Ameristar East Chicago

Miroslav Semanisin Bags Top Stack as 24 Players Survive Day 1B

Another full day of action occurred during Day 1b the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Ameristar East Chicago $1,110 Main Event with 15 full levels coming to completion.

The second of three flights drew 189 entries to bring the two-day total thus far to 304, solidifying that the $300K GTD will be surpassed in tomorrow’s final flight.

Of those 189 entries today, just 24 players remained when chips went into bags and Miroslav Semanisin found himself atop the counts with 695,000, good enough for the top overall stack through the two starting flights.

Semanisin was the only player to bag above 600,000, with Brett “Pops” Reichard (585,000) & Ivan Trajcevski (521,000), being the only other two to bag over half a milly while Steve Buell (432,000), and Spencer Alexander (398,000) round out the top five stacks.

Much like Day 1a, the final level of the night saw an onslaught of casualties, with players such as Brek Schutten and MSPT champ Mike O’Neill among those to be eliminated before play concluded for the night with chips flying all across the four remaining tables in the final levels of play that led to a lot of players riding roller coasters with their stack sizes before becoming official for the evening.

Several other familiar players will also be joining the aforementioned five. MSPT champ Mark Sandness (313,000), four-time MSPT champ Blake Bohn (153,000), two-time champ Ken Baime (123,000), and MSPT Hall of Famer’s Rob WazWaz (115,00) & Josh Reichard (53,000) are just a few more of the players to add their names to the Day 2 roster along with the 15 to have already advanced from Day 1a.

Among those not as lucky at the felt included MSPT Hall of Famer's Aaron Johnson, & Kou Vang, MSPT champ Ben Wiora, along with Loki Abboud, and Brad Sailor, with at least a few if not all of them likely to be seen back in action for the final flight.

The final starting flight for the Main Event is tomorrow starting at 3:00 p.m.

Everyone who makes Day 2 will return on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. to play for the MSPT $1,110 Main Event Title at Ameristar Casino Hotel.

Congratulations to everyone who advanced to Day 2.

We will be back tomorrow for coverage of Day 1c of the Mid-States Poker Tour here on MSPTPoker.com from East Chicago!

MSPT Ameristar East Chicago Remaining Schedule

End of Day 1B Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Miroslav Semanisin	695,000	570,000
Brett Reichard	585,000	556,000
Ivan Trajcevski	521,000	530,000
Steve Buell	432,000	312,000
Spencer Alexander	398,000	305,000
Terrance Jarmon	349,000	200,000
Mark Sandness	313,000	280,000
Anthony Sedlak	303,000	156,500
Bryan Skreens	252,000	247,500
Robert Willems	214,000	200,000
Haibin Huang	172,000	185,000
Blake Bohn	153,000	299,000
Charlie Dawson	152,000	140,000
Curtis Vierstraete	148,000	185,000
Roman Budzak	146,000	200,000
Jeremy Danner	131,000	34,000
Kenneth Baime	123,000	172,500
David McGowan	116,000	105,000
Rob WazWaz	115,000	135,000
William Luciano	91,000	51,500
Sami Shurbaji	80,000	72,500
Steve Wazwaz	77,000	58,500
Marc Harrell	68,000	130,000
Josh Reichard	53,000	285,000

Big Blind Special Secures Sandness Late Night Double

Eric Aafedt raised the button and then called the 139,000 three-bet jam MSPT champ Mark Sandness made from the big blind, leaving himself just 1,000 behind.

Mark Sandness:
Eric Aafedt:

Sandness got aggressive and ended up paying off as the runout gave him the ten-high straight to secure his double-up, while Aafedt was left short and eliminated shortly after.

Mark Sandness - 280,000
Eric Aafedt - 0

Dawson Flops the Flush to Double Through Schutten

Brek Schutten raised under the gun and then called MSPT champ Charlie Dawson’s 70,000 three-bet jam from the hijack.

Charlie Dawson:
Brek Schutten:

Dawson jammed into Schutten’s cowboys but picked the right hand to do it with as the flop gave him the flush.

