10:45pm

MIKE SCHNEIDER is the big winner from Champs in Dickinson!

On the 8th hand of heads-up play, Mike finished off Ernie.  Ernie had lost a few blinds before he made his move and was down to less than 100k in chips going into the final hand.

Mike 5-6

Ernie 4-7

Flop: 7-5-7 turn card 8 river 9 -- giving Mike a straight and the win!

Ernie congratulated Mike and the gallery applauded our new league champion.  Mike will be busy making plans to go to the Bahamas to play in the World Poker Tour!  

More pictures will be posted soon...

Congratulations to Mike and everyone who made the final table. 

10:35pm

It's down to Mike Schneider (Champs-Dickinson) and Ernie Hedman (Rounders-Watertown). 

Mike has a HUGE chip lead and Ernie is a big underdog.  But you never know!  A double up early could change everything very quickly...

Mike 1,080,000

Ernie 180,000

10:30pm

We're heads-up! 

We got down to 3 when Rhonda Kraft, the overall points leader in Dakota Poker League this season, busted in 4th place after losing a race situation with Mike Schneider.  Rhonda had raised the pot preflop with K-Q and Mike Schneider moved in with 7-7.  The flop was no help to her.  A heck of a run for Rhonda, the last female player remaining in the tournament.  The hand was huge, making Mike Schneider the new chip leader. 

A couple of hands later...

IN A STUNNING HAND, Corey Eslinger lost a HUGE POT to Mike Schneider.  After being the chip leader for most of the final table and playing a nearly flawless tournament, Corey called off most of his chips to Mike Schneider with what appeared to be a huge draw (he mucked and later told me he had a flush draw and inside straight with middle pair).  Mike held K-5 and flopped top pair and rivered a set of kings.   Corey explained that after putting a ton of chips into the draw he felt he was ahead with a pair of queens, and that Mike was bluffing.  Unfortunately for Corey, this mistep cost him the tournament.  Corey's chip stack was crippled.  The next hand he busted.  It was a tough blow for Corey and he is obviously disappointed.  Corey won an I-Pod Nano, Dakota Poker Tour buy in worth $200, as well as a bar sign and various other merchandise for his 3rd place finish.

10:15pm

Cory Solberg and Corey Eslinger got all the chips in when Solberg hit top pair with Q-J in the big blind.  Eslinger insta-called Solberg's all in with pocket Kings.  The hand makes Eslinger a big chip leader with 4 players left...

10:00pm

BREAK - 10 minute break before we go to the 10000/20000 blind level.

Corey Eslinger is still the chip leader.

Rhonda Kraft picked up a few pots by taking down blinds.  After making another big raise preflop (50k), Mike Schneider came over the top for 100k.  Rhonda counted chips and it appeared she was going to move in.  Right when she started to push her stack, she hesitated...It appeared Mike was going to insta-call.  Rhonda revisisted the tank and decided to fold. 

9:35pm

Rick busted.  Rick was the short stack and he moved in with A-5, and lost to Rhonda Kraft's pocket Jacks.

Corey Eslinger 400k 

Cory Solberg 230k

Rhonda Kraft 275k

Ernie 100k

Mike Schneider 180k

9:25pm

Greta busted to Cory Solberg.  Both players were in the blinds.  It folded around to Cory in the small blind (who woke up to pocket aces).  Cory pushed all in and Greta called with Q-J of clubs on the short stack.  Bad flop for Greta, Cory made the nut heart flush and sent Greta home.

9:05pm

Rhonda Kraft busted Pat Crary.  After a flop 10c-6c-8, Rhonda moved in and Pat called with Q-9 of clubs.  Rhonda had 6-4 (middle pair).  Pat had 21 outs and missed! 

Ernie doubled through Corey.

Russ Nehring busted in a 3-way pot with Rick & Ernie.

Pete busted with jacks to Cory Solberg's pocket aces.

9:00pm

Corey Eslinger took the first big pot off Ernie.

The very next hand Ernie and Mike both had pocket Aces --- split pot!

8:00pm

FINAL TABLE!

Brandon Stewart (Baby Boomers-Aberdeen) and Mike Schultz (Bucks-G.F.) busted.

We're going to take 15 minute break to get the final table ready... 

Here are the remaining players:

Pat Crary (Dempsey's-Fargo)

Russ Nehring (Million Dollar Lanes-Williston)

Pete Lauthen (Fargo Elks)

Ernie Hedman (Rounders-Watertown)

Greta Trader (Captain's Pub-Valley City)

Corey Eslinger (JT Cigarro-Fargo)

Rhonday Kraft (Midway Lanes)

Mike Schneider (Champs-Dickinson)

Rick Wiege (Brick City Bar & Grill)

Greta Trader

7:45pm

More players go down.  At this rate, we're going to have our final table soon.

Justin Larson, Luverne Hanson, Dan Jordet, and Jeri Schmidt busted. 

Corey Eslinger is coming on strong with 191k.

It just might be his day?  Justin Larson moved in on a short stack, and Eslinger called from the big blind without looking.  When the cards are turned over, Corey shows pocket Aces.

