Ameristar Casino St. Charles

Aaron Sanders Soars to the Top to Lead 20 Survivors After Day 1B of the MSPT Season 17 Ameristar Poker Open

Another full day of action played out during the MSPT Season 17 $1,110 Ameristar Poker Open Main Event as Day 1b hit its hard stop at the start of Level 17.

The second of three flights drew 181 entries, bringing the two-day total to 248 and guaranteeing that the $300k guarantee will be surpassed with one flight remaining.

Of those 181 entries, only 20 players remained when pens went to slips, with Aaron Sanders rising to the top to put a monstrous 773,000 on his slip to end the night, taking the overall chip lead into Day 2 thus far.

Sanders was able to edge out Randy Terrell (657,000), Martin Kinder (465,000), Mike Hurley (410,000), and Paul Belken (388,000) as they rounded out the top five stacks of the flight.

Several other familiar players will also be joining the aforementioned five which includes two-time MSPT Champ Angela Jordison (357,000), fellow MSPT Champ Jeffrey Copeland (327,000), MSPT Hall of Famer Gerald Cunniff (266,000), fellow Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (148,000), the MSPT’s top casher DJ Buckley (83,000), and Season 16 Player of the Year Jake Long (46,000), are just a few more of the players to add their names to the Day 2 roster along with the eight to have already advanced from Day 1a.

Among those to try and fall on Day 1b included WSOP circuit legend Maurice Hawkins, Robert “Skinny” Hankins, Dalton Jones, MSPT Champ Justin Lynch, Brandon Butler, and Jess Anderson, just to name a few.

Those players, along with any newcomers, will have one last chance to find a Day 2 appearance, as the final starting flight will get underway tomorrow at 2:00 p.m, with late registration and re-entries remaining open through Level 12 (approximately 10:40 p.m.).

This is a best-stack forward event: If a player qualifies for Day 2 more than once, they may only play the higher chip stack; any lower stack(s) will be removed from play at the start of Day 2 and receive the lowest Day 2 payout.

Player of the Year points will only be awarded for the higher stack. Players will only receive credit for a single MSPT Main Event cash finish.

Tune in to see who makes it through to Day 2.

MSPT Season 17 Ameristar Poker Open Remaining Schedule

End Day 1B Chip Counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Aaron Sanders	773,000	550,000
Randy Terrell	657,000	620,000
Martin Kinder	465,000	495,000
James "Mike" Hurley	410,000	215,000
Paul Belken	388,000	210,000
Angela Jordison	357,000	171,000
Stephen Green	338,000	270,000
Neal Settergren	329,000	380,000
Jeffrey Copeland	327,000	165,000
Gerald Cunniff	266,000	195,000
William Greaves	200,000	200,000
Tyler Breeding	191,000	191,000
Josh Reichard	153,000	180,000
Jacob Tourville	148,000	150,000
Mike Troutt	148,000	148,000
Eric Vogler	128,000	130,000
DJ Buckley	83,000	180,000
Jacob Long	46,000	65,000
Kenneth Sparks	27,000	100,000
Jesse Keel	11,000	58,000

Daniel Yoshiba Bubbles Day 1B

Photo: Daniel Yoshiba

There was all-in action on a board between Daniel Yoshiba from the hijack and Stephen Green from the small blind, with Yoshiba holding the effective stack.

Daniel Yoshiba:
Stephen Green:

Yoshiba was behind needing to find a lucky lady on the river, but the completed the board and ended his night on the bubble.

Stephen Green - 285,000
Daniel Yoshiba - 0

Tourville Flips Well on the Bubble

Photo: Jacob Tourville

Jacob Tourville raised all-in for 84,000 from the hijack, and Paul Belken looked him up from the button.

Jacob Tourville:
Paul Belken:

It was a flip, with Tourville calling the correct side, as the sweaty runout secured his double-up on the bubble.

Paul Belken - 200,000
Jacob Tourville - 180,000

Hand-for-Hand Begins

With 21 players remaining, the hand-for-hand process has begun, as only 20 will make Sunday’s Day 2.

Mike Estes Walks Away with an Epic Victory

For the second time ever, the MSPT made its way to St. Charles, MO, and players have been duking it out for the Ameristar Poker Open!

In Event #3: $300 Epic Stack NLH, 245 epic took to the felt and generated a $57,820 prize pool that was paid out to the top 24 players.

Among those to cash but fall before the final table were Mike Hurley (10^th Place - $1,041), Christopher Moore (13^th Place - $867), Sheila Grubbs (16^th Place - $753), MSPT Champ Jeff Copeland (20^th Place - $648), and Mark Lafata (24^th Place - $578).

In the end, it was Missouri native Mike Estes, who walked away with the epic victory, earning the outright win for his second Gold Card!

Final Table Results

Keel Dominates Hurley for a Double Up

Photo: Jesse Keel

Jesse Keel moved his short stack into the middle, and action folded to Mike Hurley, who looked him up from the big blind.

Jesse Keel:
Mike Hurley:

Keel rolled over a dominating hand, and didn’t have much of a sweat, as the runout secured his double-up.

Mike Hurly - 168,000
Jesse Keel - 60,000

$3,500 MSPT Championship Main Event Seat Winners So Far!

These 22 Players have already earned a $3,500 Seat to the $2M GTD RRPO MSPT Championship Main Event

Matthew Wantman

Kevin Meyers

Zilong Zhang

Vincent Moscati

June 'Oh Geez' Kim

Alex Foxen

Umut Ozturk

Jorden Helstern

Aaron Johnson

Wesley Cannon

Michael Estes

Yuchen "Carson" Chen

Lee Rzentkowski

Hamid Izadi

Sai Mudduluru

Peter Walsworth

Adam Walton

Josh Reichard

Andrew "Hunter" Willis

Mo Nuwwarah

Paul Lampl

Kirby Rogers

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL POKER OPEN (RRPO)

MSPT Championship (MAJOR)

: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, FL

: Nov. 18 - Dec. 2, 2026

: $3,500 Main Event (1.5X POY) / $2M GTD (Nov. 27 - Dec. 2)

: MSPT will be ADDING a $3,500 RRPO MSPT Championship Seat to every Main Event 1st Place in 2026

Aken Hooks Himself on a Pair of Aces

Photo: Jason Aken

After an initial 12,000 raise and one caller, Jason Aken squeezed his 133,000 stack into the middle from the hijack, and Neal Settergren went over the top from the small blind, giving him isolation.

Jason Aken:
Neal Settergren:

Aken found another pair of jacks against Settergren, but this time, Settergren rolled over the superior pair, and the runout sent Aken packing.

Neal Settergren - 380,000
Jason Aken - 0

Grimes Fades Broadway for a Double

Photo: James Grimes

James Grimes raised all-in from middle position and was called by the big blind.

James Grimes:
Big Blind:

Grimes was at risk, looking to pair his ace, and did once the sweaty flop hit the felt.

It was still a sweat for Grimes, as any jack or ten would send him packing, but the turn and river kept him in the lead, securing his double-up.

James Grimes - 60,000