$

Awarded to date

FireKeepers Casino

May 11 - 14, 2023
Main Event: 2471 Entrants
Winner: Kou Vang
recap_icon

EVENT RECAP

The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) returned to Battle Creek Michigan for the FireKeepers Casino Main Event and the turnout didn't disappoint.

The $1,110 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD Main Event was one to remember as a total of 2,471 entries (580 from Day 1a; 895 from 1b; 996 from 1c) were tallied, which blasted passed the venue’s previous best field of 2,409 last October.

After two long days of action, it was none other than MSPT Hall of Famer Kou Vang who out-dueled three-time bracelet WSOP winner Dash Dudley to emerge victorious to claim his third MSPT title along with a career-best $314,145 first-place prize.

“Feels great”, the MSPT Hall of Famer said after his victory.

“This is the reason why we play the game is to get life changing scores like this”, Vang continued, “I play the game to provide for my family the best I can, and 300k should go a long way.”

With 252 slated to get paid, a few handfuls of players needed to exit before players reached the money. Among those to leave empty-handed were David Martin, Abbas Haidar, and Marshal Alexander-White to name a few.

Only one level needed to pass before a double elimination would occur to burst the bubble leaving the remaining players in the money.

After the bubble burst, the march to the final table began. Among those to fall along the way, albeit with a payday were, Anthony Sedlak (11th - $29,463), Mike Suggs (20th - $17,007), MSPT champ Umut Ozturk (29th - $11,019), and MSPT Hall of Famer Josh Reichard (33rd - $8,623).

Once players took their seats at the final table, it didn't take long for action to kick into gear after Edward "Edub" Dixon's flopped set of fours was flushed out on the river by Rober Strunk.

Shortly after Dixon's departure, Strunk continued by dropping Ray Ezzie with a made hand of tens against king-nine off.

Next was Austin Thieleman, who fell victim to the soon to be champ’s raising terror and James Wilson fell victim to Vang as well shortly after in sixth place for $76,652.

With five players remaining, Melissa Bartelme decided to get her stack in the middle with a suited ace-seven but was unable to crack Dudley's pocket tens and made her departure in fifth place for $97,252.

Four-handed play went didn't last very long after George Abi-Zeid jammed into Vang's flopped straight and was left short only to make an exit in fourth place for $126,955 the very next hand.

Three-handed action saw Dudley hold the chip lead, but Vang closed the gap after winning a race against Strunk dropping him in third place for $162,885.

From there, the heads-up match proved to be a battle as the chip stacks were evenly matched until Vang started to chip away at Dudley to take a commanding chip lead.

After another level passed, the two got stacks all in preflop with Dudley’s holding a suited ace-six against while Vang held a queen-jack.

Both players connected with the flop with Vang getting the best of it and Dudley was unable to pull ahead as he made his exit in second place for $257,145 while Vang earned his third MSPT title and payday good for $353,311.

This wraps up our coverage of yet another record-breaking tournament so make sure you join us next weekend when we make our way back to Deadwood, South Dakota for it's $1,110 SD State Poker Championship at the Silverado Hotel & Gaming Complex May 19th - 21st!

