Potawatomi Hotel & Casino

Day 1B of the 2018 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Championship attracted 269 runners to Potawatomi’s Hotel & Casino, which along with 1A’s 156 brought the current field up to 425 entries with Saturday’s Day 1C flight still to go.

After 15 levels of play, just 38 players remained with Byron Ziebell and his stack of 355,000 leading the way. That is a good bit ahead of 1A chip leader James McArthur, who bagged 274,500. Also bagging big was Rich Alsup, the second player to ever win his way into the MSPT Hall of Fame and the MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year, who advanced with 331,000.

Others to bag big stacks Paulie“Walnuts” Bianchi (313,000), Jim Duda (282,000), Steven Goetsch (239,500), and Nick Pupillo (219,000).

They were joined by Matt Buhler (195,500), Sam De Silva (150,000), Thomas Peebles (126,000), MSPT Season 9 Canterbury Park champ Rob Wazwaz (117,000), Alex Ziskin (102,000), Craig Trost (73,000), and WSOP Colossus II champ Ben Keeline (53,000).

Among those to try their luck on 1B but come up short were defending champ Richard Bai, recent MSPT Meskwaki champ Taylor Howard, WSOP bracelet winner John Reading, MSPT Season 6 POY Mark Hodge, MSPT Hall of Famer Kou Vang, WPT champs Keven Stammen and Ravi Raghavan, and former MSPT champs Dan Bekavac, Keith Heine, Jeremy Dresch, and Jason Seitz,

Day 1C, the third and final flight, will get underway at 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, with the third and final flight, Day 1C, taking place at the same time on Saturday. The surviving players from all flights will return at 11 a.m. on Sunday to play down to a winner.

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

We happened upon the action with around 70,000 in the pot and a board reading .

Jim Duda bet 13,000 from the small blind and Rin Nguyen moved all in. Duda, who had 92,600 total, hit the tank before Travis Lauson called the clock.

With seconds remaining Duda said, “Call.”

He then tabled the for a rivered pair of aces. Nguyen just shook his head and stared at his own cards before the dealer forced him to table them. Nguyen showed and Duda doubled.

“Sickest call of the tournament,” Rob Wazwaz said after the hand.

Nguyen was left with 25K but went bust a short time later.

Jim Duda - 250,000 (83 bb)
Rin Nguyen - Busted

Andy Rogowski moved all in for 7,900 from middle position and WSOP bracelet winner Ben Keeline called from late position. Jerry Gumila came along from the big blind and the flop came down .

Gumila was first to act and jammed for 31,900, and Keeline called to create a sizeable side pot.

Gumila:
Keeline:
Rogowski:

Gumila flopped best and he held on the turn and river. Gumila doubled through Keeline and sent Rogowski to the rail.

Jerry Gumila - 90,000 (37.5 bb)
Ben Keeline - 70,000 (29 bb)
Andy Rogowski - Busted

The player in the hijack raised to 6,000 and Aaron Salandro called from the cutoff. Javier Cal then moved all in for 44,400 from the button, both blinds folded, and the original raiser got out of the way. Salandro made the call and it was off to the races.

Cal:
Salandro:

The flop gave Cal a set cushion, and Salandro was drawing dead after the turn. The meaningless was run out on the river and Cal shipped the double.

Javier Cal - 96,000 (40 bb)
Aaron Salandro - 170,000 (71 bb)

Two seasons ago, 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 (Canterbury Park), Indiana (Tropicana Evansville), Ohio (JACK Cleveland Casino), Colorado (Golden Gates Poker Parlour), Michigan (FireKeepers), and South Dakota (Grand Falls Casino and Silverado Franklin).

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!

In the last hand of Level 13, Nick Pupillo won a monster of a pot!

There was around 35,000 in the pot and a flop of when we arrived at the table. Thomas Fredericks had 40,000 out in front of him from the hijack and Pupillo jammed for 75,000 total from the cutoff. Fredericks didn’t seem thrilled about it but did make the call.

Pupillo:
Fredericks:

Pupillo was ahead with the overpair and it held through both the turn and river.

Nick Pupillo - 185,000 (92.5 bb)
Thomas Fredericks - 180,000 (90 bb)

We missed the specifics but we do know that action exploded on a flop between Paulie “Walnuts” Bianchi and another player. With over 200K in the pot, the hands were turned up.

Bianchi:
Opponent:

Bianchi had the best of it and held through the turn and river.

With that, Bianchi vaulted toward the top of the counts.

Paul Bianchi - 250,000 (125 bb)

The Mid-States Poker Tour has again teamed with Delta to provide discounted airfare to MSPT players looking to travel to and from all MSPT events.

The discount ranges from 2% to 10% based on the Delta Booking Class purchased.

Delta Booking Class - % off:

F/J/C/D/Y/P/I – 10%
B/M/H/Q/K/L – 5%
U/T/V/X – 2%

Meeting Code NMRDU

Below are online booking instructions:

Reservations and ticketing is available via www.delta.com/meeting. When booking online:

1. Select BOOK A FLIGHT
2. Ener Meeting Code in the box provided: NMRDU

Reservations may also be made by calling our Delta Meeting reservations at 800 328 1111 Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CDT.

*Please note that there is a direct ticketing fee for booking by phone

*Discounts applicable to U.S./Canada originating passengers