Day 1B of the MSPT FireKeepers Main Event drew 364 entrants, which along with 1A’s 250 brings the current field up to 614 with the third and final flight still to go. It’ll take 386 runners on Saturday to hit 1,000 entries, but either way it looks like the field will surpass last fall’s 884 and become the largest poker tournament in Michigan history.

After 14 levels of play, 72 players bagged and tagged, though none more so than Travis McIntosh and his stack of 362,500. That is well ahead of Day 1A chip leader Brian Eklund’s 238,000. McIntosh, who hails from Waterford, Michigan, is seeking his first MSPT cash.

Others who bagged on Day 1B were Jason Bender (310,000), who is two weeks removed from finishing runner-up in the MSPT Grand Falls Regional; Aaron Massey (189,500), who won this very event one year ago; MSPT Season 5 Player of the Year Mike Deis (148,500); and 2016 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship runner up Cy Church (101,500).

Joining them were 2016 MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Champ Andy Rubinberg (96,000), Minnesota’s Loki Abboud (94,500), 2016 MSPT Iowa State Poker Champ John Sun (94,000), MSPT Season 4 Player of the Year Pat Steele (91,500), and MSPT Season 6 FireKeepers champ Michael Ferrarotti (33,500).

Thus far 120 players (48 from Day 1A and 72 from 1B) have advanced to Day 2 from the first two starting flights.

Among those to try and fall were World Series of Poker bracelet winner Nick Jivkov, MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year Rich Alsup, inaugural MSPT FireKeepers champ Tom Midena, #MSPT100 champ Jason Ramos, and Michigan pros Jason Smith, Mark Johnson Jr., and Ryan Dykhouse. Fortunately, they’ll have a final opportunity to try again tomorrow if they so choose.

Day 1C will kick off at Noon local time on Saturday. Join us then as we bring you all the action straight from the tournament floor of the FireKeepers Casino Poker Room.