result

The RESULTS

Rank
Player Name
City
State
Amount
Points
1
MN 
$314,145
1,800
2
MI 
$257,145
1,800
3
MI 
$162,885
1,700
4
NY 
$126,955
1,600
5
WI 
$97,252
1,500
6
MN 
$76,652
1,400
7
Wixom 
MI 
$59,884
1,300
8
OH 
$46,710
1,200
9
MI 
$37,128
1,100
10
MI 
$29,463
1,000
11
WI 
$29,463
1,000
12
MI 
$29,463
1,000
13
MI 
$25,151
900
14
MI 
$25,151
900
15
ME 
$25,151
900
16
Taylor 
MI 
$20,840
800
17
Delton 
MI 
$20,840
800
18
Lima 
OH 
$20,840
800
19
CA 
$17,007
750
20
Carmel 
IN 
$17,007
750
21
Maybee 
MI 
$17,007
750
22
Canton 
MI 
$13,893
700
23
Keota 
IA 
$13,893
700
24
Flint 
MI 
$13,893
700
25
MN 
$11,019
650
26
MI 
$11,019
650
27
IN 
$11,019
650
28
IL 
$8,623
600
29
MI 
$8,623
600
30
MI 
$8,623
600
31
MN 
$8,623
600
32
Saline 
MI 
$8,623
600
33
WI 
$8,623
600
34
MI 
$8,623
600
35
NV 
$8,623
600
36
MI 
$8,623
600
37
Ekland 
MO 
$6,947
550
38
MI 
$6,947
550
39
MI 
$6,947
550
40
MI 
$6,947
550
41
MI 
$6,947
550
42
IN 
$6,947
550
43
 
$6,947
550
44
OH 
$6,947
550
45
OH 
$6,947
550
46
OH 
$5,988
500
47
OH 
$5,988
500
48
MI 
$5,988
500
49
Okemos 
MI 
$5,988
500
50
IL 
$5,988
500
51
MI 
$5,988
500
52
PA 
$5,988
500
53
MI 
$5,988
500
54
MI 
$5,988
500
55
MI 
$5,270
450
56
OH 
$5,270
450
57
Novi 
MI 
$5,270
450
58
IN 
$5,270
450
59
MI 
$5,270
450
60
MI 
$5,270
450
61
MN 
$5,270
450
62
OH 
$5,270
450
63
Auburn 
MI 
$5,270
450
64
MI 
$4,791
400
65
MI 
$4,791
400
66
Toledo 
OH 
$4,791
400
67
MI 
$4,791
400
68
IN 
$4,791
400
69
MI 
$4,791
400
70
MI 
$4,791
400
71
MI 
$4,791
400
72
August 
MI 
$4,791
400
73
WI 
$4,312
350
74
OH 
$4,312
350
75
MI 
$4,312
350
76
OH 
$4,312
350
77
MI 
$4,312
350
78
MI 
$4,312
350
79
MI 
$4,312
350
80
MI 
$4,312
350
81
IA 
$4,312
350
82
OH 
$4,072
300
83
MI 
$4,072
300
84
IN 
$4,072
300
85
NV 
$4,072
300
86
Canton 
MI 
$4,072
300
87
TX 
$4,072
300
88
MT 
$4,072
300
89
MI 
$4,072
300
90
MI 
$4,072
300
91
Angola 
IN 
$3,833
250
92
NJ 
$3,833
250
93
MI 
$3,833
250
94
MI 
$3,833
250
95
WI 
$3,833
250
96
MI 
$3,833
250
97
IA 
$3,833
250
98
CA 
$3,833
250
99
IL 
$3,833
250
100
MI 
$3,593
200
101
Leo 
IN 
$3,593
200
102
CA 
$3,593
200
103
NV 
$3,593
200
104
TX 
$3,593
200
106
NY 
$3,593
200
107
MI 
$3,593
200
108
Toledo 
OH 
$3,593
200
109
IL 
$3,593
200
110
MI 
$3,593
200
111
Macomb 
MI 
$3,593
200
112
Canton 
MI 
$3,593
200
113
MI 
$3,593
200
114
IA 
$3,593
200
115
MI 
$3,593
200
116
MI 
$3,593
200
117
CA 
$3,593
200
118
IL 
$3,593
200
119
VA 
$3,593
200
120
IN 
$3,593
200
121
MI 
$3,593
200
122
MI 
$3,593
200
123
MI 
$3,593
200
124
MI 
$3,593
200
125
MD 
$3,593
200
126
MI 
$3,593
200
127
China 
 
