Tropicana Evansville

Joseph Bommarito Leads Surviving 27 Players After Day 1a of 2016 Indiana State Poker Championship

Day 1a of the 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour Indiana State Poker Championship at Tropicana Evansville drew 142 entrants, up considerably from last year's 110 runners. That puts us well on track to surpass the $250,000 guarantee as Day 1b is expected to draw an even bigger crown.

After 14 levels of play, just 27 players bagged chips with Joseph Bommarito and his stack of 260,000 leading the way. Bommarito got a great deal of his chips in the penultimate level of the night when he jammed with sixes and threes and Kyle Brantley called off with top pair of kings. The two pair held on the river and Bommarito never looked back.

Others who punched their ticket to Day 2 were Donnie Phan (233,000), Zach Peay (214,000), MSPT Season 4 Player of the Year Patrick Steele, and Ricky Stinson (81,500), who is looking to cash in his third consecutive MSPT Tropicana Evansville Main Event.

Of course not everyone was so fortunate. Among those to take a shot and miss on Day 1a were World Series of Poker bracelet winners Nick Jivkov and Adam Friedman; MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Mark Hodge; Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis champ Cory Bogert; Wisconsin State Poker Champ Andy Rubinberg; and Charles Dawson, who won the inaugural MSPT Tropicana Evansville two years ago.

All of those players will have the opportunity to try again on Day 1b if they so choose. That flight will begin at 4 p.m. local time and we already know some new faces will be in the field including Michigan's Jason Smith and Brent Burrows, who both drove in late today, as well as Iowa State Poker Champ and current MSPT Season 7 POY leader John Sun.

Join us then as we bring you all the action straight from the floor of the 2016 MSPT Indiana State Poker Championship from Tropicana Evansville!

End-of-Day 1a Chip Counts

Joseph Bommarito bags the Day 1a chip lead with 260,000 in the Indiana State Poker Championship at Tropicana Evansville
27/142 advance to Day 2
‪#‎canyoufeelit‬

Joseph Bommarito - St. Louis, MO 260,000
Donnie Phan - Nashville, TN 233,000
Zachary Peay - Evansville, IN 214,000
Fatjon Veizaj - Owensboro, KY 205,000
Thomas Zenthoefer - Evansville, IN 178,000
Troy Weber - West Terre Haute, IN 151,000
Timothy Shifflet - Galena, OH 124,000
Mike Shanahan - Avon, IN 122,500
Gregory Speed - Fort Campbell, KY 104,500
Carter Myers - Breckenridge, MI 103,500
Earl Potter - Vincennes, IN 100,500
Gary Boyer - Boonville, IN 100,500
James Will - Evansville, IN 96,500
Pat Steele - Chelsea, MI 94,500
Jefferson Lasecki - Chicago, IL 87,500
Thomas Gliva - Newark, OH 85,000
Ricky Stinson - Henderson, KY 81,500
Hyun Lee - KY 80,500
Michael Kamenjarin - Chicago, IL 80,500
Christopher Cornell - Clarksville, TN 69,500
Jordan Miller - Louisville, KY 68,000
Kenneth Mattingly - Owensboro, KY 64,000
Jeff Grimes - Centralia, MS 41,500
Adam Thomas - Morganfield, KY 36,500
Nick Weber - Forister, MO 33,500
John Hart - Cannelburg, IN 27,500
Garry Masoncup - Evansville, IN 23,500

Three More Hands

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

Donnie Phan on the Comeback

Mike Shanahan opened for 6,000 from early position and Donnie Phan called from the button. Both blinds folded, the flop came down , and Shanahan continued for 5,500. Phan popped it to 22,000, Shanahan called, and then the latter check-called a bet of 35,000 on the turn.

When the completed the board on the river, Shanahan checked and Phan did the same. Phan tabled the for a pair of sevens, and it was good as Shanahan simply shook his head and sent his cards to the muck.

Donnie Phan - 220,000
Mike Shanahan - 125,000

Joseph Bommarito Eliminates Kyle Brantley in Monster Pot

There looked to be around 70,000 in the pot and a board reading when Kyle Brantely bet 20,000 from the under-the-gun position. Joseph Bommarito responded by moving all in for 100,000 from the button, and Brantely, who only had 35,000 back, opted to call off.

