2024 Maryland State Poker Championship

$600 Kickoff Event
Day: 1de
Event Info

2024 Maryland State Poker Championship

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q9
Prize
$77,869
Event Info
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$456,704
Entries
892
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Players Info - Day 1de
Entries
284
Players Left
37

Justin Arnwine Bags Big in Day 1d of $600 Kickoff Event; Eisenberg Not Far Behind

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Justin Arnwine
Justin Arnwine

Action has concluded in Day 1d of the the $600 Kickoff Event here at the Maryland State Poker Championship hosted by Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. Of the 145 runners who started the day, only 19 players will return for Day 2 on Sunday, all of whom have already made the money.

Justin Arnwine emerged as the overwhelming chip leader of Day 1d, bagging an impressive 707,000. Arnwine chipped up steadily throughout the day, and propelled his stack to the top of the leaderboard with just 20 players left when found himself in the dream spot with pocket aces versus his opponent's pocket kings. Arnwine, who is no stranger to the Maryland poker scene, heads into Day 2 with a healthy stack in hopes of locking up another victory.

Finishing Day 1d second in chips is Maryland native Lara Eisenberg with 537,000. Eisenberg won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in the 2021 $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Ladies Championship. Not far behind her in third is Sean Magness with 450,000.

Lara Eisenberg
Lara Eisenberg

Day 1d Top 10 Chip Counts

PlacePlayerCountryChip Count
1Justin ArnwineUnited States707,000
2Lara EisenbergUnited States537,000
3Sean MagnessUnited States450,000
4Paul KiemUnited States349,000
5Wesley ClarkUnited States276,000
6Alan GendelmanUnited States265,000
7Yevgeny GansUnited States235,000
8Michael RobinsonUnited States208,000
9Anthony Collurafici JrUnited States207,000
10Kirk WillisUnited States205,000

The remaining 19 players all locked up a seat for Day 2 when Mark Castaldo was eliminated on the stone bubble, when he was involved in a three-way all in as the short stack at the table.

Mark Castaldo
Mark Castaldo

Day 1e began at 6:15 p.m. local time, and chip counts will be posted once the flight is completed.

Day 1f will begin August 3 at 11:15 a.m. local time, with blinds starting at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Play will conclude once 12.5% of the field remains, and those who bag will be in the money for Day 2. At the end of every four levels, players will be sent on a 15-minute break. Day 2 will commence on Sunday, August 4 at 11:15 a.m. local time.

Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the entirety of the $600 Kickoff Event here at the Maryland State Poker Championship.

Tags: Alan GendelmanAnthony Collurafici JrJustin ArnwineKirk WillisLara EisenbergMark CastaldoMichael RobinsonPaul KiemSean MagnessWesley ClarkYevgeny Gans

Arwine Sitting with a Mountain of Chips

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Justin Arnwine
Justin Arnwine

Action picked up on the turn with a sizable pot brewing between Justin Arnwine and his opponent.

With the board reading 8?5?7?Q? and a pile of chips already in the middle, the out-of-position player checked and Arnwine moved all in, putting his opponent at risk, who eventually made the call.

Opponent: K?K? All in
Justin Arnwine: A?A?

The river landed the A? and Arwine's set of aces earned him the massive pot.

Player Chips Progress
Justin Arnwine us
Justin Arnwine
620,000
170,000
170,000
Day 1D Chip Leader

Tags: Justin Arnwine

Kiem Picks off the Bluff

Level 15 : Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Paul Kiem
Paul Kiem

Action folded around to Lara Eisenberg in the small blind who completed, and Paul Kiem checked in the big blind.

The flop came 2?K?8? and both players checked to the Q? turn.

Eisenberg bet 7,500 and Kiem called, bringing the 5? river.

Eisenberg sized up with a bet of 21,000 and Kiem thought for a moment before making the call.

Eisenberg showed J?9? for a busted straight draw and Kiem tabled 8?6? to scoop the pot with a pair of eights.

Player Chips Progress
Paul Kiem us
Paul Kiem
350,000
115,000
115,000
Lara Eisenberg us
Lara Eisenberg
245,000
-40,000
-40,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Lara EisenbergPaul Kiem

Magness Flushes Out Yeh

Level 15 : Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Sean Magness
Sean Magness

Action folded to Lilly Yeh in middle position, and she raised to 8,000. She was called by Justin Arnwine in the hijack, and Sean Magness in the big blind.

The flop came 5?10?8? and Magness checked to Yeh who bet out 11,000. Arnwine folded, before Magness raised all in. Yeh made the call to put her tournament at risk.

