FireKeepers Casino

Day 1C of the MSPT FireKeepers attracted 529 runners, which along with 1A’s 285 and 1B’s 473 brought the total field up to 1,287 entries. That made it the largest poker tournament in Michigan history with 1,287 runners (surpasses previous record of 1,067 from last year).

The seven-figure prize pool will be paid out to the top 135 players with a min-cash being worth $2,120. The eventual winner will walk away with a $221,323 top prize.

After 16 levels of play, the 1C flight was whittled down to 73 players with Frank Lagodich and his stack of 368,000 leading the way. That is behind both Day 1B chip leader Justin Lee (447,000) and Day 1A leader Steven Williams (426,000).

Others to bag big stacks on Day 1C were #MSPT100 champ Jason Ramos (360,500), poker pro Kenna James (335,000), Scott Davis (333,500), and Ryan Hoffman (311,500), who round out the top five.

Joining them were James Wilson (250,000), MSPT Season 6 FireKeepers champ Harry Tisdale (166,500), 2016 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship runner-up Cy Church (124,500), inaugural MSPT Venetian champ Drake Bronk (104,500), and Griff Woodman (52,500).

Among those to hit the rail on Saturday was Kimo Sabe Mezcal MSPT Season 8 POY Chris Meyers, Colorado’s Drew Schulz, MSPT Season 8 FireKeepers champ Mike Shanahan, MSPT Season 5 POY Mike Deis, WSOP bracelet winners Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Nick Jivkov, and World Poker Tour champ Ravi Raghavan.

Day 2, which begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday, will see 173 players (34 from 1A, 66 from 1B, and 73 from 1C) return to action and play down to a winner. We’ll be here every step of the way to capture the action, so be sure to join us then.

The tournament staff just announced the remaining players will play four more hands before bagging and tagging on Day 1C. Stay tuned for a list of chip counts as well as a recap of the day’s action and the Day 2 seat draw.

Tajesh Patel limped from the hijack and Srinath Sama moved all in for his last 30,000 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Patel and he called.

Patel:
Sama:

The board ran out and that was all she wrote for Sama.

Srinath Sama - Busted

Frank Lagodich raised to 8,000 from UTG+1, and was called by the cutoff and the button, before Ian Richardson three-bet to 32,000 from the small blind. Lagodich and the button both called.

The flop hit the felt, and Richardson tanked for a bit before simply jamming for 250,000. Lagodich thought for about a minute before calling off for 177,000, and the button folded.

Lagodich:
Richardson:

Lagodich’s flush draw was behind the aces of Richardson, but the turn actually gave Lagodich a few more outs with a gutshot, while taking the away as an out.

The binked on the river to complete Lagodich’s flush, and just like that Lagodich vaults up to the top of the leaderboard in the waning minutes of Day 1C.

Frank Lagodich - 460,000 (115 bb)
Ian Richardson - 73,000 (18 bb)

Senica Jackson moved all in for 23,500 from early position and Paul Bianchi called from middle position. The rest of the players folded and the hands were tabled.

Bianchi:
Jackson:

It was a flip but Jackson needed to improve to stay alive. That didn’t happen though as the board ran out a lackluster .

Paul Bianchi - 225,000 (56 bb)
Senica Jackson - Busted

Tom Midena, who won this event back in Season 4, moved all in under the gun for 50,500 and Ed Dixon called from the button. Both blinds folded and it was off to the races.

Midena:
Dixon:

Midena needed to improve to stay alive, but that proved easier said than done as the board ran out a lowly .

Ed Dixon - 290,000 (97 bb)
Tom Midena - Busted

Greg Meredith (pictured standing) moved all in for around 30,000 from early position and Jianming Zeng (middle) jammed over the top next to act for around 90,000. Zinoviy Pelekh (right), who had the biggest stack, was after him and also moved all in, which drove the rest of the players from the hand.

Meredith:
Zeng:
Pelekh:

Pelekh woke up with aces at just the right time and he scored the double elimination after the board ran out .

Zinoviy Pelekh - 260,000 (87 bb)
Jianming Zeng - Busted
Greg Meredith - Busted