1a, a 15% increase over the inaugural event in March that drew 354 in its first starting flight.

Fifteen full levels were played to their conclusion before play ended for the night with 57 players still in contention when that mark was reached. Of those 57, Peter Schmall (584,000) found himself with the chip lead by a wide margin, more than 200K clear of any remaining competitor. March's 18th-place finisher Jared Ditmarson (366,000) and Chicago's Gary Herstein (354,000) rounded out the top three, with half a dozen players behind bunched together between 300K and 323K.

Other notables to advance included DJ Buckley (260,000), Eric Eelkema (221,000), MSPT Hall of Famer Mark Hodge (190,000), Jeff Grimes (171,000), and Keith Heine (134,000).

Plenty more did not make it through the full day of play, such as MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson, reigning MSPT Riverside Champion Daniel Sepiol, Ryan Phan, Jeff Fielder, and Rob Wazwaz. All who did not find a bag will have up to two more chances at Saturday's Day 1b, the second and final starting flight of the tournament, which begins once again at 3 p.m. local time.

The PokerNews live reporting team will be back at it then. See you soon.

Tags: Aaron Johnson Daniel Sepiol DJ Buckley Eric Eelkema Gary Herstein Jared Ditmarson Jeff Fielder Jeff Grimes Keith Heine Mark Hodge Peter Schmall Rob Wazwaz Ryan Phan

07-24-2021 01:01 UTC-5

Schmall Cracks a Big Milestone

HillKerby

Level 14 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Peter Schmall opened to 12,000 and received two calls behind from middle position and the small blind. The flop came and action checked to the player in middle position, who bet 15,000. The small blind folded and Schmall called.

Action was then heads up to the turn , where both players checked. The river fell , bringing trips on board and Schmall bet 20,000.

Schmall's opponent remarked about Schmall having the perfect runout, folding face up for a flopped straight. Schmall then tabled the bluff with and saw the pot shipped his way. With the won pot, he now has almost certainly the largest stack in the room with more than half a million in front of him.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Schmall	515,000	515,000

Tags: Peter Schmall

07-24-2021 00:06 UTC-5

Eelkema Sends One Home

HillKerby

Level 13 : 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante

There was three-way action on a flop of and Minnesota's Eric Eelkema was first to act, checking in the small blind. The big blind went all in for 73,000, sending the final player in the hand into the tank from the cutoff. After close to a minute and much deliberation, the player folded. Eelkema quickly dropped a stack onto the felt to call thereafter.

Big Blind:
Eric Eelkema:

Eelkema's flopped set had his opponent's top pair, top kicker crushed. The player was unable to find his necessary running outs to stay alive as the turn failed to pair the board further. The river then completed the runout, with Eelkema's full house topping his opponent's trip kings to earn him the pot and the accompanying KO.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Eelkema	240,000	240,000

Tags: Eric Eelkema

07-23-2021 22:43 UTC-5

Ditrapani over 200K

Mike_Loekle

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

An under-the-gun player open-shoved for 20,000 and was called by Nicola Ditrapani in the hijack.

Under The Gun:
Nicola Ditrapani:

Ditrapani further improved on the flop and remained ahead through the runout of propelling his stack to over 200,000 headed into Level 12.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nicola Ditrapani	207,000	207,000

Tags: Nicola Ditrapani

07-23-2021 21:58 UTC-5

Ziadeh Is Wowed

HillKerby

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

Ramon Ziadeh pumped it up to 6,500 under the gun and was called in early position before Jared Ditmarson three-bet three-bet to 20,000, also from early position. Action folded back to Ziadeh and he called, ultimately taking action heads up to a flop of . Ziadeh check-called a continuation-bet of 25,000 from Ditmarson.

The turn came and Ziadeh led out with an all-in jam for his Ditmarson's effective stack of roughly 46,000. Ditmarson went deep into the tank, with several minutes going by before a clock was eventually called. He then found a fold, flashing his cards in the process.

"Wow!" exclaimed Ziadeh. "He folded aces!" he added, further stating that he turned a full house prior to jamming and that Ditmarson had correctly folded his bullets. Nonetheless, Ziadeh now finds himself with one of the largest stacks in the room at 160,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ramon Ziadeh	160,000	117,700
Jared Ditmarson	46,000

Tags: Ramon Ziadeh Jared Ditmarson

07-23-2021 21:39 UTC-5

Field Surpasses 400

HillKerby

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

The tournament clock now displays 403 entries early in Level 10. Registration will remain open through the end of the next break, closing at the beginning of Level 13 at approximately 11:40 p.m. local time.

07-23-2021 20:18 UTC-5

MSPT Hall of Famer Aaron Johnson Knocked Out by Mitchell Bank

HillKerby

Level 8 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Aaron Johnson was all in for his last 13,000 in early position, receiving action from Mitchell Bank, who was on the button.

Aaron Johnson:
Mitchell Bank:

Johnson was in a coin-flip situation for his tournament life and was unable to find help on the runout , leaving his hand second best to result in his chips being sent across the table to Bank, who is now nearing in on a 50K stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mitchell Bank	45,600	45,600
Aaron Johnson	Busted

Tags: Aaron Johnson Mitchell Bank

07-23-2021 19:09 UTC-5

Dumas Gets Another Knockout

HillKerby

Level 6 : 300/600, 600 ante

A player shoved his last 4,300 into the middle under the gun and action folded around to Peter Dumas, who was on the button and three-bet to 8,000. All remaining players folded.

All-In Player:
Peter Dumas:

Dumas wound up on the right end of the coin flip as the board ran out .

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Dumas	96,000	25,000

Tags: Peter Dumas

07-23-2021 17:46 UTC-5

Modacure Rivers the Flush

HillKerby

Level 4 : 200/400, 400 ante

Mark Hodge was in early position and raised to 1,000. The hijack and small blind called, as did Antonio Modacure in the big blind. All four players checked the flop .

The turn came and action checked to the hijack, who bet 2,500 and was called solely by Modacure to take action heads up to the river , where both players checked through to showdown.

Modacure showed for a flush as his opponent tabled a no-good two pair .

Player	Chips	Progress
Antonio Modacure	72,000	72,000
Mark Hodge	34,000	-21,000

Tags: Antonio Modacure Mark Hodge

07-23-2021 16:38 UTC-5

Ziadeh Wins a Big One

HillKerby

Level 3 : 200/300, 300 ante

Multiple all-ins were overheard at Table 18 with three-way action on a board reading .

Ramon Ziadeh had bet 1,200 in the small blind and was raised to 4,100 by the big blind before a player in middle position three-bet shoved for 21,000. Ziadeh went over the top for 27K total and the big blind called to bring about a three-way all-in scenario.

Middle Position:
Ramon Ziadeh:
Big Blind: