2014 MSPT Majestic Star Casino Day 1b: Ritchie Idrovo Takes Lead with Late Surge
Ritchie Idrovo's late climb up the chip counts resulted in him bagging a Day 1b-best 205,900 at the 2014 Mid-States Poker Tour Majestic Star Casino. A total of 52 players survived the nine-level heat, and rounding out the top five stacks were Jason Martens, Nick Pupillo, Jason Smith, and Carter Gent.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ritchie Idrovo | 205,900 |
| 2 | Jason Martens | 197,600 |
| 3 | Nick Pupillo | 192,600 |
| 4 | Jason Smith | 152,300 |
| 5 | Carter Gent | 122,800 |
| 6 | Fadi Hamad | 122,500 |
| 7 | Robert Buckman | 113,900 |
| 8 | Joshua Givant | 105,700 |
| 9 | M. Reid | 98,000 |
| 10 | George Dietz | 95,000 |
Idrovo's ascent up the leader board came during the last level of the night. In the first big pot, he opened for a raise to 5,200 under the gun, and a player in middle position called. The small blind shipped it for 13,800, and Idrovo reraised to 23,200. The caller inquired about the legality of the raise before folding after the dealer assured him it was an allowable wager.
Idrovo: A♦K♦
Small blind: K♣Q♦
Idrovo had a commanding lead, but a 10♣7♦9♣ flop gave his opponent a straight draw, while a 6♠ turn meant an eight would chop the pot. The board paired with the 7♠ though, and Idrovo eliminated his short-stacked opponent.
Shortly thereafter, Idrovo wielded another monster in an all-in pot, busting an opponent when his aces held against jacks.
Among the notables bagging stacks at the end of Day 1b included Matt Alexander (66,000), Ken Payne (61,800), "Wild" Bill Romer (53,900), and Terry Ring (22,700).
Notably, Alexander may have broken out of his recent MSPT jinx when he managed to come from behind for a late double up to secure a Day 2 appearance.
Mark Kroon, Tom Midena, Doug Redmann, Tom Tracy, and Mike Reynolds were among the notable players falling out of contention on Saturday.
The 86 players from both Day 1 fields return on Sunday when they will play down to a winner. Prize pool information will be available at that time, so be sure to tune in to PokerNews for the conclusion of the tournament and the crowning of an MSPT champion.
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