$600 Kickoff Event Day 1f | 2024 Maryland State Poker Championship

08-03-2024 13:29 UTC-5

Martin Wins Big with Two Pair

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Nick Becker

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Action was caught on the flop of Q♦J♠6♥ in a hand between Michael Choe in the hijack and John Martin in the cutoff.

With 13,100 in the pot, Choe check-called a bet of 7,500 from Martin, bringing the A♦ turn.

Choe checked again and Martin bet 11,500. Choe then came over the top and moved all in, putting Martin at risk, who had 37,800 behind. Martin thought for a moment and reluctantly put in the call.

John Martin: A♥Q♥ All in
Michael Choe: J♣10♥

The river landed the 8♣ and Martin's two pair, aces and queens, earned him the pot and the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Martin	139,800 94,300	94,300
Michael Choe	7,200

Tags: John Martin Michael Choe

08-03-2024 13:27 UTC-5

Pinson Triples Up with Jacks

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Tyler Boyer

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Craig Seltzer raised to 1,200 before Robert Buckley three-bet to 2,400. Then Sushanth Pinson four-bet all in for 13,100, which Seltzer called. Then Buckley five-bet all in for 132,100. That forced Seltzer to fold, leaving the two players heads up, with Pinson at risk.

Sushanth Pinson: J♠J♦ All in
Robert Buckley: 4♠4♥

Pinson was in great shape to triple up with his pocket jacks, and when the board ran out 5♣6♠J♣Q♣4♦ both players made a set, but the set of jacks were best, and Pinson secured the triple up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Buckley	132,100
Craig Seltzer	80,100
Sushanth Pinson	41,200

Tags: Craig Seltzer Robert Buckley

08-03-2024 13:13 UTC-5

Salera Takes it Down

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Tyler Boyer

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Action was picked up on the flop with roughly 7,500 in the pot and the board showing 3♥3♠7♦.

Daniel Beavers checked to Robert Salera, who bet out 2,800. Beavers made the call to see a turn.

Both players checked after the K♦ turn, and Q♣ river.

Beavers told Salera "You're good" and Salera tabled 10♠10♦ and his pocket tens were good enough to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Trevor Tracy	120,000 58,500	58,500
Daniel Beavers	85,000
Robert Salera	39,500

Tags: Daniel Beavers Robert Salera

08-03-2024 13:10 UTC-5

Oar Finds the Dream Spot

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Nick Becker

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Michael Oar raised to 1,200 in the hijack, the player in the cutoff three-bet to 3,500, the player on the button cold called, as did the player in the big blind. Oar then four-bet to 13,200, getting calls from the button and the big blind.

The flop came 2♦J♥Q♣ and the big blind moved all in for about 12,000, putting himself at risk. Oar reshoved for 16,000 total and the button called, covering both the big blind and Oar.

Big blind: Q♥10♥ All in
Michael Oar: A♠Q♠ All in
Button: 9♥8♥

The turn landed the K♣ and the river brought the 7♦, with Oar's pair of queens earning him the sizable pot.

The player on the button busted the next hand when he got all in preflop for his last 10,000 with queen-four, falling to his opponent's ace-jack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Oar	87,000

Tags: Michael Oar

Level: 6

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

08-03-2024 12:56 UTC-5

Barrera Spikes a King to Double Up

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Tyler Boyer

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Benjiman Brown limped in under the gun, and when it folded to Toby Barrera, he raised to 1,500. Mohamed Salem in the small blind, Ivan Loh in the big blind, and Brown all made the call.

The flop came 7♥4♥6♣ when Salem and Loh checked, before Brown led out for a bet of 3,500. Barrea then announced all in for 16,200. Salem then three-bet all in as well, which made Loh and Brown quickly fold, leaving the players heads up, with Barrea at risk.

Toby Barrera: K♥6♥ All in
Mohamed Salem: A♦7♣

Salem had the best hand with his top pair, top kicker. But after the K♣ on the turn, it was Barrera with best hand. The 2♦ river was no help for Salem, and Barrera secured the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohamed Salem	57,500 33,500	33,500
Benjiman Brown	39,700
Toby Barrera	39,200
Ivan Loh	30,500

Tags: Ivan Loh Mohamed Salem Toby Barrera

08-03-2024 12:52 UTC-5

Radiologist & Ladies Champion Lara Eisenberg Making a Run in Maryland

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Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

As a radiologist, Dr. Lara Eisenberg is used to examining patients and reading medical reports. But Eisenberg is doing a different kind of reading this weekend as she picks up tells on opponents and accumulates chips in the $600 Kickoff Event at the PokerStars 2024 Maryland State Poker Championship.

Eisenberg, who in her spare time is a serious poker enthusiast nearly seven figures in Hendon Mob earnings, bagged third in chips in yesterday's starting flight and will likely enter Day 2 of the $300,000 guaranteed event with a top-ten stack.

“It’s been a great event," she told PokerNews after bagging on Friday night. "They always run amazing tournaments here. The table’s been fun. I was at the same table all day and we’ve had a great time.”

Chien Turns a Flush to Double Up

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Nick Becker

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Action went five-ways to a flop of 3♣8♥4♣, with 8,000 in the middle. Charlie Chien checked in the small blind, David Slotkin who was under the gun bet 4,500, and it folded back around to Chien who called.

The turn landed the 6♣ and Chien led out with a bet of 10,000. Slotkin made the call.

The river brought the 5♠ and Chien moved all in for 10,800, putting himself at risk. Slotkin made the call and saw the bad news when Chien turned over J♣5♣ for a flush.

"Bad time for a set," said Slotkin, as he tossed his cards into the muck.

Slotkin was left with about 20,000 but busted the next hand when his ace-four ran into ace-jack on an ace-high flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
Charlie Chien	58,600
David Slotkin	Busted

Tags: Charlie Chien David Slotkin

08-03-2024 12:32 UTC-5

Life Outside Poker: Ian Simpson Thinks Science Can Save the World

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Connor Richards

Level 5 : 300/500, 500 ante

Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 13th episode, Connor speaks with 888poker ambassador and Twitch streamer Ian Simpson, who talked about first learning poker as a kid, getting a degree in biotechnology and becoming a biology teacher, poker streaming and his breakout year of live poker in 2013 that saw him winning the Irish Poker Open for $339,604.

Simpson also discussed the importance of being a responsible poker ambassador and how science can change the world for the better.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Ian Simpson by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Tags: Connor Richards Ian Simpson

Level: 5

Blinds: 300/500

Ante: 500