There was 38,000 in the pot with a board of 
when Zach Donovan bet 27,000 into Michael Berk.
Berk tanked for some time before making the call. Donovan turned over 
for the straight and Berk's cards went into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
305,000
-175,000
|
-175,000 |
|
135,000 |
Satheesh Francis raised to 10,000 from the cutoff and got a call from the small blind. Corey Hochman three-bet to 54,000 and Vongduane Sengseevong four-bet to 108,000.
Francis and the cutoff got out of the way and Hochman re-raised all in to a quick call from Sengseevong.
Vongduane Sengseevong: 
Corey Hochman: 
The board ran out 
and the aces held to give Hochman a massive pot and the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
735,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
Busted |
With one elimination to go before the end of Day 1b, Dan Sepiol called an all in with . His opponent turned over 
.
The board ran out 
and Sepiol made a flush on the river to score the final elimination of the day.
Stay tuned for a recap of Day 1b with chip counts and more Day 2 information.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
374,000
195,000
|
195,000 |
|
||
Corey Hochman of Phoenix, Arizona ended Day 1b of the MSPT Venetian $1,100 Main Event as the chip leader after 48 players survived the 433 entrants to find a bag for Day 2. The 3-day event attracted 671 total entrants over Days 1a and 1b, and 27 players from Day 1a will meet the Day 1b survivors on Monday September 6 when the final 75 players play for the Mid-States Poker Tour main event title.
Hochman remained near the top of the leaderboard for the better part of the day, but the hand that clinched the chip lead came near the end when he eliminated the queens of Vongduane Sengseevong with an ace-high flush. Other names near the top of the leaderboard include Mark Babekov and Michael Berk, who found a big stack early and maintained his place among the leaders for the entire day.
Other Day 1b survivors include Ralph Massey, Ryan Laplante, Jason Obinger, Daniel Sepiol, and Chris Meyers.
The final 75 players will return on Monday September 6 at 11:00 a.m. local time where play will resume and continue until there is a winner. Play will continue in Level 15 with blinds at 3000/5000/5000. Players are encouraged to come early tomorrow in order to unbag their chips.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we return for Day 2 on Monday to bring you all the action from the floor at the Venetian Poker Room.
