Silverado Franklin

For the first time since 2009, a major poker tournament has hosted a stop in Deadwood!

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) has partnered with Silverado-Franklin Casino for the 2018 MSPT South Dakota State Poker Championship, a tournament that dates back to 2011. The biggest to date was last year with 136 players. After Friday’s Day 1A flight, the current field stands at 132 entries with another flight still to go.

After 14 levels of play, 22 players bagged chips, but none more so than Wyoming’s Ryan Remington, who is the 1A chip leader with 222,000. Remington is coming off a 20th-place finish in last weekend’s MSPT Golden Gates Main Event for $4,140.

Others who bagged big stacks were four-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Mark Fink (196,500), Aaron Johnson (189,500), Jesse Green (182,500), Rosie Paules (161,500), and Terry Williams (154,500), who round out the top five.

They were joined by Jon Maras (135,000), Michael Campbell (124,000), Eric Eelkema (111,500), Steve Belland (109,000), and former South Dakota State Poker Champs Cal Dardis (77,000) and Ryan Skluzak (65,500). The former won it in 2012 while the latter won back-to-back in 2016 and 2017, which makes him the reigning champ.

Of course, not everyone was fortunate enough to survive the night. Among those to fall on Day 1A were North Dakota’s Gary Ewald, last weekend’s MSPT Golden Gates runner-up Jeff Heiberg, Minnesota players Kelly Hendrickson and James Klosterbuer, and South Dakota’s Karen Ballert, Luke Blindert, and Russell Spaid.

The good news is that those players, as well as any newcomers, will have the chance to fire Day 1B, which will kick off at 4 p.m. local time on Saturday (registration will open at 9 a.m.). Before it at 10:30 a.m. there will be a $260 buy-in “Last Chance” satellite that’ll see the top 20% win a seat into the Main Event.

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

Jonathan Zacher moved all in from middle position for 22,500 and Jesse Green called from the cutoff. The rest of the players folded and the hands were tabled.

Green:
Zacher:

It was a flip but not after the flop paired Green. The turn have Zacher a flush draw, but he missed it when the bricked the river.

Jesse Green - 180,000 (75 bb)
Jonathan Zacher - Busted

Rick Wells moved all in for his last 22,500 from middle position and Steve Belland called from the cutoff.

Belland:
Wells:

Wells had a kicker problem and it didn’t get resolved as the board ran out .

Steve Belland - 180,000 (75 bb)
Rick Wells - Busted

Cal Dardis, who won the 2012 South Dakota State Poker Championship for $30,000, raised to 6,000 from the lojack, and was called by Ryan Skluzak, who won both the 2016 and 2017 Championships for $62,500 total, in the hijack. Jesse Green on the button came along, and Joseph Lytle called from the small blind.

The flop was checked around, and Lytle bet 15,000 on a turn, chasing everyone but Green out. Green called and saw a river, which Lytle checked. Green bet 15,000, and Lytle folded.

Jesse Green - 140,000 (58 bb)
Joseph Lytle - 120,000 (50 bb)

Mike Randall opened for 7,500 from the hijack and was met by an all-in three-bet to 14,500 from veteran poker dealer Karen Ballert in the small blind. Randall called and the cards were turned on their backs.

Randall:
Ballert:

Ballert held two live cards but hitting one proved easier said than done as the board ran out a dry . Randall’s ace high held and Ballert headed for the exit.

Mike Randall - 60,000 (30 bb)
Karen Ballert - Busted

Michael Campbell jammed his last 15,400 from the big blind into a pot of more than 60,000 on a board. Robert Palmer, his lone opponent from middle position, sighed and said, “I cannot fold this,” before throwing in calling chips and saying, “Spade!”

Campbell:
Palmer:

Campbell avoided disaster on a river and scored a double.

Michael Campbell - 92,000 (46 bb)
Robert Palmer - 80,000 (40 bb)

Action folded to Steve Belland (pictured left) and he limped the small blind. Eric Eelkema (right) exercised his option from the big blind with a raise to 6,500 and Belland called to see the flop, which both players checked.

Belland then checked the turn and Eelkema bet 6,000. Belland woke up with a check-raise to 16,000, Eelkema called, and the completed the board on the river.

Belland led out for 15,000 and Eelkema thought for a bit before calling. Belland rolled over the for a flush and it was good as Eelkema sent his hand to the muck.

Steve Belland - 100,000 (50 bb)
Eric Eelkema - 140,000 (70 bb)