Tropicana Evansville

Michael O'Neill Looks to Defend His Indiana State Poker Championship Title as 38 Survive Day 1b

Day 1b of the 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour Indiana State Poker Championship at Tropicana Evansville drew an unexpected 198 entrants that, along with Day 1a's 142 runners, brought the total field up to 340 entries. That is considerably more than the 225 and 251 entrants that played in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Of course the $250,000 advertised guarantee was laid to rest early on. By the time late registration closed, a total prize pool of $340,000 was created. That will be distributed to the top 36 players with $82,450 reserved for the eventual winner.

The man best positioned to make a run at the title, at least from the Day 1b field, is Jason Ramos, who bagged the chip lead among the 38 survivors with 285,500. That is a little ahead of Day 1a chip leader Joseph Bommarito's 260,000.

Another player advancing from the Day 1b flight is Michael O'Neill (pictured above), who won the inaugural Indiana State Poker Championship last year for $67,746. O'Neill, who was second in chips with 256,000, aims to follow in the footsteps of Carl Carodenuto, who earlier this year became the first player to successfully defend his title (he did it at Canterbury Park). Can O'Neill retain the Indiana State Poker Championship title? One thing is for sure, if he does he'll forever etch his name in poker history.

Others who made it through the night were current MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year leader and Iowa State Poker Champion John Sun (228,000), Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis champ Cory Bogert (135,500), 2014 MSPT Tropicana Evansville Chales Dawson (75,500), West Virginia's Cotton Snuffer (54,500), and Justin Brown (48,000).

Among those to try and fail were World Series of Poker bracelet winners Nick Jivkov and Adam Friedman; MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Champion Andy Rubinberg; MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Mark Hodge; two-time MSPT champ Jason Zarlenga; husband and wife John and Crystal Utley; and WSOP shift supervisor Charlie Ciresi.

Day 2 will get underway at 11 a.m. local time Sunday with the plan of the final 65 players (27 Day 1a survivors; 38 Day 1b survivors) playing down to a winner. As usual, the final table will be live streamed worldwide on msptpoker.com. 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 1b Chip Counts

Jason Ramos bags the Day 1b chip lead with 285,500 in the Indiana State Poker Championship at Tropicana Evansville

38 of 198 players from Day 1b advance to Day 2
‪#‎canyoufeelit‬

Jason Ramos - Carol Stream, IL 285,500
Michael Oneill - Royal Oak, MI 256,000
Michael Hahn - Indianapolis, IN 244,000
Ryan Rogers - St. Louis, MO 242,500
Jon Sun - Milwaukee, WI 228,000
Garrick Ballard - Shelbyville, IN 196,500
Scott Watkins - Henderson, KY 155,500
Cory Bogert - South Roxana, IL 135,500
Carl Masters - Clarksville, TN 135,000
Theodore Zalesiak - Chicago, IL 131,500
Kenneth Zuspan - Langsville, OH 128,000
Jeremy Brown - Mitchell, IN 110,000
Shannon Mastin - Greenfield, IN 109,500
Kyle Brantley - Henderson, KY 103,500
Alexander Maxfield - Louisville, KY 98,000
Thomas Jaggers - Sonora, KY 98,000
Jason Simon - O Fallon, MO 93,000
Derek Schroeder - St. Charles, MO 92,500
Ronald Kruk - Osceola, IN 90,000
David Chocheles - Mandeville, LA 82,500
Christopher Lee - Middleport, OH 80,500
Charles Dawson - Owensboro, KY 75,500
Mark Shaffer - Glassford, IL 71,100
John Thomas Lynnn - Nashville, TN 70,000
Jenson Quinn - Carbondale, IL 68,000
Thomas Organ - St. Louis, MO 68,000
Donald Williams - Rockville, IN 60,000
Snuffer Iverson - Milton, WV 54,500
Bryan Dillon - Prospect, KY 53,500
Michael Ferrand - Noelsville, TN 51,500
Marcus Gildersleeve - Clarksville, TN 51,000
Justin Brown - Mitchell, IN 48,000
Richard McCoy - Leadwood, MO 44,500
Robert Reel - Indianaplis, IN 41,000
Brian Church - Hawesvilly, KY 37,500
Michael Mendenall - Mount Vernon, IL 36,500
Craig Spalding - Evansville, IN 32,000
Mercedez Ramos - Lexington, KY 27,500

Five More Hands

The tournament staff just announced that the remaining players will play five more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a list of survivors with chips counts, a recap of the Day 1b action, and the Day 2 seat draw.