The paired the board on the turn giving Schutten a little hope, but the completed the board on the river and secured Dawson his double-up.

Schutten was left short and was eliminated a few hands later.

Charlie Dawson - 155,000
Brek Schutten - 0

MIke Puccio Ships Seniors Event

The Mid States Poker Tour (MSPT) returned to the Ameristar Hotel & Casino and hosted a $250 NLH Seniors Championship that saw 100 seniors aged 50 and up build a $20,000 prize pool that paid out to the top 12 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Mary McCullough (10th Place - $420), Anwar Baig (11th Place - $420), and Gary Garnowski (12th Place - $420).

Coming out the top senior was none other than inaugural Main Event third-place finisher Mike Puccio, who took home the MSPT trophy, along with $4,635!

Seniors Championship Final Table Results

Semanisin Jams on Sandness

There was heads-up action after a flop between Miroslav Semanisin from the hijack and MSPT champ Mark Sandness from the button.

With 74,000 in the middle Semanisin check-called a 40,000 bet from Sandness, and the was turned.

This time, Semanisin check-jammed after Sandness fired out a 50,000 bet and Sandness quickly mucked his hand.

Miroslav Semanisin - 476,000
Mark Sandness - 148,000

Trajcevski Sets Up Dawson

MSPT champ Curtis Vierstraete opened for 11,000 from early position and found four callers that saw a flop.

Action was checked to Ivan Trajcevski who fired out 27,000 from the button. Miroslav Semanisin check-folded from the small blind while MSPT champ Charlie Dawson check-raised to 80,000 from the big blind.

Vierstraete got out of the way and MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard did the same from middle position, taking action back to Trajcevski.

After some chip shuffling, Trajcevski called, and the was turned. Dawson then check-called a 60,000 bet from Trajcevski, and the river was checked to showdown.

Trajcevski rolled over for a set of fours and it was good as Dawson took a second look at his cards before releasing them into the muck.

Ivan Trajcevski - 391,000
Curtis Vierstraete - 190,000
Miroslav Semanisin - 148,000
Josh Reichard - 135,000
Charlie Dawson - 90,000

Day 1A Chip Counts

There were 15 players who advanced from a 115-entry field after Day 1a and players who make it through tonight will join that group Sunday, October 29th for Day 2 at 11:00 a.m.

Trajcevski Sets Up Zuccarello for KO

There was heads-up action between Ivan Trajcevski from the cutoff and Cero Zuccarello from the big blind with a board showing.

Zuccarello check-jammed after Trajcevski fired out a bet and was called.

Cero Zuccarello:
Ivan Trajcevski:

Trajcevski pulled ahead after flopping a set of eights and the river ended Zuccarello’s night.

Ivan Trajcevski - 325,000
Cero Zuccarello - 0

Round of Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Ivan Trajcevski	325,000	375,000
Marc Harrell	291,000	139,999
Marius Toderici	232,000	289,500
Miroslav Semanisin	222,500	141,000
Loki Abboud	220,000	275,000
Brett Reichard	215,000	189,500
Jeremy Danner	208,500	135,000
Bryan Skreens	191,000	145,000
Charlie Dawson	190,000	205,000
Kenneth Baime	172,500	70,000
Michael ONeill	167,000	303,000
Anthony Sedlak	156,500	251,000
Blake Bohn	155,000	210,000
Spencer Alexander	155,000	110,000
Tracy Sibson	135,000	80,000
Rob WazWaz	135,000	200,000
Steve Buell	107,000	86,500
David McGowan	105,000	118,500
Ryan Svoboda	90,000	78,600
Sami Shurbaji	72,500	98,000
Brek Schutten	72,000	43,500
Curtis Vierstraete	70,000	93,500
Matthew Porter	65,000	139,000
Michael Suggs	60,000	30,000
John Simon (IL)	57,500	115,000
William Luciano	51,500	76,500
Brad Sailor	47,000	33,100
Gabriel Neighbors	11,000	83,500
George Dietz	0	22,500
Cero Zuccarello	0	99,500