Meskwaki Casino

Shane Battani Bags Lead As 34 Advance From Day 1B Of MSPT Meskwaki

Day 1B of the MSPT Meskwaki Main Event drew 241 runners, which along with 1A’s 168 brought the total field up to 409 entries. That means the top 45 players will get paid a minimum of $2,174 with the eventual champ taking home $86,494.

After 15 levels of play on Day 1B, 34 were able to secure a bag to Day 2. Leading the way with a stack of 399,500 is Shane Battani, which is behind the 483,500 bagged by Day 1A chip leader Jason Bender. Battani will be looking for his first MSPT cash.

Other big bags include Season 7 MSPT Iowa State Poker champ Hao “John” Sun (333,000), two-time WSOP Circuit Ring winner Nick Pupillo (306,500), Stephen Lewis (288,500), and Jim Lawrence (246,500).

Other players who managed a Day 2 bag include Marquez Davis (237,000), Ryan Hartmann (178,000), Joe Barnard (176,000), former Season 2 MSPT Northern Lights champ Tom Stambaugh (168,500), Kevin Berthelsen (154,000), Sam DeSilva (147,000), Season 10 MSPT Grand Falls Regional champ Eric Atchison (136,500), Nghia “3-Putts” Le (108,000), Season 9 MSPT Canterbury Park champ Rob Wazwaz (98,000), DJ Buckley (80,500), Season 8 MSPT Grand Falls champ Ahmed Taleb (52,000), and Season 9 MSPT POY Aaron Johnson (50,500).

Not everyone was fortunate enough to navigate the day, and among those to fall on Day 1B were three-time MSPT champ Carl Carodenuto, MSPT Hall of Famer Rich Alsup, former MSPT Iowa State Poker champ Carter Myers, #MSPT100 champ Jason Ramos, former MSPT champs Ben Wiora, Erv Bjerga, Jon Kim, and Joe Matheson, MSPT Regional champs Saad Ghanem and Craig Trost, Josh and Brett Reichard, former MNPokerMag POY Todd Melander, Ian Matakis and Ron McMillen.

Day 2 will get underway at 11 AM local time on Sunday with 59 players (25 from 1A, 34 from 1B) returning to action. You can follow the updates here until a winner is crowned. Additionally, the final table will be live streamed worldwide with hole cards.

Two More Hands

Players will play two more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a full recap of all the action.

Michael Cooper Wins...Somehow

Michael Cooper raised to 10,000 from UTG+1, and was called by Rob Wazwaz in the cutoff, Chris Nuthak in the small blind, and Tim Garles in the big blind.

“Check in the dark!” Nuthak said before the flop fell, and everyone else checked behind.

The fell on the turn, and all four players checked again.

The completed the board on the river, and once again, all four players checked. Nuthak tabled , and Cooper turned over . Wazwaz and Garles both mucked, and the table uttered a few words of astonishment over Cooper’s hand somehow holding up.

Michael Cooper - 120,000 (30 bb)

Ken Felten Wins A Flip

Shane Battani raised to 8,000 from UTG, then snapped off a three-bet shove for 28,500 from Ken Felten in the small blind.

Battani:
Felten:

Felten pulled ahead when the flop provided him with a pair of aces, and he improved to aces-full on the turn and river to secure the double.

Shane Battani - 240,000 (80 bb)
Ken Felten - 63,000 (21 bb)

Kevin Berthelsen Raises Out Cliff Koltzenburg

Kevin Berthelsen limped in from the button, as did James Pupillo in the small blind. Cliff Koltzenburg checked his option in the big blind, and the trio saw an flop together.

Pupillo checked, and Koltzenburg bet 6,000. Berthelsen raised to 25,000, and after Pupillo folded, Koltzenburg thought for a moment before tossing face-up into the muck. Berthelsen didn’t show as he raked in the pot.

Kevin Berthelsen - 125,000 (42 bb)
Cliff Koltzenburg - 120,000 (40 bb)

Ahmed Taleb Gets A Surprising Fold

Ahmed Taleb raised to 8,000 from UTG+1, and found a lone caller in the big blind.

Both players checked the flop, and the big blind led out for 12,000 on the turn. Taleb called.

The hit the river, and the big blind bet 26,000. Taleb quickly jammed for 38,000 total, and the big blind folded.

Ahmed Taleb - 108,500 (36 bb)

James Pupillo Takes From John Sun

John Sun raised to 6,000 from UTG+1, and James Pupillo, Nick Pupillo’s brother, three-bet to 18,000 from the hijack. Action folded back to Sun, who tossed in a call while saying, “Let’s do it!”

Sun checked the flop over to Pupillo, who bet 12,000. Sun called.

Both players checked the turn and river, and Sun rolled over . That was no good, however, as Pupillo tabled for a pair of queens and the winner.

James Pupillo - 180,000 (72 bb)
John Sun - 145,000 (58 bb)

Nick Pupillo Gets A Big Double Through Eric Atchison

Eric Atchison (pictured, right) raised to 7,000 from UTG, and Nick Pupillo (pictured, left) three-bet to 23,000 from the big blind. Atchison tanked for a bit, then made the call.

Pupillo led for 20,000 on the flop, and Atchison called.

Both players checked the on the turn, and Pupillo jammed for 55,000 on the river. Atchison flicked in a chip to call, but mucked upon being shown the from Pupillo.

Nick Pupillo - 200,000 (80 bb)
Eric Atchison - 130,000 (52 bb)

Late Night Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Eric Atchison	265,000	250,000
Sam DeSilva	230,000	148,000
James Lawrence	210,000	160,000
Jason Sell	185,000	145,000
Tim Garles	153,000	100,000
Hao "John" Sun	140,000	125,000
Ryan Hartmann	135,000	105,000
Steve Anderson (MI)	130,000	55,000
Tom Stambaugh	122,500	80,000
Nghia "3 Putts" Le	108,000	110,000
Pierce Acuff	95,000	48,000
DJ Buckley	85,000	55,000
Joseph Barnard	76,000	72,000
Rob WazWaz	75,000	54,000
Nicholas Pupillo	75,000	105,000
Kanat Ozturk	71,000	95,000
Aaron Johnson	65,000	92,000
Michael Cooper (WI)	55,000	31,500
Ahmed Taleb	45,000	53,000
Craig Trost	44,000	90,500
Kevin Berthelsen	41,500	95,000
Carter Myers	39,000	20,000
Chris Nuthak	36,000	23,100
Brian Zupancich	35,000	0
Alex Moua	20,000	105,000
Scotter Clark	12,000	11,500

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