Riverside Casino

Day 1c of the MSPT Season 16 Riverside $1,110 Main Event attracted 303 runners, which, along with 1a’s 90 and 1b’s 169, brought the total field up to 571 entries, shattering the $300k guarantee.

The field generated a $552,370 prize pool, which will pay a minimum of $2,091, while the eventual winner will walk away with a $115,559 first-place prize, along with the Main Event trophy.

At the end of the third and final flight, just 35 players bagged and tagged, with Chris Maltsburger clipping the milly mark to take 1,164,000 into Day 2, which is good enough for the overall chip lead.

Maltsburger went on a late-night heater to distance himself from Greg Sessler (888,000), Justin Coliny (520,000), Mike Lang (396,000), Andros Ioakimides (366,000) for the top spot as they rounded out the top five stacks.

Others who survived the final flight included Brett ‘Pops’ Reichard (360,000), MSPT champ Jason Sell (344,000), three-time MSPT champs Nick Barksdale (337,000), and Kou Vang (334,000), along with MSPT Hall of Famers Keith Heine (312,000) and ‘DQ’ Dan Hendrickson (260,000).

Of course, not everyone was so lucky as the likes of MSPT champ Phirom Peterschmidt, WSOP bracelet winner John Reading, four-time MSPT champ Dan Bekavac, Jessica Anderson, Loki Abboud, and MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard all fell short of clinching a Day 2 berth.

All surviving players from the starting flights – of which there are 64 (10 from Day 1a, 19 from 1b, and 35 from 1c) – will return at 11:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 2^nd 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 Season 16 Festival at Riverside Casino Remaining Schedule

Photo: John Roberts Jr

Minh Le raised to 25,000 from middle position and then called John Roberts Jr’s 84,000 three-bet jam from the button.

John Roberts Jr:
Minh Le:

Roberts Jr found a premium made hand to roll with, only to roll into a better one, and the runout ended his tournament on the bubble, ending play for the night.

Minh Le - 308,000
John Roberts Jr - Eliminated

So far, 29 players have punched their ticket into Day 2, and the final group of 35 hopefuls will look to add their names to that list tonight.

All who make it through until the end of play will return tomorrow, Daylight Savings Sunday, November 2^nd, 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.

With 36 players remaining, the hand-for-hand process has started as only 35 of them will be making it to Day 2.

Over the past week, players have been inside Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, duking it out for the MSPT Gold Card Festival in Riverside, IA.

In Event #2: $250 No-Limit Hold'em Epic Stack, 158 epic players took to the tables and created a $31,600 prize pool, which was reserved for the top 18 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Ryan Ellis (10thPlace - $600), Jose Cervantes (11^th Place - $600), Robert Reck (12^th Place - $600), Andrew Leopard (13^th Place - $506), Mary Wiemelf (14^th Place - $506), Wayne Tweeton (15^th Place - $506), Mark Vasey (16^th Place - $442), Scott Reilly (17^th Place - $442) and Ron Hager (18^th Place - $442).

When the dust settled, it was West Des Moines native Ken Coy who walked away with the epic victory to claim the top prize!

Final Table Results

Photo: Wayne Tweeton

Wayne Tweeton was all in preflop for 63,000 from under the gun and was called by Bob Avilia from the hijack.

Wayne Tweeton:
Bob Avila:

Tweeton rolled over the inferior made hand, with the flop not providing much help.

The turn, however, gave Tweeton a few more outs with a wheel draw, and while the river didn’t complete his staright, it did improve him to a set, keeping his Main Event rolling.

Bob Avila - 250,000
Wayne Tweeton - 130,000

Photo: Justin Coliny

Kanat Ozturk was all in for his last 16,000 from the button, and Justin Coliny looked him up from middle position.

Kanat Ozturk:
Justin Coliny:

Ozturk was ahead, holding a suited ace, with the flop keeping things interesting as it paired Coliny’s queen while also giving Ozturk more outs with a flush draw.

The dealer then kept things spicy after they turned the to put Ozturk out in front, only to drop the on the river to give Coliny two-pair, ending Ozturk's run.

Justin Coliny - 205,000
Kanat Ozturk - Eliminated

Photo: Dave Gonia

MSPT Hall of Famer Kou Vang opened for 8,000 from the hijack, and was called by Wayne Tweeton before two-time MSPT champ Dave Gonia squeezed his 30,000 stack in the middle from the button.

Both Vang and Tweeton called, bringing about a flop.

Vang then led out with a 25,000 bet into the dry pot, and Tweeton released his hand into the muck, leaving the other two heads-up.

Dave Gonia:
Kou Vang:

Gonia fell behind after Vang connected with his ten on the flop, and the turn left him needing a jack on the river to stay alive.

Unfortunately for Gonia, the that fell improved Vang to trip tens and ended his tournament.

Kou Vang - 185,000
Dave Gonia - Eliminated