Ho-Chunk Gaming WI Dells

On Friday, the 2^nd Annual Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Wisconsin State Championship kicked off at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells, and it did so in a huge way by setting a new record!

The flight attracted 208 entries, which set a new MSPT Day 1a record for the Ho-Chunk Gaming stop, which has been on the schedule since 2012. The massive turnout, which surpassed the previous record of 197 entries, ensured the $200,000 guarantee was met, and with Day 1b still to go it's a matter of how big the prize pool will get. Expectations are high that it will surpass the $463,000 created when 463 entrants turned out for the inaugural Wisconsin State Poker Championship last year.

Speaking of that event, Thomas Peebles nearly won it, ultimately finishing as runner-up to Ben Wiora, who has since relocated to Las Vegas and will not make a title defense. While Wiora is MIA, Peebles was not. He returned for Day 1a with one thing on his mind – redemption!

Peebles lingered with an average stack for the early part of the day, but towards the end caught fire to climb the counts. He bagged a healthy 229,500 and will return for Day 2 on Sunday with the idea of finishing one spot better than he did last year.

Some players better positioned to make a deep run are Nick Pupillo, who bagged the Day 1a chip lead with 260,500 in chips, as well as MSPT Pro Matt Alexander (229,500), Leonard Lewandowski (208,000), and Jason Reno (189,500), who round out the top five. Some others who made it through the flight, albeit with fewer chips were MSPT Potawatomi champ Dan Goepel (168,000), Monty Schmidt (137,000), Adam Lamphere (133,000), Jeff Fielder (117,000), Nick Jivkov (111,000), Kou Vang (73,500), John Reading (59,000), and Jason Seitz (43,500).

Of course not everyone was so lucky. Among those to come and go on Day 1a were MSPT Pros Blake Bohn and Matt Kirby; former MSPT Ho-Chunk champ Josh Reichard and his father, Brett; online poker legends Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon and Tony " D1rtyR1v3r" Nardi; and local players Marvin "Bear" Havill, Rick Syverud, and Rob Trettin. All of those players will have the chance to try again on Day 1b if they so choose.

Join us at 4 p.m. local time on Saturday as we bring you all the Day 1b action straight from the tournament floor. Until then good night from the Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells!

The tournament staff just announced that the remaining players, of which there are 41, will play four more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a full list of Day 1a survivors with chip counts, as well as a full recap of the Day 1a action.

After a player in early position raised to 5,500, WSOP bracelet winner and MSPT champ, Nick Jivkov three-bet to 14,000 from middle position. Kevin Parks then four-bet all in for 19,800 from the button, both blinds folded, and the original raiser got out of the way. Jivkov made the call and the cards were turned up.

Jivkov: 

Parks: 

It was a bad spot for Parks, who found himself in desperate need of a jack. It didn't come though as the board ran out a lowly . Parks fell just shy of bagging and tagging on Day 1a, while Jivkov chipped up to over 100K.

Kou Vang raised from early position and action folded all the way around to the player in the big blind, who opted to move all in. Vang snap-called off for 34,200 total and the cards were turned on their backs.

Vang: 

Opponent: 

Vang was well out in front with pocket rockets, but he had to sweat the turn and river as the  flop paired his opponent's king. Fortunately for Vang, the  turn nor river proved harmful and he shipped the double.

Zal Irani pushed a short stack all in, which was followed up by a reshove from MSPT Champ, Nick Jivkov.

After tanking for a minute, the remaining player folded.

Irani sheepishly said, "I only looked at one card..." As he turned over the  he knew he was way behind Jivkov who revealed 

The board ran out  and Irani was sent home as Jivkov added to his 100k stack.

World Series of Poker bracelet winner John Reading raised to 4,600 from early position and the player in the small blind called. Katie Day then three-bet all in from the big for 45,500, and Reading four-bet all in over the top, which promoted the small blind to fold.

Day: 

Reading: 

It was a bit of a cooler, and Reading was on the wrong end. The  flop was no help to Reading, but the  turn was. Just like that Day went from an overwhelming favorite to one card away from elimination. Fortunately for her, the  spiked on the river to give her the double to 93,000. 

Reading was left with 67,000 after the hand.

Action folded to Michigan's Mark Johnson, who has made a name for himself at the MSPT FireKeepers stop -- which included winning $105,000 in five months after finishing runner-up and third in back-to-back FireKeepers events -- in the small blind and he moved all in for what looked to be 35,000. Mark Reid was in the big blind, picked up his hand, and exposed the . He thought for a little longer and then announced a call.

Johnson wasn't sure whether or not Reid's exposure killed his hand, so the dealer called over the floor who ruled that the action stood, but exposing cards as such could result in a penalty.

"So it's a call?" Johnson clarified before showing the dominated . 

Johnson was in big trouble, but the  flop gave him some hope in the form of a flush draw. Unfortunately for him, neither the  turn nor  river helped him.

"Good luck guys," Johnson offered before exiting the tournament floor.

In the last hand of Level 12 a big hand took place at Table 13, one that resulted in the elimination of Larry Ormson.

It began when Ryan Page raised to 5,100 preflop and four other players called to see a  flop. Three checks saw the player on the button bet 13,400, Ormson raised all in for 22,000 or so from the button, and then Page check-raised all in over the top. The rest of the players folded, including the player on the button, and the cards were turned up.

Ormson: 

Page: 

Page had flopped top set and played it slow, which led to Ormson going with his open-ended straight draw. The  turn was not what Ormson needed, and neither was the  river. Page chipped up to 120,000 on the hand while Ormson's Day 1a ride came to a lackluster end, but he did confirm that he will return tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. local time to give it another go on Day 1b.

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.

Over at Table 12, a short-stacked player shoved all in for 18,200 from middle position and action folded to Larry "Just Warming Up" Warmke, who moved all in over the top for just a bit more in the small blind. The player in the big folded and the cards were turned up.

Warmke: 

Opponent: 

"I need some help," Warmke's opponent said. He got a little on the  flop. 

"I need a little more help," he continued. Warmke simply sat silently and watched the  peel off on the turn followed by the  on the river. Warnke scored the knockout and chipped up to 45,000 in the process.