The Venetian

Eric Blair leads as 13 players advance from Day 1A of the MSPT Venetian Main Event

Day 1A of the MSPT Venetian $1,100 Main Event drew 109 entries, but after 13 levels of play just 13 remained with Eric Blair and his stack of 325,000 leading the way.

Blair may be seeking his first MSPT cash but don’t let that fool you. He has amassed nearly $1.9 million in live tournament earnings including a career-best $228,307 for finishing third in the 2018 WSOP Event #20: $5,000 NLH this past summer. Three weeks after that, he placed fifth in Event #58: $5,000 NLH Six-Handed for $120,669. He also finished third in a $1,500 NLH event in 2013 for $127,300.

Others to bag big stacks were Eyal Al-Revah (278,500), John Morgan (240,500), Nikolai Sears (224,000), and Michael Iacovone (190,000), who round out the top five.

They were joined by the likes of 1997 WSOP runner-up John Strzemp (183,500), two-time bracelet winner Eric Baldwin (139,500), and Wendy Freedman (98,000).

Unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky. Among those to hit the rail on Day 1A were two-time MSPT champ Peixin Liu, EPT champ Kevin MacPhee, 2014 WSOP APAC champ Scott Davies, and Venetian regulars Tim Reilly, Matt Hunt, and Matt Affleck. Likewise, former MSPT champs Jason Seitz, Nick JivkovKfir Nahum, and Andy Rubinberg all fell.

Those players will have a chance to try again if they see fit as Day 1B is set to kickoff at Noon local time on Saturday. Late registration for that flight will remain open until 7:30 p.m. Once again, we’ll be there every step of the way to capture the action here in the blog, so be sure to join us then.

End-of-Day 1A Chip Counts

Three More Hands

The remaining players will play three more hands before bagging and tagging on Day 1A. Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the Day 1A action.

Francisco Trujillo Hits the Rail Late

Daniel Leduc opened for 5,200 from the hijack and then called when Francisco Trujillo moved all in for 20,000 from the small blind.

Leduc:
Trujillo:

Trujillo got it in good but was left drawing dead on the turn when the run out gave Leduc a flush.

Daniel Leduc - 100,000 (42 bb)
Francisco Trujillo – Busted

Francisco Romero Finishes Off Bobby Poe

Francisco Romero from the small blind put Bobby Poe in the big blind at risk for his last 25,000, and Poe called.

Romero:
Poe:

Romero paired his four on the flop, and Poe was drawing dead after the turn gave Romero two-pair, and he hit the exit after the fell on the river.

Francisco Romero - 116,000 (48 bb)
Bobby Poe - Busted

Nikolai Sears Fades Bobby Poe's Many Outs

Nikolai Sears raised to 5,200 from the cutoff, then called the three-bet shove for 29,300 from Bobby Poe on the button.

Sears:
Poe:

The flop didn’t do much for Poe’s hand, but the turn gave him a flush draw and a gutshot to go with his two overs. He bricked everything on the river, however, and Sears scored the KO.

Nikolai Sears - 250,000 (104 bb)
Bobby Poe - Busted

Eyal Al-Revah Takes From Todd Rodgers

Todd Rodgers raised to 5,200 from the hijack, and Eyal Al-Revah quickly announced a three-bet to 17,000 when action folded to him in the big blind. Rodgers just as quickly made the call.

Action checked to the river on a board, where Al-Revah said, “Ten thousand.”

Rodgers snap-called and Al-Revah said, “I win,” before tabling for a pair of kings. Rodgers mucked.

Eyal Al-Revah - 145,000 (60 bb)
Todd Rodgers - 65,000 (27 bb)

Late Night Shots

MSPT Returns to Meskwaki Casino for $300K GTD Main Event Nov. 2-4

For the third and final time in Season 9, the MSPT is headed to Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa. From October 27 through November 4, a series of satellites will feed into the 21^st MSPT Main Event ever held at the venue.

The $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed Main Event will run the weekend of November 2-4.

Click here for a look at the full schedule.

Information on Hotel Rates as low as $49/night here.

Back in March, the first MSPT Meskwaki of Season 9 drew 414 entries and saw Nathan Trenkamp, who qualified via a $250 satellite, walk away with an $88,018 first-place prize. Then, in July, Minnesota’s Brian Soja bested a 455-entry field to win the 2018 MSPT Iowa State Poker Championship. In the same event last year, Max Havlish prevailed over 424 entrants to win the tournament for $90,152.

“Meskwaki Casino has been a staple on the MSPT schedule since 2012 and each year it continues to grow,” said MSPT President Bryan Mileski. “The hotel rooms are cheap, which in turn gives players more bang for their poker buck.”

The MSPT Meskwaki Main Event, which requires players be just 18 years old to play, will kick off with Day 1A at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 2 with the plan of playing 16 levels. Day 1B will then take place at the same time on Saturday, November 3. Players who advance from Main Event Flight 1A to Day 2 are not eligible to play in Flight 1B without forfeiting their chips. The remaining players from each flight will combine on Sunday, November 4 at 11:00 a.m. and play until a champion is crowned.

In addition, there will be a $140 buy-in “Last Chance Casino Bonus Event” at Noon local time on Sunday, giving those who fail to make Day 2 something to look forward to.

The 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 entire Main Event will be live reported in the MSPT live blog.

Located in Tama, Iowa — between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids on Highway 30 — Meskwaki Casino, which was constructed in 1992, features a huge bingo hall, nine different types of table games, off-track betting, active craps tables, more than 1,350 slots, good blackjack games, horse book, indoor pool, exercise room, spa, and 404 hotel rooms.

The property also features Lucky’s Grill & Taproom, which serves hearty breakfast entrees in the morning and their famous Shredded Chicken Nachos Grande (and more) in the evening. Other favorites include the 100% Iowa Angus Beef Lucky’s Steak Burger, handmade buttermilk dipped onion rings, Signature Pizzas, hot subs, and Fried Oreos. You can also enjoy a variety of 20 beers on tap (with 10 craft beers that are brewed in Iowa) all while watching your favorite team on one of 13 HDTVs.

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