Day 1a of the Mid-States Poker Tour Iowa State Poker Championship proved to be a record-setting affair. Since the MSPT first visited Meskwaki Casino back in Season 3 – and in that time there have been 14 different events – the largest Day 1a flight was 181 entries. That changed today as 187 entrants took to the felt.
With a lot more players expected for Day 1b, the question is not if the $300,000 guarantee will be surpassed, it's by how much? That won't be answered until tomorrow, but in the meantime 29 players can sit back and relax as they survived the first flight's 14 levels of play.
Leading the pack is Nebraska farmer Phil Mader, who back in 2013 finished 43rd in the WSOP Main Event, which not only gave him $185,694 but also some TV time on ESPN. The man from Grand Island has been known to travel to MSPT stops within driving distance, and since Season 3 he's amassed 11 cashes and three final tables totaling $67,366.
Amazingly, six of those cashes have come right here at Meskwaki, with the best being third place for $27,501 back in Season 3. Clearly he's primed to make another deep run.
Others who bagged and tagged were Sun Hao (235,500), Todd "Odds" Haugen (214,000), Cory McCarthy (185,500), Mark "Loki" Abboud (166,500), Joe Barnard (146,500), Travis Burch (87,500), and the last woman standing, Kathy Hartwick (75,500).
Of course not everyone prospered on Day 1a. Among those to try and fail were former MSPT champs Jason Seitz, Keith Heine, and Erv Bjerga, just to name a few; MSPT Pro and commentator Matt Alexander; Season 6 Player of the Year Mark Hodge; the husband-wife team of Tom and Sherry Hammers; 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon; and the Wisconsin State Poker Champ Andy Rubinberg.
All of those players and any newcomers will be able to take their shot on Day 1b, which will get underway at 4:00 p.m. local time. Before that, at 10:30 a.m., there will be a $220+$30+$10 Last Chance Satellite that will see 20% of the field win their way into the Main Event.
Until then, goodnight from Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa!