Grand Falls Casino

JW Nelson Leads as 26 Players Survive Day 1B of the MSPT Grand Falls Main Event

Day 1B of the 2017 MSPT Grand Falls Casino $1,100 Main Event drew 111 runners, which along with 1A’s 105 brought the total field up to 216 entrants (up from last year’s 187). That means the top 27 players will get paid with the eventual winner taking home more than $50K.

After 14 levels of play, just 26 remained with JW Nelson and his stack of 193,000 leading the way. That is a good bit behind that of Day 1A chip leader James Klosterbuer, who bagged 243,500. Rounding out the top five stacks 1B stacks were Erick Woehlhaff (178,000), Paul Jain (165,500), defending champ Ted Takasaki (162,500), and Swadeep Mishra (135,000).

Others who survived the night included Robbin Green (125,500), Mike Lang (94,000), Yao “YY” Yin (74,500), two-time MSPT champ John Hayes (60,000), and Todd Melander (38,000).

Of course, not everyone was so lucky. Among those fall on 1B were four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner and last year’s runner-up Mark Fink, MSPT Season 6 Player of the Year Mark Hodge, and MSPT Season 8 Grand Falls Regional Champ Travis Gant.

The remaining 41 players from both fields will combine for Day 2 action at 11 a.m. and play down to a winner. There will be no live stream from Grand Falls Casino, but we will be providing you updates all day long, so be sure to join then.

End-of-Day 1B Chip Counts

Two More Hands

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

Scott Jamison Falls Late

Action folded around to a short-stacked Scott Jamison on the button and he moved all in for right around 23,000. Erick Woehlhaff called from the small blind and the player in the big folded.

Woehlhaff:
Jamison:

Jamison was drawing to two live cards, and he paired one of them on the flop. Unfortunately for him, his lead was short lived as the turn gave Woehlhaff a flush. The was run out on the river and Jamison hit the rail.

Erick Woehlhaff - 90,000 (38 bb)
Scott Jamison - Busted

Josh Martin Falls to Paul Jain

Josh Martin got his last 20,000 or so all in preflop and found himself way behind Paul Jain.

Jain:
Martin:

Martinwas in desperate need of a six, but the boxcar never came as the board ran out an unhelpful .

Paul Jain - 180,000 (75 bb)
Josh Martin - Busted

Travis Gants Ends Up with a Straight Flush

Yao “YY” Yin limped from early position and MSPT Season 8 Grand Falls Regional Champ Travis Gant raised all in for 30,200 from the button. Both blinds folded and YY thought long and hard before making the call.

Gant:
YY:

It was a race, and Gant was just looking to hold to stay alive. The flop looked good, and so did the turn.

The river actually improved Gant to a straight flush and he shipped a late-night double.

Yao “YY” Yin - 70,000 (35 bb)
Travis Gant - 64,000 (32 bb)

Some Late Night Shots

Last Break of the Night

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

Keith Doering Eliminates Jason Weber

Robbin Green limped under the gun and Jason Weber, who was next to act, moved all in for 10,600. Two spots over, Keith Doering called and action folded back to Green, who ditched his hand.

Weber:
Doering:

The flop left Weber looking for either running straight or flush cards, but those possibilities disappeared when the turn left him drawing dead.

The meaningless was run out on the river and Weber headed for the exit.

Keith Doering - 84,000 (53 bb)
Jason Weber – Busted

Last Year's Runner-Up Hits the Rail

Last year’s MSPT Grand Falls runner-up, Mark Fink, was just eliminated from the tournament.

We missed his bustout, but the four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner was kind enough to tell us of his demise before departing the tournament area.

As he told it, action folded to him on the button and he moved all in for approximately 17,000 with . The player on the button woke up with , and that was all she wrote for Fink.

Mark Fink - Busted