Sycuan Casino Resort

Diego Hurtado Holds the Top Spot After 16 Players After Day 1B

A lengthy day of 17 Levels has wrapped up during the MSPT Season 16 100 GRAND STACK Series $1,110 Main Event at Sycuan Casino & Resort, as Day 1b drew another 144 entries to bring the two-day total thus far to 236, making sure the $300K GTD will be eclipsed with tomorrow’s final starting flight.

Of those 144 entries, only 16 players remained when chips went into bags with 27:50 remaining in the level, with Diego Hurtado going on a late-night heater to bag the top stack.

Hurtado was able to spin up top stack to 2,145,000 to put in his bag at the end of the night, edging out Brent Gill (1,935,000) for the overall stack thus far.

Johnathan Groat secured the final elimination on the night to bag a top five stack of 1,595,000 while Douglas Jones (1,790,000), and Charles Lee (1,560,000) rounded out the top five stacks after the second flight.

Others who found a Day 2 berth during this flight included David Avina (1,460,000), Rudy Cervantes (925,000), Nova Baghdasarian (690,000), Kellan Kemp (515,000), and Matt Salsberg (265,000) are just a few more of the players to add their names to the Day 2 roster along with the 11 others who have already advanced from Day 1a.

Among those to try and fall on Day 1b included MSPT Sycuan Champ Gianluca Pace, Armando Mesina, Tavish Margers, Tolga Gesli, and fellow MSPT Sycuan Champ Noel Eicher, just to name a few.

The final starting flight will get underway tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. local time, and it will be the last chance for players to punch their ticket into Sunday's Day 2.

Late registration and re-entries will remain open through Level 12 (approximately 10:40 p.m.) Make sure to tune in to see who makes it through to Day 2.

MSPT Season 16 Sycuan 100 GRAND STACK Series Remaining Schedule

End Day 1B Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Diego Hurtado	2,145,000	1,710,000
Brenton Gill	1,935,000	1,600,000
Douglas Jones	1,790,000	1,565,000
Johnathan Groat	1,595,000	1,235,000
Charles Lee	1,560,000	1,235,000
David Avina	1,460,000	1,250,000
Rudy Cervantes	925,000	910,000
Nova Baghdasarian	690,000	700,000
Kellan Kemp	515,000	180,000
Kyle Wang	365,000	710,000
Steve Westberg	295,000	335,000
Di Wu	275,000	600,000
Matt Salsberg	265,000	100,000
Stephen Graner	260,000	400,000
Clint Wolcyn	165,000	450,000
Richard Spirra	160,000	125,000

MSPT Champ Justin Lynch Bubbles Day 1B

Jonathan Groat raised from the hijack, and MSPT champ Justin Lynch called from the small blind to see a flop.

Lynch check-jammed after Groat fired out a continuation bet and was called.

Juston Lynch:
Jonathan Groat:

Lynch flopped top pair only to have Groat roll over a pair of aces, and the turn did give him a flush draw, but the river was a brick and ended his night on the bubble.

Jonathan Groat - 1,595,000
Justin Lynch - 0

Wang Flops the Goods to Double on the Bubble

Diego Hurtado raised to 55,000 from the cutoff and then called Kyle Wang’s (pictured above) 215,000 three-bet jam from the big blind.

Kyle Wang:
Diego Hurtado:

Wang was ahead holding a made hand of sixes, and enjoyed the flop that gave him a full house.

The turn was a great sight for Wang, as it left Hurtado drawing dead to the river.

Diego Hurtado - 1,995,000
Kyle Wang - 460,000

Hand-for-Hand Begins

After the elimination of Craig Giangregorio, just 17 players remain meaning, the hand-for-hand process has started as only 16 of them will be making it to Day 2.

Day 1A Chip Counts

Yesterday’s starting flight saw 2025 Sycuan Regional Champ Mo Pourmandi bag the top stack with 1,780,000, leading the 11 players who advanced from a 92-entry field, and the 16 players who made it through today will join that group on Sunday, September 7^th, at 11:00 a.m. for Day 2.

Day 1A Chip Counts

Chip Collectors & Givers

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Diego Hurtado	1,710,000	1,500,000
Brenton Gill	1,600,000	500,000
Douglas Jones	1,565,000	1,180,000
Johnathan Groat	1,235,000	980,000
Rudy Cervantes	910,000	820,000
Kyle Wang	710,000	500,000
Di Wu	600,000	370,000
Clint Wolcyn	450,000	485,000
Justin Lynch	440,000	495,000
Stephen Graner	400,000	310,000
Kellan Kemp	180,000	600,000
Craig Giangregorio	160,000	480,000
Richard Spirra	125,000	235,000
David "Digger" Vig	0	267,000
Haroldo Perez	0	400,000
Sherry Hammers	0	145,000
Tony Hartmann	0	78,000
Thomas Kornecook	0	600,000

Hammers Rivers Broadway for Survival

Stephen Graner raised to 35,000 from under the gun, and then called a 104,000 three-bet jam Sherry Hammers made from the cutoff.

Sherry Hammers:
Stephen Graner:

Hammers found herself in a race and fell behind after the flop fell, giving Graner top pair.

The dealer then turned the , keeping Graner out in front, while also giving Hammers a Broadway draw, and fortunately for her, they followed with the on the river to secure her double-up.

Stephen Graner - 260,000
Sherry Hammers - 225,000

Michael Starek Ships Opening Regional Event for Career Score!

For the third and final time this season, the MSPT is back at Sycuan Casino & Resort in San Diego, CA, for the 100 GRAND STACK Series!

Kicking off the 24-Gold Card event series was the $400 NLH 100 GRAND STACK Regional, which tallied an impressive 409 entrants through four starting flights.

A $135,515 prize pool was generated and divided out between the 46 Day 2 players who had their eyes set on the title.

Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Amy Devaudreuil (10^th Place - $2,156), MSPT champs Jeff Copeland (17^th Place - $1,483) & Derrick Yamada (19^th Place - $1,267), Eddie Pilotin (27^th Place - $943), and Steve Buell (31^st Place - $809).

After a long day on the felt, it was none other than Michael Starek who navigated his way to the finish line to capture a career score of $29,650 first-place prize along with the 100 GRAND STACK Regional title!

Final Table Results

Chip Movers

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Douglas Jones	1,180,000	440,000
Johnathan Groat	980,000	840,000
Kellan Kemp	600,000	547,000
Clint Wolcyn	485,000	150,000
Craig Giangregorio	480,000	235,000
Haroldo Perez	400,000	530,000
Stephen Graner	310,000	560,000
DJ Buckley	0	100,000
Danny Chen	0	220,000
Nan Chen	0	220,000
Derek Stark	0	100,000
Thuy Kawano	0	100,000