FireKeepers Casino

Aaron Massey Looks to Go Back-to-Back; Parris Collins Bags Day 1b Chip Lead Among 76 Survivors

Yesterday, the 195 entrants that took to the felt for the MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship set a Day 1a record here at FireKeepers for largest opening flight ever. Today, the same can be said of Day 1b, which officially attracted 338 entries (up from the 310 last spring). That brings the current field up to 533 entries with Day 1c still to go, meaning there’s a good chance the spring event, which holds the record for largest MSPT event in the Midwest with 820 entries, will be surpassed as just 288 entries are needed to set a new MSPT record.

After 14 levels of play on Day 1b, 76 players remained with Lansing’s Parris Collins and his stack of 318,000 leading the way, which is ahead of the 287,000 of Day 1a chip leader Casey Carroll. Others who bagged big on Day 1b were Brekstyn Schuteen (287,500), Jianming Zeng (236,500), and Mark Johnson Jr. (202,500).

However, one of the biggest stories of the day was the return of Aaron Massey, who won the aforementioned spring tournament for $174,658. Massey, who was accompanied by his brother Ralph, picked up right where he left off as he started building a stack immediately after late registering the tournament. Aaron and Ralph bagged 196,500 and 43,000 respectively.

Others who advanced from Day 1b were MSPT Meskwaki champ Keith Heine (145,000), Griff Woodman (120,000), Nick Pupillo (101,500), Xingjun Chen (70,500), Philip Wojtuniecki (43,500), and Bruce Swart (33,500).

Of course not everyone could make it through the day. Among those to hit the rail were Wisconsin State Poker Champion Andy Rubinberg; Ray Ross, who before today had never played a tournament costing more than $30 (other than the $65 satellite he won); Minnesota poker pro Aaron Johnson; recent WPTDeepStacks Iowa champ Jeff Fielder, and the man who finished runner-up to him, Mike Lang; and two-time MSPT champ Jason Zarlenga.

All of those players will have the opportunity to try again in Saturday’s final flight. We’ll be back at Noon tomorrow for Day 1c action, so be sure to join us then for all the latest and greatest straight from the floor of the MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship!

Day 1b Chip Counts

Four More Hands

The tournament staff has just announced that the remaining players will play four more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for a full list of survivors complete with chip counts as well as a recap of the Day 1b action.

Mark Johnson Spikes Turn in Massive Pot to Eliminate David Armintrout

David Armintrout opened for 11,000 only to have Mark Johnson three-bet to 25,000 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Armintrout and he called to see a flop. Armintrout checked, Johnson bet 22,000, and Armintrout check-raised to 60,000.

Johnson responded by moving all in and Armintrout, who had 15,000 or so back, quickly called off.

Armintrout:
Johnson:

Johnson seemed dejected that his aces had been cracked, but his spirits were lifted when the dealer burned and turned the to give him a bigger set. Armintrout needed the case six to stay alive, but it wasn’t in the cards as the blanked on the river instead.

Mark Johnson - 165,000
David Armintrout - Busted

Sean Garner and James Merryman Off to the Races

James Merryman moved all in for 25,000 from early position and action folded all the way around to Sean Garner, who opted to call from the big blind.

Merryman:
Garner:

It was a flip, and while the flop didn’t hit Garner directly, it did give him a bunch more outs. Unfortunately for him, neither the turn nor river was what he was looking for and Merryman doubled through.

James Merryman - 55,000
Sean Garner - 6,000

Some Late Night Shots

David Gutfreund Gutted

Muosa Abudalou Pulls Ahead Against Phil Wojtunieck

Muosa Abudalou opened for 4,000 from middle position and Phil Wojtuniecki called from the cutoff. Keith Heine came along from the small blind and three players saw a flop of . Heine checked, Abudalou continued for 6,000, and Wojtuniecki called.

Heine got out of the way, the dealer burned and turned the , and Abudalou check-called a bet of 6,000. When the completed the board on the river, both players checked and Wojtuniecki showed the . Unfortunately for him it was no good as Abudalou pulled ahead on the river with his .

Muosa Abudalou - 185,000
Phil Wojtuniecki - 85,000

Last Break of the Night

Players are now on their last 10-minute break of the night. When they return they’ll play two more 40-minute levels before bagging and tagging.

A Look at the Next Stop -- MSPT Visits Iowa for the Last Time in Season 7 Oct. 29 Through Nov. 6

For the last time in Season 7, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is headed back to Iowa. From October 29 – November 6, Meskwaki Casino in Tama will play host to a series of satellites, bonus events, and a capstone $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed Main Event.

"Meskwaki Casino has been a staple on our schedule dating back to 2012, and it continues to maintain its position as one of the tour's most popular stops," said MSPT President Bryan Mileski. "Players tend to flock to the stop not only because of the $300,000 guarantee, but because the folks at Meskwaki know how to treat poker players. For them, there's no bigger priority than offering quality customer service, which is reflected in their tournaments."

The stop, which requires players be just 18 years or older to participate, will hold its Main Event from Friday, November 4 through Sunday, November 6. Day 1a will kick off Friday evening with Day 1a at 4 p.m. with the plan of playing 14 levels. Day 1b will then take place at the same time on Saturday. Players who advance from Main Event Flight 1a to Day 2 are not eligible to play in Flight 1b. The remaining players from each flight will combine on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. and play until a champion is crowned.

The Main Event final table will be broadcast LIVE (15-minute delay) worldwide on msptpoker.com using RFID technology allowing all viewers to see the hole cards. In addition, the entirety of the Main Event will be live reported in the MSPT live blog, which can be found on msptpoker.com once the tournament begins. Simply look for the neon green button that reads "Live Updates."

The last time the MSPT visited the property was back in July when John Sun, who currently holds a strong lead in the MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year race, topped a field of 451 entries to win the 2^nd Annual Iowa State Poker Championship for $104,627.

Before that, 34-year-old Keith Heine topped a field of 409 entries back in March to capture a $100,981 first-place prize. Other past winners of the MSPT Meskwaki include Rich Alsup (November 2015; 410 entries; $101,229 prize), MSPT Pro Blake Bohn (July 2015; 410 entries; $101,229 prize), and Chad Willett (March 2015; 371 entries; $96,760 prize), just to name a few.

In addition to the satellites and Main Event, Meskwaki Casino will host two bonus events. The first is on Monday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m. and is a $50 no-limit hold'em rebuy event with 20-minute levels. The second, a $20 no-limit hold'em rebuy, will then be held at the same time on Tuesday, November 1.

Here's a look at the MSPT Meskwaki schedule:

Located in Tama, Iowa — between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids on Highway 30 — Meskwaki Casino features a huge bingo hall, table games, active craps tables, good blackjack games, horse book, indoor pool, exercise room, spa, and a large number of hotel rooms. For players looking to fly to the stop, the airport in Des Moines is the closest option.