Day 1a of the Mid-States Poker Tour Golden Gates Main Event attracted 98 entries, but after 13 levels of play, just 13 survived the first of three starting flights. Scott Stewart and his stack of 351,400 led the pack, while others to bag included Bobby Garcia (296,300), Daniel Carrales (213,800), Caufman Talley (158,900), and Phil Mader (49,000).

Stewart is less than two months removed from topping a field of 408 entries to win the Commerce Poker Series $1,650 Main Event for $105,245. He’s also a four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner. We’ll have to wait until Sunday to see if he can notch his first MSPT cash and maybe title.

Another player to bag was Denver’s Jim Rice, who some may remember from the hit TV show Survivor. When he was 35, Rice was a contestant on Survivor: South Pacific (Season 23) and wound up being the seventh player voted out (it happened on Day 24) and the first member of the jury.

Now 40, Rice operates a marijuana dispenser and likes to come to Golden Gates whenever the MSPT comes into town. His torch wasn’t snuffed on Day 1a as he bagged 92,200.

Of course not everyone was fortunate enough to make it through Day 1a. Among those to fire and fail were Travis Northrope, April’s MSPT Golden Gates runner-up Jason Vanstrom, 2016 MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship runner-up Cy Church, and MSPT Season 6 Golden Gates Regional and Main Event champs Bobby Sanoubane and Phanora Prom.

All of those players will have the opportunity to try again tomorrow if they so choose as Day1b will kick off at Noon local time. We’ve also been informed that a whole new crop of players are on their way to Colorado including MSPT Pro Matt Alexander, MSPT Running Aces champ Mark Sandness, and two-time MSPT champ Carl Carodenuto.

Be sure to join us then as we bring you updates straight from the tournament floor. Until then, goodnight from Black Hawk, Colorado!