If anyone predicted that the Day 1a turnout for the Mid-States Poker Tour $1,110 Michigan State Poker Championship at Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan was going to compete with the record-setting Day 1a field set back in May, they were right.

With competition being held at the bottom of Lake Michigan, the decision wasn’t a tough one for players as they traveled from across the country and piled into the Event Center to take part in the best Midwest tournament.

Only a full 15 levels were needed to hit the hard stop of 80 players with Drew Philips (714,000) edging out MSPT champ Beau Wilshire (703,000) for the top stack of the first flight.

Fellow MSPT champs Michael O’Neill (650,000) and Michael Berk (577,000) found themselves atop of the counts as well while Dave Gutfreund (534,000) and Daniel Swartz (534,000) rounded out the top five stacks.

Other players to survive the first flight were Jose Montes (508,000), Brad Sailor (506,000), Bryant Miller (368,000), two-time MSPT champ Jason Zarlenga (272,000), and MSPT champ Brett Blackwood (129,000).

Among those to try and fall on 1a include MSPT Hall of Famers Pat Steele, Aaron Johnson & Josh Reichard, along with poker pro Ebony Kenney and Circuit legend Maurice Hawkins.

Those players, as well as any newcomers, have two more starting flights to jump back into action.

Day 1b will kick off at Noon local time Friday, while the third and final flight, Day 1c, will take place at the same time on Saturday.

The surviving players from each flight will then return at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday to play down to a winner.

Join us tomorrow as we continue to bring you all the action and eliminations straight from the tournament floor of FireKeepers Casino!