JACK Cleveland Casino

Day 1C of the $1,100 Cleveland Poker Open, the second MSPT ever held in Ohio and at JACK Cleveland Casino, brought in 303 more entries, which along with 1A’s 182 and 1B’s 265 entries created a total field of 725 runners. For the second year in a row, that makes it both the largest poker tournament field and prize pool in Cleveland history!

The top 81 players will get paid a minimum of $1,969, while the eventual winner will take home $140,654!

After 15 levels of play, just 46 players remained with Ann Arbor, Michigan native Sean Munjal bagging a monster stack of 437,500 to take the overall chip lead into Day 2, edging Day 1A chip leader Joel Brink (400,000) and Day 1B chip leader Igor Ioffe (334,000). Munjal has one prior MSPT cash, finishing tenth at the Season 6 MSPT FireKeepers event for $7,723. Overall, Munjal has $32,901 in recorded Hendon Mob cashes, but could more than quadruple that with a win in this event!

The rest of the top five includes Bobby Noel (337,000), Andrew Martin (322,500), Jerry Humphrey (298,500), and WSOP Bracelet winner Joe Ebanks (274,500).

Others to find a Day 2 bag include Derrick Brown (207,500), Season 4 MSPT POY Pat Steele (189,500), Cooper Wanty (156,500), Ronnie Lamb (128,500), Vance Essak (128,000), Brian Hou (108,000), Gary Herstein (81,000), former WPT Five Diamond Poker Classic champ Ravi Raghavan (80,000), and Season 8 MSPT POY Chris Meyers (38,000).

Among those who failed to advance to Day 2 were Colorado’s Tom Bouziden, Steve Anderson, former MSPT champs Taylor Howard, Andy Rubinberg and Jason Zarlenga, New York poker pros Daniel Wagner and Andy Spears, Michael “Triv” Trivisonno, and phenom Ian Matakis.

The surviving (109 players from all three flights (22 from 1A, 41 1B, and 46 1C) will then return at 11 a.m. sharp on Sunday to play down to a winner.

Join us tomorrow as we continue to bring you all the action and eliminations on the way to crowning a winner here at the JACK Cleveland Casino!

Players will be playing two more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for chip counts and a full recap of today’s action!

Gary Herstein raised to 7,900 from early position and Mike Palivoda defended his small blind.

Herstein continued for 10,500 on the flop and Palivoda made a quick call.

Both players checked the on the turn.

When the came out on the river and put a straight on the board, Palivoda shipped all in.

Herstein shook his head in frustration, “maybe spades.”

He paused a few more seconds before sliding his cards to the dealer.

“Good fold,” Palivoda told him, showing the

Mike Palivoda - 110,000 (37 bb)

Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Cooper Wanty raised to 8,000 on the button, and found a lone caller in the small blind.

The big blind checked the flop over to Wanty, who fired 10,000. The small blind check-raised to 25,000, and Wanty thought for a moment before stacking up his chips and pushing them in the pot, a three-bet shove for 100,000. The small blind instantly mucked, and Wanty took down the pot.

Cooper Wanty - 150,000 (50 bb)

Ravi Raghavan raised to 5,500 from the hijack, and was called by the cutoff. Pat Steele three-bet to 17,500 from the small blind, sending Raghavan into the tank.

After about a minute, Raghavan four-bet to 40,500, which chased out the cutoff. Steele thought for a bit longer, then elected to toss his hand away as well, shipping the pot to Raghavan.

Pat Steele - 200,000 (83 bb)
Ravi Raghavan - 160,000 (67 bb)

Ronnie Lamb opened in middle position for 5,000. He was called by the cutoff, and both blinds.

When the flop came down action was checked to Lamb where he continued for 10,000, only getting a call from Jerry Humphrey.

When the hit the turn, Humphrey checked to Lamb, who shoved all-in for 44,500. Humphrey declared, “let’s gamble” and made the call.

Lamb:
Humphrey

Humphrey bricked the river, and Lamb’s double up was successful.

Ronnie Lamb - 121,000 (50bb)

2019 Cleveland Poker Open#MSPT140 at @JACKClePKR

725 entries - 81 players guaranteed $1,969 with $140,654 up top!#canyoufeelit pic.twitter.com/reGBoJOmIE

— MSPT (@msptpoker) January 20, 2019

A player ripped his last 21,200 in from UTG, and action folded to Ronnie Lamb in the small blind. He three-bet shoved to isolate, and the big blind quickly folded.

Lamb:
Opponent:

Lamb survived the flop, and after the turn and river, Lamb raked in the pot and sent an opponent home.

Ronnie Lamb - 80,000 (33 bb)

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