McMaster Leads 50 Remaining Contenders on Day 2 of MSPT Meskwaki Main Event
It is time for Day 2 of the MSPT Meskwaki Main Event, in what promises to be a scintillating day of poker action where 50 players enter today with the goal of making a deep run toward the money, final table and beyond. Play begins at 11 a.m. local time and will be tentative to start, as the money bubble will be reached at 45 players remaining, a min cash being worth $2,174. Play will go all the way down until a winner is crowned and the grand prize of $86,951 is awarded.
Leading the field heading into the day will be Derek McMaster who brings a chip count of 482.500. He will be looking to add to what he describes as “his summer turned into his fall turned into this year” he declared at the table late in Day 1a. He was referring to the fact that he won his first WSOP bracelet this summer and that his success has so been extended to here in Meskwaki for the Minnesota native.
Right on his heels with a 2nd place chip count of 460,000 is Marquez Davis of Davenport, Iowa who has just one previous recorded tournament cash, which was earlier this year in March in the main event right here in Meskwaki. He will be looking to make turn his big stack into his first big splash on the poker scene.
Top 10 Chip Counts
| Position | Player | Chip Count |
| 1 | Derek McMaster | 482,500 |
| 2 | Marquez Davis | 460,000 |
| 3 | Nick Marsh | 443,000 |
| 4 | Taylor Howard | 359,500 |
| 5 | Kevin Berthelsen | 315,000 |
| 6 | Bradley Rohrer | 314,000 |
| 7 | Joseph Matheson | 267,000 |
| 8 | Alexander Condon | 254,500 |
| 9 | Jason Trezak | 244,500 |
| 10 | Ryan Phan | 243,000 |
The only other player to start the day with more than 400,000 in chips will be Iowan Nick Marsh who has a solid resume of mainly regional cashes, the largest of which being just north of $21,000.
Several big name players looking to disrupt the big stacks and accumulate momentum on Day 2 still remain. Including none other than current MSPT player of the year leader Mike Shin who has a stack of 115,500. He can strengthen his lead in the race even further today with a big result.
Recent MSPT champion in Shakpoee, Mike Esquivel also still remains with 217,500. He took down the Shakpoee Main Event in September for $98,113, as he will be looking to win another large MSPT title today.
Well-known player Adam Friedman is still alive and looking to gain momentum quickly on Day 2 as he brings with him a short stack of 45,000.
The 50 remaining players will begin play at 11 a.m. with time still remaining in Level 15 with blinds at 2,000/4,000 and with a 4,000 big blind ante. Levels will be 40-minutes in length and there will be a 10-minute break every three levels. When 27 players remain, the big blind ante format will be shelved in favor of the traditional ante and continue that way all the way down until a winner.
PokerNews will provide all the big hands, chip counts and eliminations as they happen so make sure to stay glued for some exciting MSPT final day action.