Riverside Casino

The final starting flight of the MSPT $1,110 Iowa State Poker Championship at Riverside Casino attracted 189 runners, which along with 1a's 98, 1b’s 198, and Day 1c’s 231, brought the grand total field up to 716 entries, shattering the $300k guarantee.

The massive field generated a $693,020 prize pool, with the minimum payout being $2,196, while the eventual winner will walk away with a $141,978 first-place prize, along with the Iowa State Poker Championship trophy.

At the end of the third and final flight, just 20 players bagged and tagged with Justin Landi scoring big as his 1,026,000 stack will take him into Day 2 with the overall chip lead.

Landi’s stack was more than double that of next in line two-time MSPT Champ Chris Meyers 492,000 with Brett “Pops” Reichard (475,000), Spence Madole (433,000), and John Pierce (338,000) rounding out the top five stacks.

Other who found a bag during the final starting flight included Dave Kenniston (322,000), MSPT champ Steve Federspiel (303,000), Tom Hammers (326,000), Season 14 Player of the Year Umut Ozturk (245,000), and MSPT Hall of Famer ”DQ” Dan Hendrickson (147,000).

The surviving players from all starting flights – of which there are 75 (10 from Day 1a, 21 from 1b, 24 from 1c, and 20 from 1d) – will return at 11:00 a.m. local time Sunday, July 21st to play down to a winner.

The MSPT live reporting crew will be on the floor throughout the remainder of the tournament to provide updates, so keep it here to catch the action!

MSPT Riverside Remaining Schedule

Marius Toderici was all in for his last 6,000 from the small blind when two-time MSPT champ Chris Myers opened under the gun for 12,000, only to fold to a 37,000 three-bet Tom Hammers made from the cutoff.

Marius Toderici:
Tom Hammers:

Toderici was in rough shape and didn’t find any help from the runout making him the final elimination of the evening.

Chris Meyers - 430,000
Tom Hammers - 315,000
Marius Toderici - Eliminated

So far, 55 players have punched their ticket into Day 2, and a final group of 20 hopefuls will look to add their names to that list today.

All who make it through until the end of play will return tomorrow, Sunday, July 21st, at 11:00 a.m. for Day 2, where the remaining players from all starting flights will combine and play until a winner is declared.

Dan McCulley raised to 15,000 from the hijack and MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk called from the button to see a flop.

Ozturk raised all-in for 40,000 after his McCulley continued for 10,000 and was called.

Umut Ozturk:
Dan McCulley:

Ozturk was ahead after flopping top pair and the turn followed by the turn secured his double-up.

Dan McCulley - 215,000
Umut Ozturk - 185,000

Tom Hammers was all in preflop for 85,000 from the cutoff and Bob Avila looked him up from the button.

Tom Hammers:
Bob Avila:

Hammers was at risk needing help and found some after the flop gave him the diamond flush draw.

The sweat didn’t last long for Hammers, as the dealer turned the completing his flush, and the river kept his Main Event hopes alive.

Bob Avila - 191,000
Tom Hammers - 170,000

Brett “Pops” Reichard flopped a set of fives to eliminate four-time MSPT champ Dan Bekavac, starting the hand-for-hand process.

MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk raised from the cutoff and then called Matt Porter’s 64,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Matt Porter:
Umut Ozturk:

Porter was ahead holding a made hand of queens and had a clean runout to secure his double-up.

Umut Ozturk - 245,000
Matt Porter - 130,000

A player from middle position raised all in for 62,000 and Bill Hanson called holding 63,000 from the small blind.

Opponent:
Bill Hanson:

Hanson was ahead holding a made hand of nines but had a sweat after the flop gave his opponent more outs with a wheel draw.

Luckily for Hanson, both the turn and the river were bricks, securing him the elimination.

Bill Hanson - 130,000