Two-Time MSPT Champ Jason Zarlenga Counterfeited

Ryan Rogers opened with a raise and two-time MSPT champ Jason Zarlenga three-bet all in for 33,000 from the hijack. Action folded back to Rogers, who was sitting on a mountain of chips, and he opted to make the call.

Rogers:
Zarlenga:

It was a flip and Zarlenga was looking to hold to double. The flop was safe enough, and the turn kept Zarlenga out in front. However, that is when the peeled off on the river to put two pair on the board and counterfeit Zarlenga. Rogers’ ace played and just like that the two-time champ was sent back to Michigan.

Ryan Rogers - 300,000
Jason Zarlenga - Eliminated

Scott Watkins Doubles Big Through Peter Gozinya

With around 30,000 in the pot and a board reading , a flurry of action broke out between Scott Watkins and Peter Gozinya with former getting all in for 78,700. Gozinya was debating what to do and eventually spiked in a call.

Gozinya:
Watkins:

Gozinya went with his ace, but he needed to find another to eliminate Watkins, who held trip kings. The river wasn’t what Gozinya was looking for and Watkins, who improved to a full house, doubled big here at the end of the night.

Scott Watkins - 190,000
Peter Gozina - 160,000

Garrick Ballard Pushes Off Peter Gozinya

Garrick Ballard limped the cutoff and watched Peter Gozinya raise to 10,000 from the button. Both blinds folded, Ballard called, and the flop came out .

Ballard checked, Gozinya continued for 15,500, and Ballard immediately check-raised to 32,000. That did the trick as Gozinya released his hand.

Peter Gozinya - 260,000
Garrick Ballard - 200,000

Mark Hodge Doubles But Busts Soon Thereafter

Action folded to reigning MSPT Player of the Year Mark Hodge and he moved all in (without looking at his cards he would later claim). Jason Simon called from the big blind and Hodge tabled a big one.

Hodge:
Simon:

The board ran out and Hodge shipped a double Unfortunately, as we were writing this hand he swung by the media desk to inform us he had been eliminated after getting it all in with ace-king and failing to get there against pocket queens.

Meanwhile, MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Champion Andy Rubinberg has also been eliminated from the tournament. He said we will see him in a few weeks at the MSPT Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells stop.

Jason Simon - 70,000
Mark Hodge - Eliminated
Andy Rubinberg - Eliminated

Peter Gozinya Shoves; Adam Friedman Gone

With around 20,000 in the pot and a flop of , Peter Gozinya checked from the under-the-gun position and Christopher Lee bet 12,000 from the hijack. The player on the button folded, Gozinya called, and the dealer burned and turned the .

Gozinya check-called a bet of 20,000 and then checked for a third time on the river. Lee bet 30,000 and Gozinya thought long and hard before moving all in for roughly 40,000 more. Lee flashed the and folded his hand.

Meanwhile, World Series of Poker bracelet winner Adam Friedman has been eliminated from the 2016 Indiana State Poker Championship in unknown action.

Peter Gozinya - 155,000
Christopher Lee - 85,000
Adam Friedman - Eliminated

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.

Adam Friedman vs. Charles Dawson

World Series of Poker bracelet winner Adam Friedman opened for 3,500 from middle position and MSPT Tropicana Evansville champ Charles Dawson called from the button. Reigning MSPT Wisconsin State Poker Champ Andy Rubinberg came along from the small blind, the player in the big did too, and four players took a flop of .

All four players checked, the appeared on the turn, and Rubinberg led out for 4,000. The big blind folded, both Friedman and Dawson called, and the completed the board on the river. Two checks saw Dawson bet 7,500, Rubinberg folded, and Friedman made a reluctant call.

Dawson tabled the for a gutshot that turned into top pair, and it was good as Friedman simply shook his head and tossed his cards to the muck.

Charles Dawson - 120,000
Andy Rubinberg - 74,000
Adam Friedman - 35,000