Silverado Casino

For the seventh time, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) has partnered with Silverado-Franklin Casino for the 2023 MSPT South Dakota State Poker Championship, a tournament that dates back to 2011 and the first of two starting flights closed with 218 total entries.

Almost a full 15 levels were played to completion as a hard stop was reached with 13:30 remaining as just 26 players bagged and tagged with Robert Thompson leading the pack with 559,000.

Hot on Thompson's tail was Weston Wells (512,000) who was the only other player to bag north of 500k while John Cap (483,000), Darrel Hochhalter (433,000), and Mark Fink (428,000) round out the top five stacks.

Others to punch their tickets into Day 2 include Chris Duncan (270,000), MSPT champ Rodger Johnson (227,000), Cory Peck (147,000), Cynthia Foster (132,000), and DJ Buckley (85,000).

Of course, not everyone was fortunate enough to make it through the night. Among those to fire and fall in Friday’s flight were MSPT Hall of Famers Aaron Johnson & Josh Reichard, defending champ Chris Burke and 2019 Deadwood champ Sergio Mireles.

Day 1b will get underway at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Late registration and re-entries will remain open through Level 12 (approximately 11:40 p.m.).

The MSPT.com reporting crew will be on hand to capture all the action, so be sure to join us then.

After two quick eliminations, the hard stop has been reached with 13:30 remaining in the final level.

Cory Peck opened with a raise from under the gun and then called the 35,000 three-bet jam Kara Tripp made from the big blind.

Kara Tripp:
Cory Peck:

Tripp was racing for her tournament and took the lead after the flop paired her king.

The turn was safe for Fellow-Tripp, as was the river that secured her double-up.

Cory Peck - 150,000
Kara Tripp - 70,000

Darrel Hochhalter raised to 10,000 from the cutoff and action folded to DJ Buckley who defended his big blind to see a flop.

Buckley check-jammed for roughly 60,000 after Hochhalter continued for 10,000 and Hochhalter quickly released his hand.

Darrel Hochhalter - 600,000
DJ Buckley - 83,000

Ken Lybeck opened for 9,000 from middle position and was called by Chris Duncan from the cutoff, along with John Cap from the button.

The flop saw Lybeck continue for 9,000 only to have Duncan raise to 25,000.

Cap called while Lybeck got out of the way and the two went heads-up to the turn.

Duncan fired out another 25,000 bet and Cap called to see the double pair the board on the river.

Duncan led out for one last 25,000 and was called once again by Cap. Duncan showed and it was good as Cap tossed into the muck.

Chris Duncan - 525,000
John Cap - 220,000
Ken Lybeck - 138,000

Action folded to Dave Herdt who raised to 12,000 from the button and Ryan Schenkel defended his big blind to see a flop.

Schenkel check-called a 21,000 continuation bet from Herdt bringing the turn.

Schenkel announced he was all-in for roughly 60,000 and Herdt quickly released his hand.

Ryan Schenkel - 138,000
Dave Herdt - 100,000

Dave Ouellette open-jammed under the gun and action folded to Nate Shervheim who called off his short stack from the button.

Nate Shervheim:
Dave Ouellette:

Shervheim was behind holding the inferior pocket pair and couldn’t find a lucky seven as the runout ended his night.

Dave Ouellette - 177,000
Nate Shervheim - 0

Ryan Schenkel raised from late position and then called the small blind’s 36,000 three-bet jam.

Opponent:
Ryan Schenkel:

Schenkel was behind until the flop paired his queen.

The turn didn’t change a thing and the river eliminated his opponent from the Day 1a field.

Ryan Schenkel - 122,000

MSPT champ Rodger Johnson raised all in for just under 40,000 from the cutoff and was called by Ron Parsons from the big blind.

Rodger Johnson:
Ron Parsons:

It was a classic race with Parsons unable to find with of his two overs as he doubled-up Johnson.

Rodger Johnson - 79,000
Ron Parsons - 63,000