Mid-States Poker Tour to Visit FireKeepers Casino in Michigan from May 9-17
Last weekend, "DQ" Dan Hendrickson, a franchise owner of several Dairy Queens, took down the MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event for $106,182. It was a successful outing, but now, for the ninth stop of Season 6, the tour will turn its attention to FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan from May 9-17, 2015.
The stop will culminate with an $1,100 buy-in, $200,00 guaranteed Main Event from May 14-17, a tournament that will feature three separate starting flights. The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand to capture all the action from that event, and of course players will have the opportunity to use the My Stack app to update their hands and chip counts straight into the live blog.
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"The MSPT FireKeepers Casino has established itself as one of the state's premiere event, and we're looking forward to heading there for the first of two stops in Season 6," said MSPT owner and operator Bryan Mileski. "FireKeepers has a rich history on the tour, which included launching the MSPT career of Jason Zarlenga, who is currently tops the MSPT Career Earnings list."
Indeed, last year Zarlenga topped a field of 411 entrants to win the MSPT FireKeepers for $101,482. Amazingly, he went on to win the MSPT Potawatomi in Wisconsin later in the year to make him one three two-time champions alongside Matt Kirby and Dan Sun. The last time the MSPT visited Battle Creek, it was Ryan Dykhouse who outlasted 516 other entrants to win the MSPT FireKeepers for $124,500, which was also branded as the Michigan State Poker Championship.
Dykhouse will remain the Michigan State Poker Champ for a while yet – that title won't be contended until the MSPT visits FireKeepers for a second time in October – but the latest stop is still expected to attract some big names such as MSPT pro Nick Pupillo and MSPT Season 4 Player of the Year Pat Steele.
"With each MSPT tournament series we have experienced an increase in player participation as well as notoriety for being a stop on the tour," Kelley Bailey, Poker Manager at FireKeepers, previously told PokerNews. "MSPT has done a wonderful job in expanding their product and establishing their brand in the premier tournament arena. We are pleased to continue to offer players in Michigan and surrounding areas the opportunity to play in this tournament series."
Here's a look at the upcoming MSPT FireKeepers schedule:
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, May 9 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, May 9 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 10 | Super Satellite | $65 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 10 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 4:00 p.m. |
| Monday, May 11 | Super Satellite | $65 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Monday, May 11 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, May 12 | Super Satellite | $65 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, May 12 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 13 | Super Satellite | $65 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 13 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Thursday, May 14 | Main Event Qualifier | $250 | 9:30 a.m. |
| Thursday, May 14 | Main Event Day 1a | $1,100 | 4:00 p.m. |
| Friday, May 15 | Main Event Day 1b | $1,100 | Noon |
| Friday, May 15 | Main Event Turbo Qualifier | $250 | 8:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, May 16 | Main Event Day 1c | $1,100 | Noon |
| Sunday, May 17 | Main Event Day 2 | - | 10:30 a.m. |
The Main Event will be held over four days beginning Thursday evening with Day 1a at 4 p.m. Day 1a will play 14 levels. Friday and Saturday's Day 1b & 1c will start at Noon and also play 14 levels. Players who advance from a Main Event flight to Day 2 are not eligible to play in a future flight. 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 LIVE (15-minute delay) worldwide on Twitch, msptpoker.com, and PokerNews using RFID technology allowing all viewers to see the hole cards.
For more information, visit msptpoker.com.
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