Golden Gates Casino

Faulk Leads Advancing 33 Day 1b Survivors; Defending Champ Still In

On Friday, Day 1b of the Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Main Event attracted 180 entries, which means along with Day 1a's 119, the total field currently stands at 299 with Day 1c still to go. The $200,000 guaranteed prize pool has already been surpassed; so now the only question is how big will it grow?

After 14 levels of play, just 33 players advanced from Day 1b with Shane Faulk and his stack of 240,500 leading the way, which is slightly ahead of Day 1a chip leader Colin Gordon's 234,000.

Faulk, who hails from Parker, Colorado, has just $1,044 in lifetime earnings, meaning if he can use his big stack to navigate his way into the money, he'll be setting all sorts of personal records.

Others who bagged and tagged on Day 1b were Boulder's Ian Schwartz (225,000); Mike Ross (216,600), who reentered in Level 13 and promptly ran his starting stack of 20,000 up, up, and up; MSPT Pro Matt Alexander (123,500); PokerNews reporter Mo Nuwwarah (107,500); and defending champ Phanora Prom (34,500).

For a full list of Day 1b chip counts, click here.

Of course not everyone was so fortunate. Among those to fall on Day 1b were former MSPT Golden Gates Regional champ Bobby Sanoubane; Svetlana Martie, who has cashed in six out of seven MSPT events at the property; Nebraska farmer Phil Mader; last year's fifth-place finisher Ben Keeline; reigning MSPT Player of the Year Mark Hodge; 2013 MSPT Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells champ Josh Reichard.

Reichard fell in Level 11 (600/1,200/200) after he moved all in for 12,000 over the top of Jason Vanstrom's open. Vanstrom made the call with pocket jacks, which held against the ace-nine suited of Reichard. Vanstrom went on to bag 89,000.

All of the above-listed players will have the opportunity to try again on Saturday's Day 1c if they so choose. Furthermore, registration and reentries are open until the very end of Day 1c, so we’ll have to wait to then in order to learn official prize pool and payout information. Cards will be back in the air at Noon local time tomorrow, so be sure to check back then.

End-of-Day 1b Chip Counts

Shane Faulk - Parker, CO 240,500
Ian Schwartz - Boulder, CO 225,000
Michael Laferrara - Aurora, CO 219,000
Michael Ross - Chicago, IL 216,600
Griffin Malatino - Fort Lauderdale, FL 203,000
Jackson White - Houston, TX 202,500
Eric Maier - Littleton, CO 166,000
Rich Dixon - Cheyenne, WY 164,500
Michael Garner - Covina, CA, 164,500
Matt Alexander - Minneapolis, MN 123,500
Rick Burleson - Casper, WY 119,000
Tony Piazza - Lakewood, CO 117,500
Paul Schiff - Denver, CO 117,000
Derek McMaster - Richfield, MN 110,000
Mo Nuwwarah - Omaha, NE 107,500
Jake Nguyen - Denver, CO 106,000
Quang Pham - Papillion, NE 103,500
Jason Vanstrom - Colorado Springs, CO 89,000
Reekay Mathews - Parker, CO 85,000
Daniel Shey - Westminster, CO 85,000
Mike Monetti - Littleton, CO 80,000
Luke Amrein - Denver, CO 66,000
Gene Gioia - Wheat Ridge, CO 66,000
Andrew Dea - Parker, CO 65,000
David Stratton - Divide, CO 62,000
Sammy Aweida - Denver, CO 61,500
Jay Robb - Denver, CO 51,000
Ryan Cosyns - Thornton, CO 50,000
Nils Bardsley - Denver, CO 49,500
Maury Solano - El Paso, TX 39,500
Phanora Prom - Denver, CO 34,500
Joseph Pergola - Las Vegas, NV 25,500
Luan Do - Thorton, CO 25,000

Four More Hands

The tournament staff just announced the remaining players will play four more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a list of survivors with chip counts, as well as a full recap of the Day 1b action.

Ross Shoots Up the Chip Counts

Mike Ross, who is well known on Twitter as @EastCoastRossyy, reentered the tournament in Level 13 with a starting stack of 20,000. He’s now up to 175,000 thanks in no small part to a big hand that just went down.

It began when John Holdren raised to 5,100 under the gun and Paul Schiff, who was to his direct left, made the call.

Action folded around to Rossi in the big blind, and he made the call to see a flop.

Rossi checked, Holdren moved all in, and Schiff called.

Rossi then check-raised all in for 61,500 total and Schiff called that as well.

Holdren:

Rossi:

Schiff:

Rossi was well out in front with trips, and he stayed there as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river.

Some Late Night Counts

Michael Laferrara - 210,000

Derek McMaster - 200,000

Eric Maier - 160,000

Matt Alexander - 120,000

Phanora Prom - 45,000

Joseph Pergola - 40,000

Adam Hudson - 30,000

McMaster Finishes Off Wahdan; Hodge Falls

With around 27,000 in the pot and a flop of , reigning MSPT Player of the Year Mark Hodge checjed from the small blind and Josh Holdren did the same from the big. Derek McMaster then bet 16,000 from under the gun, the player in the cutoff folded, and Nader Wahdan called from the button.

Hodge called as well, Holdren folded, and three players saw the turn, which they all checked. When the completed the board on the river, Hodge checked, McMaster bet 16,000, and Wahdan tank-called off his last 10,000 or so.

Hodge folded and McMaster tabled the , which bested the of Wahdan.

Meanwhile, Hodge was eliminated a short time later when his ace-king fell to jack-ten when a jack hit on the flop.

Derek McMaster - 250,000

Nader Wahdan - Busted

Mark Hodge - Busted

Nuwarrah Rebounds with Pocket Jacks

A short-stacked player got his last 23,700 all in preflop, and Mo Nuwwarah, who had around 28,000, had him at risk.

Nuwwarah:

Opponent:

It was a flip, but not after the flop delivered Nuwwarah a set. Still, he needed to dodge a king as his opponent flopped a straight draw. The turn was a safe card, and so was the river to send Nuwwarah back up to 55,000.

Mo Nuwwarah - 55,000

No-Limit Texas Holdren

Mo Nuwarrah opened for 4,500 from middle position and John Holdren called from the button. Derek McMaster came along from the big blind, and three players took a flop of .

McMaster checked, Nuwwarah continued for 5,700, and both his opponents called. Action then went check-check on the turn and Holdren fired out 12,000. McMaster folded, Nuwarrah called, and the completed the board on the river.

Nuwarrah, who had about 30,000 back, checked for a second time and then folded when Holdren moved all in.

Derek McMaster - 150,000

John Holdren - 95,000

Mo Nuwarrah - 30,000

Last Break of the Night

Players are now on their last 10-minute break of the night. When they return they’ll play two more levels before bagging and tagging for the night.

Dea Wakes Up with Pocket Kings

A player open-shipped for 11,800 from middle position and Littleton’s Mike Monetti called from the hijack. When action reached Andrew Dea in the big blind, he moved all in over the top for roughly 60,000, which proved enough to get Monetti to fold his ace-queen.

Dea:

Opponent:

Dea was well out in front, and it only got better as the board ran out .

Andrew Dea - 85,000

Mike Monetti - 83,000