Sycuan Casino Resort

Late Night Surge Sees Hesam Samarghandy Soar to the Top Leading the 5 Survivors After Day 1C

Another lengthy day of 18 Levels has wrapped up during the MSPT Season 16 100 GRAND STACK $1,110 Main Event at Sycuan Casino & Resort as Day 1c concluded Saturday’s double headers as the third flight drew in another 50 entries to bring the total up to 278 thus far with tomorrow’s final two starting flights still to go.

While 50 entries were tallied, only five players remained when chips went into bags with Hesam Samarghandy finding a late-night surge to climb to the top of the counts, bagging a healthy 1,540,000.

Samarghandy was able to edge out Patrick Roteman (1,295,000), being as they were the only two to break the milly marker while Andrew Ostapchenko (990,000), Derek Stark (835,000), and Weizheng Zhong (440,000) were the only others to survive the flight.

Among those to try and fall on Day 1c included Robert Fortuno, Nan Chen, Peter Cross, Lena Evans, and Brian Nordin, just to name a few.

The final two starting flights will get underway tomorrow with Day 1d getting started bright and early at 10:00 a.m. while Day 1e will follow at 4:00 p.m.

The surviving players from each flight will then return at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 20^th to play down to a winner.

MSPT Season 16 Sycuan 100 GRAND STACK Festival Remaining Schedule

With the two starting flights overlapping each other, the live reporting for Day 1d will start at Level 9 (approximately 3:30 p.m. local time), with Day 1e coverage following after the completion of the fourth flight.

End of Day 1C Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Hesam Samarghandy	1,540,000	1,140,000
Patrick Roteman	1,295,000	1,000,000
Andrew Ostapchenko	990,000	900,000
Derek Stark	835,000	950,000
Weizheng Zhong	440,000	240,000

Regional Champ Mo Pourmandi Bubbles Day 1C

Regional champ Mo Pourmandi was all in after a flop from the big blind and was called by Derek Stark from the button.

Mo Pourmandi:
Derek Stark:

Pourmandi was at risk holding an open-ended straight draw but neither the turn nor the river completed it, ending his night on the bubble.

Derek Stark - 835,000
Mo Pourmandi - 0

Shamo Eliminated in Brutal Fashion

Randy Shamo was all in preflop and was called by Hesam Samarghandy.

Randy Shamo:
Hesam Samarghandy:

It was a classic with Shamo falling completely dead after the flop fell giving Samarghandy quad eights.

The meaningless and completed the board sending Shamo on his way.

Hesam Samarghandy - 1,140,000
Randy Shamo - 0

Day 2 Line Up

So far, 24 players have punched their ticket into Day 2, and another group of hopefuls will look to add their names to that list tonight.

All who make it through until the end of play will return tomorrow, Monday, January 20^th 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.

Ostapchenko Trips Up Roteman for a Double

Patrick Roteman raised from late position and then called Andrew Ostapchenko’s 445,000 three-bet jam from the cutoff.

Andrew Ostapchenko:
Patrick Roteman:

Ostapchenko was trailing Roteman’s pair of deuces until the flop hit the felt giving him trip aces.

The turn didn’t change a thing, nor did the river as Ostapchenko collected his double.

Patrick Roteman 1,000,000
Andrew Ostapchenko - 900,000

Roteman Straightens Out Delgado for a KO

Nabor Delgado was all in preflop from the hijack and Patrick Roteman looked him up from the button.

Nabor Delgado:
Patrick Roteman:

Delgado rolled over the better made hand but had a sweat after the dealer dropped a flop giving Roteman more outs with an open-ended straight draw.

While the turn kept Delgado out in front, the river didn’t, as it completed Roteman’s straight and ended his night.

Patrick Roteman - 1,100,000
Nabor Delgado - 0

The MSPT Takes Flight to Potawatomi Casino for the 100 GRAND STACK FESTIVAL January 28th - February 2nd!

For the first time since 2019, the MSPT is headed back to the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, WI, to host the second-ever 100 GRAND STACK FESTIVAL, January 28th - February 2nd!

A total of 11 trophy events will take place during the six-day span with Day 1a of the second-ever $400 - 100 GRAND STACK NLH getting things started on Tuesday, January 28th at noon.

The opening event offers Two starting flights which sees each player sit down with a whopping 100,000 chip stack to start, with blind levels increasing every 30 minutes.

Day 1b will then take place on Wednesday, January 29th with a noon start time as well, and the survivors from each starting flight will then reconvene for Day 2 on Thursday, January 30th at 11:00 a.m. and will play until a winner is crowned.

Also being held that Thursday is the headlined $1,110 - 100 GRAND STACK $500K guaranteed Main Event, which will see the first of THREE starting flights running from getting started at Noon.

The Main Event will give each player a whopping 100,000 chip stack to start, with blind levels increasing every 40 minutes.

Day 1b will then follow that Friday, January 31st with Day 1c being held Saturday, February 1st, both with noon start times.

The survivors from each starting flight will then combine for Day 2 on Sunday, February 2nd at 11:00 a.m. and will play until a winner is crowned.

Gerald Heath is the defending Potawatomi champ after taking down the last event back in 2019 for $130,935 while Dan Bekavac ($126,998), Brett Halan ($144,812), and Greg Himmelbrand ($125,958) are the other most recent Potawatomi champs.

Who will be next to add their names to the list of champions?

The MSPT live reporting crew will be on hand to provide live updates as the answer to that question is determined.

Zhong Sets Up Ostapchenko for a Double

Andrew Ostapchenko opened for 60,000 from the hijack and then called Weizheng Zhong’s 182,000 three-bet jam from the cutoff.

Weizheng Zhong:
Andrew Ostapchenko:

Zhong was ahead holding a premium hand of ladies and improved after the flop gave him top set.

The turn sealed the deal for Zhong, and he collected his double after the meaningless completed the board on the river.

Weizheng Zhong - 400,000
Andrew Ostapchenko - 380,000

Dauod Yako Walks Away with an Ultimate Victory

Over the past week, players have been inside Sycuan Casino & Resort duking it out for the inaugural MSPT 100 GRAND STACK Festival in San Diego, CA.

In Event #9: $200 NLH Ultimate Stack, a 61-player field took to the felt which saw Dauod Yako away with the ultimate victory to take down the lion's share of the prize pool, along with the 100 GRAND STACK Festival trophy!

Results

*denotes heads-up deal