Sycuan Casino Resort

A lengthy day of 16 Levels has wrapped up during the MSPT Season 17 inaugural Golden State Poker Championship at Sycuan Casino & Resort, as Day 1b drew another 93 entries to bring the two-day total thus far to 140, with tomorrow’s final starting flight still to go.

Of those 93 entries, only 11 players remained when chips went into bags, with Robert Fortuno going on a late-night heater to bag the top stack.

Fortuno was able to spin up top stack to 485,000 to put in his bag at the end of the night, edging out Rivon Moshi (484,000) for the overall stack thus far.

Zilong Zhang secured the final elimination on the night to bag a healthy 471,000, while Minnesota’s Dave Bashel (305,000), and 2021 Sycuan Regional Champ Christopher Smith (281,000) rounded out the top five stacks after the second flight.

Others who found a Day 2 berth during this flight included Yang Lu (263,000), fellow Sycuan Regional Champ Armando Mesina (150,000), Brian Brown (113,000), Reginald Burnley (108,000), reigning Sycuan Regional Champ Scott Aulds (104,000), and Nan Chen (35,000).

Among those to try and fall on Day 1b included Fausto Valdez, Anastasiia Knapp, Austin Lake, Mark Alag, and Edward "Happy" Spauldingr, just to name a few.

The final starting flight begins tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. local time, and it will be the last chance for players to punch their ticket to Sunday's Day 2.

Late registration and re-entries will remain open through Level 12 (approximately 10:40 p.m.) Make sure to tune in to see who makes it through to Day 2.

MSPT Season 17 Golden State Poker Championship Remaining Schedule

Make sure to keep it locked in here at MSPTPoker.com to see who makes it through tomorrow’s third and final flight!

Photo: David Woodworth

David Woodworth moved his 52,000 stack into the middle from the button, and Zilong Zhang looked him up from the big blind.

David Woodworth:
Zilong Zhang:

Woodworth was behind holding live cards, but couldn’t find either on the runout, ending his night on the bubble.

Zilong Zhang -
David Woodworth - 0

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE MSPT 2026 CANADIAN POKER CHAMPIONSHIP AT Playground Poker Club

: October 1-12, 2026

: $1,000,000 GTD Main Event

MSPT MAJOR (1.5X POY)

Photo: Zilong Zhang

David Woodworth moved his 36,000 stack into the middle from under the gun, and Zilong Zhang looked him up from the cutoff.

David Woodworth:
Zilong Zhang:

Woodworth rolled over a dominated hand, but the dealer dropped a flop to put him in the lead.

The turn was a good sight for Woodworth as it kept him in out in front, while the river kept his Main Event hopes alive.

Zilong Zhang - 340,000
David Woodworth - 75.000

Photo: Dave Bashel

Dave Bashel raised to 15,000 from the cutoff, and Armando Mesina defended his big blind to see a flop.

Mesina then check-called Bashel’s 109,000 all-in continuation bet, and both hands were tabled.

Dave Bashel:
Armando Mesina:

Bashel was ahead, holding a set of snowmen, but the turn came with a sweat as it gave Mesina a diamond flush draw.

Fortunately for Bashel, the river brought a red card, but it was the that paired the board and improved him to a full house, keeping him alive.

Dave Bashel - 220,000
Armando Mesina - 60,000

WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway & MSPT Season 12 Player of the Year Kyna England discuss all the action from the New Years Poker Open, the Sycuan winners, their predictions for 2026, and so much more

Watch here

After Tim Acker's elimination, the hand-for-hand process has begun, as 12 players remain and only 11 will move on to Day 2.

There was all-in action after a flop between Brian Brown from the small blind and MSPT champ Brad Gafford from the big blind, with Gafford holding the effective stack.

Brad Gafford:
Brian Brown:

Brown was able to pull ehad after flopping top two-pair, and the turn followed by river ended Gafford’s night.

Brian Brown - 115,000
Brad Gafford - 0