Belle of Baton Rouge to Host $100K Guarantee MSPT Main Event Nov. 15-23
Season 5 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is winding down, and while there are upcoming stops at both Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa, and Golden Gates Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado, it’s never too early to look ahead to the penultimate stop of the season — Belle of Baton Rouge Casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
From Nov. 15-23, the riverboat casino will play host to the MSPT, with their keystone $100,000 guaranteed $1,100 buy-in Main Event taking place from Friday, Nov. 21 thru Sunday, Nov. 23.
This marks the second time the MSPT has visited the property, the first time coming way back in February during Mardi Gras. The inaugural MSPT Belle of Baton Rouge attracted 118 entries, which surpassed the guarantee by creating a prize pool of $118,000.
Plenty of notables made the trip down south, with some of them finding success including Justin Truesdell (12th - $2,387), Allen Kessler (8th - $3,638), Will “Monkey” Souther (4th - $10,914), and MSPT Team Pro Kou Vang (2nd - $21,032); however, it was Shawn Schoreck that emerged victorious and walked away with the $34,105 first-place prize.
“The MSPT is looking forward to returning to Baton Rouge for the second time," said MSPT owner and operator Bryan Mileski. "The first go around was a success as we surpassed the guarantee, and we even got the “Chainsaw” himself, Allen Kessler, to play in his first-ever MSPT event. We’re expecting even more runners for our latest visit as more than a few players are sure to make the trip if for no other reason to chase precious player of the year points.”
Indeed, the MSPT Season 5 Player of the Year race is a heated affair. The stops at Meskwaki and Golden Gates are sure to change the leaderboard, but right now Mike Deis leads with 3,350 points. Not far behind at 3,100 points apiece are Vang, who kicked off his POY push at the Belle of Baton Rouge back in February, and Jason Zarlenga, who has won two events so far this season.
“Hosting an event like this and partnering with MSPT is a great opportunity to expose the city of Baton Rouge and our property casino to out of town poker players,” Marty Brown, Director of Casino Operations at the Belle of Baton Rouge, previously told PokerNews. “We have partnered with a few hotels in the immediate surrounding area to make sure we have plenty of available rooms.”
The latest MSPT Belle of Baton Rouge stop will kick off on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. with a $250 qualifier, which will see the top 20 percent of the field advance to the Main Event. They will then host a series of qualifiers everyday leading up to the $1,100 Main Event. Here’s a look at the entire schedule:
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 15 | 2:00 p.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Sunday, Nov. 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Tuesday, Nov. 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Multi-Table Super Satellite | $65 |
| Wednesday, Nov. 19 | 1:00 p.m. | Multi-Table Super Satellite | $65 |
| Wednesday, Nov. 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Thursday, Nov. 20 | 12:00 p.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Thursday, Nov. 20 | 6:30 p.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Friday, Nov. 21 | 9:30 a.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Friday, Nov. 21 | 4:00 p.m. | Main Event Day 1a | $1,100 |
| Saturday, Nov. 22 | 9:30 a.m. | Main Event Qualifier | $250 |
| Saturday, Nov. 22 | 4:00 p.m. | Main Event Day 1b | $1,100 |
| Sunday, Nov. 23 | 10:30 a.m. | Main Event Day 2 | N/A |
Both starting flights will play 14 40-minute levels. Players who advance from Day 1a are not eligible to play in Day 1b. The remaining players from each flight will combine on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. and play until a champion is crowned. The Main Event final table will be broadcast on a 15-minute delay with hole cards on both MSPTPoker.com and PokerNews using RFID technology.
For more information on the MSPT Meskwaki, visit msptpoker.com.
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