$3,354
140
128
IL 
$3,354
140
129
MI 
$3,354
140
130
MI 
$3,354
140
131
MO 
$3,354
140
132
OH 
$3,354
140
133
Warren 
MI 
$3,354
140
134
Lemont 
IL 
$3,354
140
135
MI 
$3,354
140
136
MI 
$3,354
140
137
MI 
$3,354
140
138
MI 
$3,354
140
139
MI 
$3,354
140
140
IN 
$3,354
140
141
MI 
$3,354
140
142
MI 
$3,354
140
143
MI 
$3,354
140
144
MI 
$3,354
140
145
IL 
$3,354
140
146
IL 
$3,354
140
147
MI 
$3,354
140
148
IA 
$3,354
140
149
Marne 
MI 
$3,354
140
150
 
$3,354
140
151
IN 
$3,354
140
152
MI 
$3,354
140
153
IN 
$3,354
140
154
MI 
$3,114
100
155
IL 
$3,114
100
156
MI 
$3,114
100
157
OH 
$3,114
100
158
IL 
$3,114
100
159
 
$3,114
100
160
 
$3,114
100
161
MI 
$3,114
100
162
Toledo 
OH 
$3,114
100
163
MI 
$3,114
100
164
Sarnia 
 
$3,114
100
165
MI 
$3,114
100
166
OH 
$3,114
100
167
MI 
$3,114
100
168
CA 
$3,114
100
169
Saline 
MI 
$3,114
100
170
MI 
$3,114
100
171
MI 
$3,114
100
172
MI 
$3,114
100
173
MI 
$3,114
100
174
MI 
$3,114
100
175
IN 
$3,114
100
176
Holton 
MI 
$3,114
100
177
Dayton 
OH 
$3,114
100
178
MI 
$3,114
100
179
MI 
$3,114
100
180
OH 
$3,114
100
181
MI 
$2,874
75
182
Bronx 
NY 
$2,874
75
183
WI 
$2,874
75
184
MI 
$2,874
75
185
IL 
$2,874
75
186
MI 
$2,874
75
187
 
$2,874
75
188
Queens 
NY 
$2,874
75
189
Flint 
MI 
$2,874
75
190
MI 
$2,874
75
192
IL 
$2,874
75
193
MI 
$2,874
75
194
Canton 
OH 
$2,874
75
196
MI 
$2,874
75
197
MI 
$2,874
75
198
MI 
$2,874
75
199
Clive 
IA 
$2,874
75
200
IL 
$2,874
75
201
MI 
$2,874
75
202
IN 
$2,874
75
203
MI 
$2,874
75
204
MI 
$2,874
75
205
IN 
$2,874
75
206
MI 
$2,874
75
207
MI 
$2,874
75
208
KS 
$2,874
75
209
MI 
$2,874
75
210
IN 
$2,874
75
211
MI 
$2,874
75
212
KY 
$2,874
75
213
WA 
$2,874
75
214
IL 
$2,874
75
215
MI 
$2,874
75
216
MI 
$2,874
75
217
IL 
$2,635
50
218
OH 
$2,635
50
219
MI 
$2,635
50
220
IL 
$2,635
50
221
MI 
$2,635
50
222
IL 
$2,635
50
223
MI 
$2,635
50
224
IL 
$2,635
50
225
OH 
$2,635
50
226
MI 
$2,635
50
227
IN 
$2,635
50
228
MI 
$2,635
50
229
MI 
$2,635
50
231
MI 
$2,635
50
232
MI 
$2,635
50
233
MI 
$2,635
50
234
Maybee 
MI 
$2,635
50
235
Savage 
MN 
$2,635
50
236
 
$2,635
50
237
OH 
$2,635
50
238
Owosso 
MI 
$2,635
50
240
MI 
$2,635
50
241
 
IN 
$2,635
50
243
MI 
$2,635
50
244
MI 
$2,635
50
245
MI 
$2,635
50
246
MI 
$2,635
50
247
MI 
$2,635
50
248
MI 
$2,635
50
249
IL 
$2,635
50
250
MI 
$2,635
50
251
MI 
$2,635
50
252
MI 
$2,635
50