Cory Solberg (Harwood Legion) is also sitting good with 150k.

7:30pm

We took a short break to re-seat the final 2 tables...

Mike Schneider is our chip leader with 140k.

Latest busts

Joey Fischer 19th place

Derek Zimmel 20th place 

7:00pm

Rhonda Kraft from Midway Lanes in Mandan, ND (overall points leader for the fall season) has had an up and down tournament.  She got in a race situation for her tournament life and won.

Victor Sprechter (Midway Lanes-Mandan, ND) just busted. 

6:40pm

Jake Moes, the last remaining Watertown player, just busted... 

Lowell Leonard from the Stadium II in Bottineau busted...

Russ Nehring (Million Dollar Lanes-Williston) doubled through Charlie Norreen (South Gate-G.F.)

Brandon Stewart from Baby Boomers in Aberdeen is doing well...he has the biggest chip stack of the remaining South Dakota players... 

6:30pm

HUGE HAND ALERT:

Shane Halvorsen & Mike Schneider have been tangling up.  With the blinds 1500/3000, Shane raised to 6000 on the button.  Mike came over the top out of the smll blind with pocket 4's for 23k more.  Shane went into the tank for a couple of minutes and moved in.  Mike hesitated, then called for all his chips.  The cards were turned up, Shane held J-10 offsuit and Mike held 4-4!  The board came A-A-2-8-K, giving Mike the massive pot.  Bottom line is, we have a new chip leader!

6:15pm

We lost a whole bunch of players in 40 minutes.  We are now down to 31. 

There are still 5 female players left...

One of them is Greta Trader (pictured right) from Captain Pub in Valley City.  She made a great read to double through Derek Zimmel-Grand Forks.  Holding pocket Aces to a board of Q-Q-8, she called Derek's bets on the flop and 4th and 5th street.  On the river Derek announced, "You must have me beat" and showed pocket sevens at the showdown. 

Some players that recently busted:

Kelly McMonagle (T's Shamrock-Casselton)

Diana Cominghay (Down Under-Grand Forks)

Jeff Wilson (Sandoon Saloon-Sanborn, ND)

5:35pm

Here are our current chip leaders with 49 to go:

1. Shane Halvorson (Bucks-Grand Forks) 82.5k

2. Jeff Schulte (Fargo Elks) 50k

3. Jake Moes (Rounders-Watertown) 49.5k

4. Pat Crary (Dempsey's-Fargo) 48k

5 (tie). Peter Stahle (Liquid Assets-Dickinson) and Mike Schneider (Champs-Dickinson)

Right after the break, the action was fast and furious.  No less than 5 players busted within 3 minutes.  We are now down to 44.

4:50pm

DINNER BREAK (45 minutes)

I'll get some chip counts during the break.  We're down to 49 players.

Corey Eslinger (pictured right) is playing well.  He is sitting good with 44k.  Corey regularly posts on the forum and has been really hot lately.  He was the league champ at JT Cigarro's in Fargo on the forum and  recently took down the Dakota Poker Tour event at Playmakers a couple weeks ago.  Corey's website: dirtyriverpoker.com

4:35pm

In one of the biggest hands of the tournament, Art Zieman busted with pocket Kings to Shane Halvorson.  Shane made a straight holding J-9 of clubs on the turn.  Art moved in on the river when the board paired, giving Shane a long pause.  Shane made a good call and knocked out Art.  Shane had taken several hits but now is back up over 80k.

4:00pm

Blinds are currently 600/1200.  There has been a lot of action and players are dropping like flies in this level.  The new chip leader appears to be Shane Halvorson (pictured right) from Bucks in Grand Forks.  He has roughly 75k.  Art Zieman (Midway Lanes-Mandan), who was runner up last spring and narrowly missed winning a seat in the World Series of Poker, doubled up through Dan Jordet with pocket Kings to stay alive bring his stack to 18k.

We are now down to 7 tables, 69 players.  Avg stack is 18k.

2:30pm

First break.  There are 109 players left. 

Here are the early chip leaders:

1. Dan Jordet - O'Kelly's, Fargo, ND (pictured right)  37k
2. Darryl Kartes - At The Hop, Langdon, ND  29k
3. Kelly McMonagle- T's Shamrock, Casselton, ND 25k

1:30pm

We've lost a total of 7 players at this point...This field is pretty tight, a lot of very seasoned players. 

12:45pm

Brad Erfle (Silver Dollar-Mandan) doubled through Justin Halvorson (Playmakers) with a set of Aces over Justin's set of tens.  

The first big hand of the day had Ralph Matthews (AA) vs. Jeff Salmonson (KK).  Jeff hit a K to nearly bust Ralph.  About a half an hour later, both players got em all in again, holding the SAME HANDS!  This time, Ralph's Aces held up.  Unfortunately for Ralph this pot was not as big as the first one...

Noon

We're underway!  122 players are present.  Tough field, we recognize a lot of repeat championship players...

We're getting ready for another big day here at Playmakers.  Today's tournament will begin at noon and we have 136 total qualifiers from Dakota Poker League...

Stay tuned to this blog as we will try to log updates...