Gonia Leads, Seeks Second MSPT Title
Day 1b of Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki is in the books after 14 levels of play. Minnesotan David Gonia went on a huge rush in the last few levels of the night to bag a monstrous 392,000, nearly 100,000 clear of Day 1a leader and fellow Minnesota native Brandon Meyers.
Gonia is no stranger to running deep in MSPT events, as his breakthrough live cash came in February 2013, when he shipped the first event of the season at Running Aces Harness Park for $93,941.
The total field Saturday was 204, and 35 players survived to brave the short turnaround to Sunday morning's Day 2. A total of 71 will return. Among other Day 1b survivors: Chance Lautner (289,000), Ben Keeline (261,500), Brian Zupancich (229,000), Lance Harris (208,500), Matt Alexander (121,000), Scott Mahin (85,500), Adam Zych, (65,000), Molly Mossey (36,500), and Ryan Hohenstein (36,000).
Harris is coming off of a strong World Series of Poker in which he added about $150,000 to his war chest via five cashes, including a fourth in Event #11 for nearly $120,000. Harris got things going early by busting Ryan Hartmann with top two, but he ran into a significant and strange roadblock late in the night.
Apparently, the flop had come 
and Terry Ring had bet 20,000. Harris raised to 50,000, and Zupancich went all in for just over 70,000.
"Alright, let's do it," Ring apparently said as he dropped some chips into the pot. Harris called, flipping , but Zupancich had the lead with for a set. Ring was in last with 
. Nobody improved on the last two streets, and Zupancich dragged the massive pot.
Harris collected what he presumed to be a side pot containing all of Ring's remaining chips, but Ring pointed out that he had never actually said all in. The floor was called, and the ruling was that since Ring never moved in, everyone had just called Zupancich's bet and Ring would retain his last 45,000. A disgusted Harris tossed the chips back into the middle, saying he thought Ring was all in and he was calling Ring's shove as well.
Ultimately, Harris got his revenge by busting Ring a short time later.
In addition to Ring, Brett Kuznia, John Morgan, Allen Kessler, Josh Reichard, Matt Kirby, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Anderson, Brett Schwertley, and Chris Tryba fell short of the finish line.
The 71 Day 2 qualifiers will be back at it at 10 a.m. local time here in Tama, Iowa, so don't go far. The highlights of the action will be posted right here on PokerNews.