Grand Falls Casino

Day 1A of the 2017 MSPT Grand Falls Casino $1,100 Main Event drew 105 runners, which was up from 87 the year before. After14 levels of play, just 15 remained with local player James Klosterbuer and his stack of 243,500 leading the way.

Klosterbuer had just $11,020 in live tournament earnings, of which $8,614 came when he finished third in a 2014 Ante Up Poker Tour event at Running Aces. He is seeking his first MSPT cash.

Rounding out the top five stacks were Trevis Devericks (242,500), Derrick Fish (218,500), Aaron Johnson (19,500), and Jared Mohnen (172,500).

Others who survived the night were 2017 South Dakota State Poker Champion Ryan Skluzak (147,000), Minnesota’s Joe Barnard (130,500), and MSPT Season 8 Golden Gates Regional runner-up Drew Shulz (85,000).

Of course, not everyone was so lucky. Among those to try and fall on Day 1A was defending champ Ted Takasaki, MSPT Season 8 Grand Falls Regional winner Travis Gant, four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner Mark Fink, MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Mark Hodge, and former champs Rodger Johnson, Carter Myers, Erv Bjerga, and John Hayes.

Those players and any newcomers to the field will have the opportunity to play Day 1B at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Before that, at 10 a.m., there will be a last-chance $250 satellite with the top 20% advancing to the Main Event.

The remaining players will play three more hands before bagging and tagging on 1A. Stay tuned for a list of survivors with chip counts along with a recap of the day’s action.

With around 55,000 in the middle and a board reading , action exploded and resulted in Eric Wasylenko getting his stack of around 60,000 all in against Jared Mohnen, who had 83,200.

Mohnen:
Wasylenko:

Mohnen stated that he couldn’t get away after that turn card. Wasylenko was ahead with two pair, but Mohnen hit his draw when the river gave him a heart flush.

Jared Mohnen - 200,000 (83 bb)
Eric Wasylenko – Busted

After the under-the-gun player limped and Rick Lutt did the same from middle position, Aaron Johnson called from the button. MSPT Season 6 Running Aces champ Erv Bjerga then raised to 11,000 from the small blind, the UTG player folded, and both Lutt and Johnson called to see the flop.

Bjerga checked, Lutt bet 15,000, and Johnson folded. Bjerga woke up with an all-in check-raise to 64,700 and Lutt called.

Lutt:
Bjerga:

Bjerga had flopped a wheel, and Lutt was drawing slim. The turn meant Lutt could chop with either a deuce or seven on the river, but neither appeared as the rolled off instead.

Erv Bjerga - 165,000 (82 bb)
Rick Lutt - 30,000 (15 bb)

Joe Barnard raised to 4,500 under the gun and Darrell Prevail called from the hijack. Drew Schulz and Darrell Prevail called from the small and big blinds respectively and four players saw a flop of .

Three checks saw Prevail moved all in for 29,500, Schulz fold, and Swier check-raise all in over the top. That pushed Barnard out of the hand and the cards were turned up.

Swier:
Prevail:

Swier had flopped trips, and that meant Prevail needed an eight to stay alive. The improved Swier to a full house, and the river put an end to Prevail’s night.

Chad Swier - 100,000 (50 bb)
Darrell Prevail - Busted

Last season, the Mid-States Poker Tour launched the first issue of MSPT Magazine, which is released on monthly basis. Physical copies of the magazine are available at all MSPT host venues in Nevada (Venetian), Wisconsin (Potawatomi), Iowa (Meskwaki Casino), Minnesota (Mille Lacs, Canterbury Park & Running Aces), Indiana (Tropicana Evansville), Colorado (Golden Gates Poker Parlour), Michigan (FireKeepers), South Dakota (Grand Falls Casino), and Florida (bestbet Jacksonville).

For those around the world who may not be able to make it to those casinos, you can now read issues online absolutely free. Check it out.

Simply click here to be taken to our library!

Just before the break, Jeff Petronack raised to 3,500 from the lojack only to have James Klosterbuer three-bet to 20,000 from the hijack. Action folded back to Pretonack and he moved all in for what looked to be 70,000. Klosterbuer snap-called.

Klosterbuer:
Petronack:

It was a cooler for Petronack, and it cost him his tournament life after the board ran out a clean .

James Klosterbuer - 150,000 (94 bb)
Jeff Petronack - Busted

Players are now on their last 10-minute break of the night. When they return, they’ll play two more levels before bagging and tagging for the night.

A short-stacked Robbin Green moved all in for 2,700 from early position and Loki Abboud called next to act. Lucas Christoffer then made it 9,100 to go from the small blind and called when Abboud moved all in for approximately 20,000.

Green:
Abboud:
Christoffer:

Christoffer was out in front, but the flop gave Green a flush. Abboud was looking for a non-spade queen to claim the side pot after the appeared on the turn, and while he found a lady on the river, she was the to give Christoffer the nut flush.

Lucas Christoffer - 160,000 (100 bb)
Loki Abboud - Busted
Robbin Green - Busted