Live Updates From Shooting Star Casino
Down to 19. The top 13 qualify for nationals and the top 6 earn travel accommodations. Haile Demise is still alive in this tournament with a healthy stack. He has already qualified, winning his Super-TOC. Haile is going for a DOUBLE chip stack at the national tournament and the extra travel accommodations!
8:30pm update: Down to 21 players. Dwight Perkins showed pocket Aces to scoop another big pot knocking out Ric Claydon from Marie's in Red Wing. Dwight is the overall chip leader. The only former champ left in the field is Anthony Thompson who made a deep run in the Gold Rush 2 National Final. John Magnuson from Z103 Bar & Grill has a lot of chips.
7:15pm update: break. Joel Belgarde from RC Silver Spur in Grand Rapids has a monster stack, Lenny Anderson is building as well..Former national champ Clay Lipke busted. We're down to 38 players...A heads-up tourney on the Poker Tek game paid out a $45 buy-in to the nightly tournament here at the casino. The Tag-Team event is still going with 2 tables remaining.
6:35pm update: Down to 48 players. Lenny Anderson from Mike's Uptown in Hill City is one of chip leaders. Corey Loren busted. Nels Peterson has taken a few hits and is down to 40k... AJ Bunkowske and Joel Belgarde are also among the current chip leaders.
5:00pm update: dinner break. we are down to approximately 115 players. Amazingly, Nels Peterson is stealing the show as the current chip leader with roughly 90,000 in chips. He recently got moved into a table where there are 3 of the top 4 chip stacks, including Corey Loren from Lindees (Arden Hills, MN) to his left with about 70,000 in chips. There's a long way to go, but things are shaping up pretty well for Nels. Former Champs Jeremy Lee and Clay Lipke also have healthy stacks...
There are TWENTY players in this field who have a major prize package in the league, totaling over $67,500!!!
Nels Peterson, the reigning National Champ, is among an experienced field today. In round 8, Nels won a huge pot when his pocket Aces turned trips versus his opponent's set of 7's.
Side tournaments include a Poker Tek Heads Up video game where winners receive a tshirt! Also there will be a Tag Team Tourney at 6pm for $200 cash, and various sit-n-go's for a $45-buy in to the nightly tournament at the poker room!