For the last time in Season 7, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is headed back to Iowa. From October 29 – November 6, Meskwaki Casino in Tama will play host to a series of satellites, bonus events, and a capstone $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed Main Event.
"Meskwaki Casino has been a staple on our schedule dating back to 2012, and it continues to maintain its position as one of the tour's most popular stops," said MSPT President Bryan Mileski. "Players tend to flock to the stop not only because of the $300,000 guarantee, but because the folks at Meskwaki know how to treat poker players. For them, there's no bigger priority than offering quality customer service, which is reflected in their tournaments."
The stop, which requires players be just 18 years or older to participate, will hold its Main Event from Friday, November 4 through Sunday, November 6. Day 1a will kick off Friday evening with Day 1a at 4 p.m. with the plan of playing 14 levels. Day 1b will then take place at the same time on Saturday. Players who advance from Main Event Flight 1a to Day 2 are not eligible to play in Flight 1b. The remaining players from each flight will combine on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. and play until a champion is crowned.
The Main Event final table will be broadcast LIVE (15-minute delay) worldwide on msptpoker.com using RFID technology allowing all viewers to see the hole cards. In addition, the entirety of the Main Event will be live reported in the MSPT live blog, which can be found on msptpoker.com once the tournament begins. Simply look for the neon green button that reads "Live Updates."
The last time the MSPT visited the property was back in July when John Sun, who currently holds a strong lead in the MSPT Season 7 Player of the Year race, topped a field of 451 entries to win the 2nd Annual Iowa State Poker Championship for $104,627.
Before that, 34-year-old Keith Heine topped a field of 409 entries back in March to capture a $100,981 first-place prize. Other past winners of the MSPT Meskwaki include Rich Alsup (November 2015; 410 entries; $101,229 prize), MSPT Pro Blake Bohn (July 2015; 410 entries; $101,229 prize), and Chad Willett (March 2015; 371 entries; $96,760 prize), just to name a few.
In addition to the satellites and Main Event, Meskwaki Casino will host two bonus events. The first is on Monday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m. and is a $50 no-limit hold'em rebuy event with 20-minute levels. The second, a $20 no-limit hold'em rebuy, will then be held at the same time on Tuesday, November 1.
Here's a look at the MSPT Meskwaki schedule:
Located in Tama, Iowa — between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids on Highway 30 — Meskwaki Casino features a huge bingo hall, table games, active craps tables, good blackjack games, horse book, indoor pool, exercise room, spa, and a large number of hotel rooms. For players looking to fly to the stop, the airport in Des Moines is the closest option.