Since its inception in 2009, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) has awarded millions of dollars to players across the country. Entering Season 8, the tour had hosted 96 Main Events. Stops in Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Minnesota will bring that number to the precipice of our historic 100th Main Event, which will take place at Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa.
From March 18-26, the venue, which requires players be just 21 years old to play, will host a series of satellites, bonus events, and a capstone $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed Main Event the weekend of March 24-26.
“When the MSPT launched in 2009 as the Minnesota State Poker Championship, I never imagined we’d have grown to host 100 events in more than a dozen states,” said MSPT President Bryan Mileski. “In 2012, the tour crossed the state border and rebranded. That was thanks to Meskwaki Casino, who welcomed us in with open arms. Ever since, it’s proven one of the most popular stops on our schedule, and I can’t think of a better place to host our historic 100th event.”
The stop will hold its Main Event from Friday, March 24 through Sunday, March 26. 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 MSPT has visited Meskwaki, which won “Best of Iowa” in Casino Player’s 2016 Best of Gaming awards, 15 times over the years (three times each season). In last year’s March event, 34-year-old Keith Heine topped a field of 409 entries back in March to capture a $100,981 first-place prize.
In July, John Sun topped a field of 451 entries to win the 2nd Annual Iowa State Poker Championship for $104,627, while his good friend, Ken Komberec bested 405 entrants to win the November event for $93,922.
Other past winners of the MSPT Meskwaki include Rich Alsup (November 2015 for $101,229), MSPT Pro Blake Bohn (July 2015 for $101,229), and Chad Willett (March 2015 for $96,760), 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, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. and is a $30 no-limit hold'em rebuy event with 20-minute levels. The second, a $20 no-limit hold'em rebuy, will be held at the same time on Tuesday, March 21.
Here's a look at the schedule for our 100th stop:
Located in Tama, Iowa — between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids on Highway 30 — Meskwaki Casino, constructed in 1992, offers guests over 67,000 square feet of casino space, 404 hotel rooms, a pool, exercise room, whirlpool, spa, salon, as well as a lounge featuring live music, an upscale steak house, and a food court. In addition, there is a huge bingo hall, table games, active craps tables, blackjack games, and a horse book.
With more than 1,350 slots, the loosest in Iowa when compared to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission payout statistics, their selection is plentiful. The lobby features many museum-quality displays of Meskwaki artifacts and photos, showing guests a long and proud Native American heritage.