Lilly Yeh: Q?Q? All in
Sean Magness: 9?5?

Yeh was ahead with her pocket queens, but the Q? on the turn improved Magness to a flush. Yeh needed the board to pair to stay alilve, but when the river was the K?, she was officially eliminated from the tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Sean Magness us
Sean Magness
260,000
95,000
95,000
Lilly Yeh us
Lilly Yeh
Busted

Tags: Sean MagnessJustin Arnwine

Eisenberg Building a Stack

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Lara Eisenberg
Lara Eisenberg

The under-the-gun player limped, as did the player in middle position, and Lara Eisenberg raised to 14,000 on the button. Under the gun moved all in, putting himself at risk, middle position folded, and Eisenberg called.

Under the gun: 6x6x All in
Lara Eisenberg: A?K?

The board ran out 5?7?J?2?K?, with Eisenberg pairing her king on the river to send her opponent to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Lara Eisenberg us
Lara Eisenberg
285,000
61,000
61,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Lara Eisenberg

Riebel Spikes a Ten

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Matthew Riebel
Matthew Riebel

Matthew Riebel, Mark Castaldo and a short-stacked player were involved in a three-way all in preflop, with Castaldo covering both of his opponents.

Short-stacked player: A?9? All in
Matthew Riebel: A?10? All in
Mark Castaldo: A?J?

The board ran out 6?8?4?2?10? and Riebel scooped both the main pot and the side pot with a pair of tens.

Player Chips Progress
Matthew Riebel us
Matthew Riebel
80,000
51,500
51,500
Mark Castaldo us
Mark Castaldo
6,000
-69,000
-69,000

Tags: Mark CastaldoMatthew Riebel

Karl Doubles with Aces

Level 10 : Blinds 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Lisa Karl
Lisa Karl

Action picked up on the turn in a hand between David Tarantino and Lisa Karl. With about 21,500 in the middle and the board reading 5?3?6?9?, Tarantino checked and Karl moved all in for 13,600, putting herself at risk. Tarantino made the call.

Lisa Karl: AxAx All in
David Tarantino: 9?7?

The river 2? was a brick for Karl, earning her the pot and the double up.

Player Chips Progress
Lisa Karl us
Lisa Karl
48,700
24,700
24,700
David Tarantino us
David Tarantino
25,600
-6,400
-6,400

Tags: David TarantinoKarl Doubles

Wamsganz Rivers the Nuts

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Michael Wamsganz
Michael Wamsganz

Action was caught on the flop of 9?4?Q? in a hand between Dennis Saneski in the hijack, Michael Wamsganz on the button, and the player in the big blind.

With about 8,000 in the pot, it checked through to the A? turn. The big blind led out for 2,500, and both Saneski and Wamsganz called.

The river brought the K? and it checked around to Wamsganz, who bet 7,000. The big blind folded and Saneski flicked in the call after a moment of thought.

Wamsganz tabled J?10? for the nut straight to scoop the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Dennis Saneski us
Dennis Saneski
64,000
64,000
64,000
Michael Wamsganz us
Michael Wamsganz
45,000
20,100
20,100

Tags: Dennis SaneskiMichael Wamsganz

Kim Makes Quads

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Simon Kim
Simon Kim

Action was picked up on the flop with the board showing 6?A?9? with about 13,500 in the pot.

Simon Kim was all in for 18,800, and Mohammed Anwary called to put Kim at risk.

Simon Kim: A?9? All in
Mohammed Anwary: K?3?

Kim was ahead with his flopped top two pair, but Anwary could hit a club to make the nut flush. But when the board ran out 9? on the turn, and 9? on the river, Kim improved to quad nines and secured the double up.

Player Chips Progress
Simon Kim us
Simon Kim
52,000
40,000
40,000
Mohammed Anwary us
Mohammed Anwary
34,000
-21,000
-21,000

Tags: Mohammed AnwarySimon Kim

Hunt Sends Opponent to the Rail

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante
Ronald Hunt
Ronald Hunt

Action was caught on the flop of J?4?6? in a hand between Ronald Hunt in the hijack and the player in middle position.

With close to 4,000 in the pot, middle position bet 2,000 and Hunt called, bringing the K? turn.

Middle position checked and Hunt bet 3,500. Middle position thought for a moment before moving all in for 5,600 total, putting herself at risk. Hunt quickly made the call.

Middle position: Q?Q? All in
Ronald Hunt: K?6?

The river brought the 6?, improving Hunt's hand to a full house, sixes full of kings, earning him the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Ronald Hunt us
Ronald Hunt
47,000

Tags: Ronald Hunt