Brantley:
Bommarito:

Bommarito held two pair, which mean Brantely needed to improve upon his top pair of kings. The river wasn’t what he was looking for as Brantley hit the rail late on Day 1a.

Joseph Bommarito - 225,000
Kyle Brantley - Busted

MSPT Returns to Grand Falls Casino Near Sioux Falls, South Dakota August 20-28

For the first time in Season 7, the Mid-States Poker Tour will visit Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa, which is right outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota! From August 20-28, Grand Falls Casino will play host to an $1,100 buy-in, $150,000 guaranteed Main Event.

The stop, which requires players be 21 or older to play, will feature numerous $65 Super Satellites and $220+$30+$10 Satellites, as well as two bonus events. The first is a $40 Omaha Hi/Lo Spread Limit tournament at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 22, and the other is a $40 no-limit hold'em Grand Falls weekly at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 23.

Then, on Friday, August 26 at 4:00 p.m., Day 1a of the Main Event will get underway. Day 1b will take place at the same time on Saturday, August 27, and then the surviving players from both flights will return on Sunday, August 27 at 11:00 a.m. to battle down to a winner. For those who fail to make it through or fall early, Grand Falls Casino will host a $100 no-limit hold'em tournament at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The Main Event final table will be broadcast LIVE (15-minute delay) worldwide on msptpoker.com using RFID technology allowing all viewers to see the hole cards. In addition, the entirety of the Main Event will be live reported in the MSPT's brand new live blog, which can be found on msptpoker.com once the tournament begins. Simply look for the neon green button that reads "Live Updates."

The stop marks the fifth time the MSPT has visited the property. The first took place back in 2012 when Dan Sun topped a field of 215 entrants to win $60,486 and become the MSPT's first back-to-back champion. Other winners of the MSPT Grand Falls Casino include Josh Smith, who topped a field of 218 to win $59,221 in August 2013; MSPT Pro Blake Bohn, who outlasted 200 other entrants to win in August 2014 for $54,607; and defending champ Alan Curl, who topped a field of 238 entrants to win it last year for $64,655.

"The annual stop at Grand Falls Casino is one that we always look forward to," said MSPT owner and operator Bryan Mileski. "Not only does it take place in a scenic area, the gaming action is top notch. Of course there is the poker, but in addition to that there are more than 900 slot machines, 16 blackjack tables, and plenty of entertainment to be had. There's really something for everyone."

Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort was granted an operator's license for a casino in May of 2010, which followed the passage of a referendum approving a gaming structure by the citizens of Lyon County, Iowa in September of 2008. For more information on the property, visit grandfallscasinoresort.com.

Here’s a look at the entire schedule:

Quads for Mike Shanahan

We missed the majority of the action, but we do know a player shoved 43,300 into two players with a board reading . Mike Shanahan of Avon, Indiana thought for a bit before making the call, and Donnie Phan took even longer before doing the same.

The shover showed for bottom full house, but it was no good as Shanahan proudly tabled the for quads. Phan mucked what he said was pocket aces for a flopped full house.

Mike Shanahan - 170,000
Donnie Phan - 120,000

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.

Henry Tran Done and Dusted

A short-stacked Henry Tran moved all in under the gun for his last 14,800 and Kyle Brantley called from middle position. Ricky Stinson, who has cashed in both prior MSPT Main Events here at Tropicana Evansville (he finished 22^nd and 26th in Seasons 5 and 6 respectively) came along from the button, the blinds folded, and then both active players checked it down as the board ran out .

Tran tabled the and it was good against Brantely, who mucked. However, Stinson ended up with the best hand thanks to his jack kicker with the .

Ricky Stinson - 110,000
Henry Tran - Busted

Kyle Brantley Continues to Chip Up

With around 8,000 in the pot and a board reading , Joseph Bommarito checked and Kyle Brantley bet 3,200 from middle position. Tom Zenthoefer called from late position, Bommarito came along, and the three of them watched the peel off on the river.

Bommarito checked, Brantley bet 12,500, and that did the trick as both his opponents folded.

Kyle Brantley - 220,000
Joseph Bommarito - 200,000
Tom Zenthoefer - 130,000