Grimes Laps the Field on Day 1a
A lengthy day of 15 levels has wrapped up at Mid-States Poker Tour Riverside with 48 of 354 entries making it through to Day 2. And one chip count far outdistanced the rest.
Jeff Grimes managed to turn his 25,000 starting stack into a staggering 809,000 by night's end. His heater kicked into high gear during the final two hours. He was in a neck-and-neck race with Nick Pupillo for the chip lead with both players pushing toward 500,000.
Then, Grimes picked up aces on the very last hand and busted a player who had kings. That was enough to rocket him well past Pupillo — who finished in second with 495,000 — and the rest of the competition for a stack that's rarely been seen at the end of an MSPT Day 1.
Some other players who made it through included Kevin Berthelsen, Alex Ziskin, Andy Rogowski, Jorden Helstern, Byron Ziebell, Keith Heine, Rob Wazwaz and Kou Vang.
Some who took shots and missed included Eddie Blumenthal, Steve Buell, Jeff Fielder, Mike Lang, Ryan Phan and Phil Mader.
They'll all have chances to run it back and do better on Saturday, when Day 1b will see the prize pool continue to swell, surely well past $500,000 if the excellent turnout thus far is any indication. Come right back to PokerNews for more coverage starting at 3 p.m.
in the window and it was followed by 
to keep his set a winner.
as the small blind bet 7,500, the big blind made it 21,500, and Nick Pupillo shoved all in from middle position for 79,500. The small blind waved his hands in consternation approximately 20 times before folding. The big blind snap-mucked.
flop, Todd Sladek was all in from the small blind for about 14,000. Cody Brinn called in middle position, as did Joe Hindman in the cutoff.
turn, Brinn shoved and Hindman instantly called.
river kept him best and he scooped up everyone's stacks.
was dominated by 
, and was crushing an opponent who had 
. He was ahead of a player under the gun who showed 
