Running Aces Casino

Day 1b of the Mid-States Poker Tour Running Aces Main Event attracted 170 entries, which along with Day 1a's 177 brought the total field up to 347 entrants, up from last September's 328. That has created a $347,000 prize pool that will be distributed to the top 36 players with the eventual winner taking home $83,773.

The man from Day 1b best positioned to make a run at it is Nathan Baum, who finished the 33 survivors as chip leader with a stack of 252,000. That is just slightly behind that of Day 1a chip leader Leo Fussy, who bagged 275,000.

Baum currently resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, but before that spent time on the East coast. That's where he dabbled in poker at Parx Casino, notching five cashes for lifetime earnings of $24,377. That included $17,646 for a runner-up finish in the 2012 WPT Parx Open Poker Classic $1,000 Bounty and a win in the 2013 Parx Casino Monday Green Chip Bounty for $2,744.

Others who bagged big stacks were Aalok Arora (213,500), Adam Dahlin (188,500), Jephtah Olupo (183,500), and Babe O'Gorman (164,000), who round out the top five.

Some other players who advanced, albeit with smaller stacks, were former MSPT champ Rodger Johnson (126,500), past MSPT Running Aces winner Mark Sandness (105,500), Tyler Caspers (95,000), Kou Vang (70,500), and MSPT Team Pro Matt Kirby (64,500).

Of course not everyone was so lucky. Among those to fire and miss on Day 1b were MSPT Pro Blake Bohn; former MSPT Running Aces champ Ken Pates; World Series of Poker bracelet winner John Reading; Wisconsin's Matthew Vaughan, Rick Syverud, and Larry Ormson; and defending champ Peixin Liu, who was eliminated when his pocket aces were cracked on the turn by an opponent's two pair.

The 33 Day 1b survivors will join the 36 from Day 1a on Sunday at 11 a.m. local time for Day 2 action. That's when they'll play through the money on the way to crowning a champion. Of course you can follow the action throughout right here in the live blog, while the final table action will be live streamed with hole cards on a 15-minute delay.

Nathan Baum is the Day 1b chip leader with 252,000 as 33 of 170 advanced to Day 2.

Nathan Baum - Lincoln, NE 252,000
Aalok Arora - Arden Hills, MN 213,500
Adam Dahlin - St. Paul, MN 188,500
Jephtah Olupo - Shakopee, MN 183,500
Babe Ogorman - Cannon Falls, MN 164,000
Borshak Stanislav - Chicago, IL 160,000
David Mandt - East Gull Lake, MN 147,000
Tyler Rustad - Tempe, AZ 144,000
Ray Monsoor - St. Paul, MN 129,500
Rodger Johnson - Grand Forks, ND 126,500
Brandon Dosch - Fargo, ND 118,500
Mark Sandness - Wayzata, MN 105,500
Dave Soderstrom - St. Paul, MN 98,500
Tyler Caspers - Echo, MN 95,000
Mark McHenry - Stillwater, MN 94,500
Bryan Rude - Baxter, MN 88,000
Michael Emanuelson - Orland Hills, IL 86,500
Joe Barnard - St. Paul, MN 85,000
Christian Schumacher - Maple Grove, MN 84,000
John Alexander - Minneapolis, MN 82,500
Keegan Brouillette - St. Louis Park, MN 78,500
Kou Vang - St. Paul, MN 70,500
JK Song - Minneapolis, MN 68,500
Matt Kirby - Bemidji, MN 64,500
Luke Mernin - Robbinsdadle, MN 63,500
Emily Gryskiewicz - Warroad, MN 56,763
David Bashel - Brooklyn Park, MN 54,500
Michael Mermin - Robbinsdale, MN 53,500
Curtis Vierstrato - Wahpeton, ND 53,500
Brad Luech - Bemidji, MN 51,000
Andy Redleaf - Minneapolis, MN 37,000
John Wilhelmy - Stacy, MN 36,500
DJ Buckley - Minnetonka, MN 31,500

The tournament staff has just announced that the remaining players will play four more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a full list of survivors with chip counts, a recap of the Day 1b action, and the seat draw for Day 2.

Gennady Shimelfarb opened for 7,000 from middle position and was met by a three-bet to 19,000 by former MSPT Running Aces champ Mark Sandness. Action folded back to Shimelfarb, and he jammed for a bit more, which Sandness call.

Sandness:

Shimelfarb:

The flop gave Shimelfarb an open-ended straight draw to go with his live cards, but none came in as both the turn and river were low cards.

Mark Sandness - 100,000

Gennady Shimelfarb - Busted

In the last hand of Level 13, Gennady Shimelfarb opened for 5,000 from early position and action folded all the way around to Kou Vang, who called from the big blind. Vang proceeded to check-call a bet of 7,500 on the before both players checked the turn.

Action repeated itself on the river and Vang revealed the for a pair of jacks. It was good as Shimelfarb mucked his hand.

Gennady Shimelfarb - 25,000

Kou Vang - 70,000

David Mandt - 180,000

Nathan Baum - 165,000

Aalok Arora - 160,000

Babe O’Gorman - 145,000

Andy Redleaf - 140,000

Jephtah Olupo - 130,000

Adam Dahlin - 105,000

Gennady Shimelfarb - 65,000

Kou Vang - 55,000

Alan Carty - 50,000

Tyler Caspers - 45,000

Matt Kirby - 40,000

Mark Sandness - 40,000

Adam Dahlin opened for 4,000 from the cutoff and was met by an all-in three-bet to 24,000 by Allen Kessler on the button. Both blinds folded and Dahlin made a quick call.

Dahlin:

Kessler:

Kessler had a major kicker issue, and it didn’t get resolved as the board ran out dry.

“He’s opening every hand,” Kessler complained to no one in particular after the hand.

Kessler stated he is likely to head to Milwaukee for the MSPT Potawatomi next weekend.

Adam Dahlin - 155,000

Allen Kessler - Busted

Players are now on their last 10-minute break of the day. When they return they’ll play two more 40-minute levels before bagging and tagging for the night.

Curtis Vierstraete opened for 4,000 from middle position and Jim Boone, who had been crippled the hand before, called off his remaining 1,200. Nathan Baum then called from the small blind and both active players checked the flop as well as the turn.

When the completed the board on the river, Baum checked and then folded when Vierstraete bet 6,000.

Vierstraete:

Boone:

Vierstraete’s nut no pair was good, and Boone was eliminated from the tournament.

Curtis Vierstraete - 50,000

Jim Boone- Busted

David Gonia, who won this very event back in 2013 for $93,940, was just eliminated from the tournament.

It happened in the last hand of Level 11 when Andy Karon shoved all in from the cutoff for 16,000 and a short-stacked Gonia called off for 12,000 from the button. Jim Boone then called from the small blind to put both players at risk.

Boone:

Gonia:

Karon:

Boone was ahead, but not after the flop came down to pair Karon’s ace. The turn gave Gonia a gutshot to a queen, but it didn’t come in as the paired the board on the river. Karon nearly tripled on the hand while Gonia wished the table luck and exited the tournament.

Jim Boone - 53,000

Andy Karon - 50,000

David Gonia - Busted