Day 1b of the $2,200 Main Event Event is underway here at the Maryland State Poker Championship hosted by Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. The PokerStars sponsored tournament features a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool, with the first of two starting flights having been completed yesterday.
Players who advance from each flight will combine and return for Day 2 on Sunday, August 11, where action will play down to the final six players. The remaining competitors will return for the third and final day on Monday, August 12, where a winner will be crowned.
Last year's installment of the event attracted 172 runners, and the first flight saw 100 entrants pony up the $2,200 buy-in this year. Only 13 of those competitors will be advancing to Day 2, all of whom have already made the money.
Day 1a Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Bills | United States | 844,000 |
| 2 | Nicholas Banyas | United States | 583,000 |
| 3 | John Kostelac | United States | 440,000 |
| 4 | Brandon Mueller | United States | 422,000 |
| 5 | Derek Sudell | United States | 306,000 |
| 6 | Xiaoqiong Liu | United States | 296,000 |
| 7 | Joseph Crowley | United States | 274,000 |
| 8 | Tim Faro | United States | 252,000 |
| 9 | Carlos Chadha Villamarin | United States | 194,000 |
| 10 | Charles Furey | United States | 189,000 |
| 11 | Daniel Lim | United States | 90,000 |
| 12 | Matthew Zambanini | United States | 88,000 |
| 13 | David Olshan | United States | 21,000 |
Players begin each starting flight with 40,000 in chips and blinds will start at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Blinds will increase every 30 minutes on Day 1 and every 40 minutes on Day 2. Play for Day 1 flights will conclude once 12.5% of the field remains, and those who bag will be in the money for Day 2.
Late registration and reentries are permitted through level 12, with 15-minute breaks taking place every three levels. A one hour dinner break will take place after Level 9 at approximately 5:45 p.m. local time.
Unlimited re-entries are allowed, and players may play both Day 1 flights in an attempt to increase their chip counts. Should a player choose to play multiple Day 1 flights, only the highest qualifying stack will be permitted to continue to Day 2, and they will receive a min-cash for their other qualifying stack.
Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1b | August 10 | 11:15 a.m. |
| Day 2 | August 11 | 12:15 p.m. |
| Day 3 | August 12 | 2:15 p.m. |
Also up for grabs for the first place winner is a Gold Pass to the NAPT Las Vegas Main Event in November. PokerStars will be awarding the last player standing the Gold Pass package, which includes a seven-night stay at Resorts World Las Vegas, $1,800 for travel expenses, and the $5,300 tournament buy-in.
Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the entirety of the $2,200 Main Event here at the Maryland State Poker Championship.
