FireKeepers Casino

Day 1a of the inaugural MSPT Spade Poker Championship at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan, is in the books with the first flight tallying 577 total entries, and the large field that entered came to play as action at the tables proved to be eventful from start to finish.

Almost 15 full levels were needed to hit the hard stop of 64 players as 11:41 minutes remained in Level 15 (3,000/6,000/6,000) when pens hit the slips, with Merritt Kuhn seizing the top with 684,000, edging out Michael Plesa (677,000), and Ilyas Muradi (665,000) for the top stack.

MSPT champ Bee Yang (597,000) was able to secure the final elimination of the night to burst the bubble, while WSOP bracelet winner Jean ‘Prince’ Gaspard (585,000) rounded out the top five stacks afte rthe first flight.

Other players to survive included Frank Lagodich (549,000), two-time MSPT champ Bobby Noel (477,000), MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (468,000), Matt Higgins (267,000), and 2022 FireKeepers champ Matt Davis (101,000), just to name a few.

Others who took their shot but fell on 1a include WSOP bracelet winner Keven Stammen, MSPT Hall of Famers Pat Steele, & Rob WazWaz, along with former champs Mike O’Neill, Matt Porter, and Allan Secord.

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 on 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!

MSPT 2025 Spade Poker Championship Remaining Schedule

Just before the hand-for-hand process began, there was an all-in on Table 1, which involved MSPT champ Bee Yang, who put his opponent all-in on a board, and was called.

Yang rolled over for a full house, and it was good, as his opponent tossed into the muck muck, ending play for the evening.

Bee Yang - 597,000

Jeffrey Faustman tossed out his 36,000 stack from middle position, and action folded to the big blind, who tossed out a call.

Jeffrey Faustman:
Opponent:

Faustman was ahead, holding a pair of kings, and the runout gave him a full house to stay alive.

Jeffrey Faustman - 85,000

There was all-in action after a flop between Rodney Reames from the big blind and his opponent from middle position.

Opponent:
Rodney Reames:

Reames rolled over the better-made hand, holding a pair of aces, and the turn and river kept him in the lead to collect his opponents' 100,000 stack.

Rodney Reames - 391,000

| In it, @Kyna_CooL & @chadaholloway come to you from The Venetian Poker Room Live Studio.

@ChadAHolloway & @Kyna_CooL catch up with MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard and chat with poker legend Kathy Liebert

All that and much more

Watch it here!

Level 13 has started, meaning registration for Day 1a of the MSPT 2025 Spade Poker Championship at FireKeepers Hotel Casino is now closed.

The first starting flight attracted an incredible 577 entries, and action is scheduled to play down until 11% of the field (64 players) is reached, with the tournament clock indicating 126 players remaining.

A player from the middle position raised and was called by WSOP bracelet winner Jean ‘Price’ Gaspard from the hijack, along with DJ Swartz from the big blind.

The three players took to a flop, and action was checked to the initial raiser, who tossed out a 7,000 continuation bet.

Gaspard wasted little time firing out a 17,000 raise, and Swartz got out of the way while the player from middle position called.

Once the hit the turn, action was checked to Gaspard, who put his opponent all-in, and they quickly released their hand into the muck.

Gaspard then showed the and proceeded to collect the pot.

Jean ‘Prince’ Gaspard - 390,000