Riverside Casino

Justin Landi Bags Overall Chip Lead After 20 Players Survive Final Flight

The final starting flight of the MSPT $1,110 Iowa State Poker Championship at Riverside Casino attracted 189 runners, which along with 1a's 98, 1b’s 198, and Day 1c’s 231, brought the grand total field up to 716 entries, shattering the $300k guarantee.

The massive field generated a $693,020 prize pool, with the minimum payout being $2,196, while the eventual winner will walk away with a $141,978 first-place prize, along with the Iowa State Poker Championship trophy.

At the end of the third and final flight, just 20 players bagged and tagged with Justin Landi scoring big as his 1,026,000 stack will take him into Day 2 with the overall chip lead.

Landi’s stack was more than double that of next in line two-time MSPT Champ Chris Meyers 492,000 with Brett “Pops” Reichard (475,000), Spence Madole (433,000), and John Pierce (338,000) rounding out the top five stacks.

Other who found a bag during the final starting flight included Dave Kenniston (322,000), MSPT champ Steve Federspiel (303,000), Tom Hammers (326,000), Season 14 Player of the Year Umut Ozturk (245,000), and MSPT Hall of Famer ”DQ” Dan Hendrickson (147,000).

The surviving players from all starting flights – of which there are 75 (10 from Day 1a, 21 from 1b, 24 from 1c, and 20 from 1d) – will return at 11:00 a.m. local time Sunday, July 21st to play down to a winner.

The MSPT live reporting crew will be on the floor throughout the remainder of the tournament to provide updates, so keep it here to catch the action!

MSPT Riverside Remaining Schedule

End Day 1D Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Justin Landi	1,026,000	825,000
Chris Meyers (NY)	492,000	345,000
Brett Reichard	475,000	465,000
Spence Madole	433,000	405,000
John Pierce	338,000	310,000
David Kenniston	322,000	280,000
Steve Federspiel	314,000	245,000
Tom Hammers	303,000	165,000
Dustin Hoffman	275,000	200,000
Umut Ozturk	245,000	245,000
Matthew Porter	226,000	130,000
Miroslav Semanisin	202,000	200,000
Aaron Blood	187,000	187,000
Daniel McCulley	177,000	225,000
DQ Dan Hendrickson	167,000	191,000
Bob Avila	147,000	191,000
Aaron Knudson	132,000	100,000
Steve WazWaz	126,000	135,000
William Hanson	108,000	120,000
Joseph Jadeson	11,000	30,000

Hammers Drops Toderici for Final Elimination

Marius Toderici was all in for his last 6,000 from the small blind when two-time MSPT champ Chris Myers opened under the gun for 12,000, only to fold to a 37,000 three-bet Tom Hammers made from the cutoff.

Marius Toderici:
Tom Hammers:

Toderici was in rough shape and didn’t find any help from the runout making him the final elimination of the evening.

Chris Meyers - 430,000
Tom Hammers - 315,000
Marius Toderici - Eliminated

Top Bagged Stacks Thus Far

So far, 55 players have punched their ticket into Day 2, and a final group of 20 hopefuls will look to add their names to that list today.

All who make it through until the end of play will return tomorrow, Sunday, July 21st, at 11:00 a.m. for Day 2, where the remaining players from all starting flights will combine and play until a winner is declared.

Ozturk Finds Life Through McCulley

Dan McCulley raised to 15,000 from the hijack and MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk called from the button to see a flop.

Ozturk raised all-in for 40,000 after his McCulley continued for 10,000 and was called.

Umut Ozturk:
Dan McCulley:

Ozturk was ahead after flopping top pair and the turn followed by the turn secured his double-up.

Dan McCulley - 215,000
Umut Ozturk - 185,000

Hammers Survives Elimination

Tom Hammers was all in preflop for 85,000 from the cutoff and Bob Avila looked him up from the button.

Tom Hammers:
Bob Avila:

Hammers was at risk needing help and found some after the flop gave him the diamond flush draw.

The sweat didn’t last long for Hammers, as the dealer turned the completing his flush, and the river kept his Main Event hopes alive.

Bob Avila - 191,000
Tom Hammers - 170,000

"Pops" Sets Up Bekavac, Hand-for-Hand Begins

Brett “Pops” Reichard flopped a set of fives to eliminate four-time MSPT champ Dan Bekavac, starting the hand-for-hand process.

Porter Wakes Up with Two Ladies

MSPT Hall of Famer Umut Ozturk raised from the cutoff and then called Matt Porter’s 64,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Matt Porter:
Umut Ozturk:

Porter was ahead holding a made hand of queens and had a clean runout to secure his double-up.

Umut Ozturk - 245,000
Matt Porter - 130,000

Nines Hold Strong for Hanson

A player from middle position raised all in for 62,000 and Bill Hanson called holding 63,000 from the small blind.

Opponent:
Bill Hanson:

Hanson was ahead holding a made hand of nines but had a sweat after the flop gave his opponent more outs with a wheel draw.

Luckily for Hanson, both the turn and the river were bricks, securing him the elimination.

Bill Hanson - 130,000

Updated Counts & Bust Outs

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Justin Landi	825,000	490,000
Spence Madole	405,000	335,000
Brett Reichard	383,000	310,000
Chris Meyers (NY)	345,000	300,000
Bob Avila	337,000	231,000
John Pierce	310,000	330,000
Daniel Bekavac	285,000	497,000
David Kenniston	280,000	360,000
Steve Federspiel	245,000	285,000
Umut Ozturk	245,000	182,000
DQ Dan Hendrickson	191,000	77,000
Steve WazWaz	135,000	150,000
Matthew Porter	130,000	50,000
William Hanson	120,000	63,000
Tom Hammers	68,000	80,000
Marius Toderici	32,000	59,000
Craig Trost	0	45,000
John Cap	0	144,000
Rodney Colson	0	75,000