Action was fast and furious throughout the day at The Reserve Poker Club in Toledo, Ohio, where the final table was set on Day 2 of the 2025 Midwest Poker Championship $600 Main Event.
The total of tournament field of 2,270 entries saw just 209 survivors return in the money, aiming for the largest pieces of the $1,135,000 prize pool.
After 15 levels of play, a pair of knockouts on the final hands of the night saw Richard Kollarik bag up the lead for the finale on Monday. The Ohio native has already locked up a career-best score according to The Hendon Mob, and will bring 68 big blinds into action on Day 3.
Sitting next on the leaderboard are the two players that scored the last knockouts of a busy Sunday. Lucas Rea concluded the action to bag up 61 big blinds, while Jared Passanante also finished his night with an elimination to stand as the only other player above 50 bigs for the final day.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jared Passanante | United States | 22,450,000 | 56 |
| 2 | Robert Constable | United States | 4,800,000 | 12 |
| 3 | Matthew Higgins | United States | 11,425,000 | 29 |
| 4 | Imari Love | United States | 18,300,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Daniel Houle | United States | 11,250,000 | 28 |
| 6 | Satoshi Tanaka | United States | 10,800,000 | 27 |
| 7 | Richard Kollarik | United States | 27,325,000 | 68 |
| 8 | Jarvis Hooks | United States | 1,200,000 | 3 |
| 9 | Lucas Rea | United States | 24,475,000 | 61 |
Day 2 Action
The day started with a bang, as almost half of the returning field had visited the payout desk in the first three levels of play. From there, action slowed down a little before fireworks at the final three tables.
Maria Stricescu saw her sizeable stack disappear after running pocket queens into the kings of Imari Love. That hand saw Stricescu hit the rail in 23rd place, while Love soared up the leaderboard to finish with a fourth-place stack.
Among the notables to battle deep into the money were WSOP bracelet winners Courtney Kennedy (13th - $9,750) and Joey Couden (46th - $3,020).
Day 2 came to an abrupt end after a whirlwind two levels that saw the field trimmed from three tables to the final 11 players in just two levels.
Passanante took out Taylor Keit with a straight, and players at the outer table began to rack up their chips for the final table redraw.
At the same time, Rea got the best of Frank Lagodich by flopping a pair to set the final field of nine.
Among the players who remain in contention are Matthew Higgins (11,425,000), Daniel Houle (11,250,000), and Satoshi Tanaka (10,800,000).
It was a special birthday for Robert Constable (4,800,000), clinching a spot at the final table while playing on stream at his home club. Jarvis Hooks returns as the shortest stack for Day 2, sitting with just three big blinds and looking to make an early move.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $186,290 |
| 2 | $111,755 |
| 3 | $68,720 |
| 4 | $48,050 |
| 5 | $37,210 |
| 6 | $30,685 |
| 7 | $24,560 |
| 8 | $20,190 |
| 9 | $16,250 |
Players will return to take their seats at the final table at 4:00 p.m. local time, with action resuming on Level 33 where blinds will be 200,000/400,000. The levels will continue at 40 minutes in length, with a break after every two hours of play.
Each of the remaining players has locked up a total cash of at least $16,250, with all eyes on the first-place prize of $186,290 and the Main Event title.
The Reserve Poker Club's YouTube channel will once again stream on a one-hour delay, continuing until a winner is determined on Monday night.
Be sure to stay tuned right here, as the PokerNews live reporting team will have full coverage from the exciting conclusion of the Midwest Poker Championship.
