Don’t look now, but Michigan is one of the country’s hottest spots for poker, a fact evidenced by massive tournament fields. Case in point, recent stops of the MSPT, which will visit FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek for the first time in Season 8 May 13-21.
A series of $65 and $250 qualifiers will take place in the weeks leading up to the $1,100 buy-in, $300,000 guarantee Main Event, which is once again expected to draw a massive field.
“FireKeepers recently expanded their poker room, which is great considering the fields keep getting bigger and bigger,” said MSPT President Bryan Mileski. “Not only that, they’re in the process of making changes around the casino to make it even more player friendly. If you haven’t visited FireKeepers Casino, you’re truly missing out on one of the Midwest’s premiere gaming destinations.”
The Main Event, which requires players be 21 years of age to participate, will feature three starting flights beginning with Day 1A at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 18. Days 1B and 1C will then be held at Noon local time on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 respectively. The remaining players from each flight will combine on Sunday, May 21 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's live blog.
Last May, the largest event in MSPT history outside Las Vegas took place back as 820 entrants packed the poker room. In the end, it was poker pro Aaron Massey who took home $174,658 for the win. That event was followed up by the MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship in October. That tournament became the largest poker tournament in state history with 884 entrants and saw Brett Blackwood walk away with an $188,314 first-place prize.
Some others who've notched wins at FireKeepers are Harry Tisdale (May 2015 for $142,637), Jason Zarlenga (May 2014 for $101,482), Jordan Townsend (August 2013 for $76,975), and Thomas Midena (March 2013 for $73,456).
FireKeepers Casino Hotel opened in August of 2009. The venue features an 111,700-square foot gaming floor with 2,900 slot machines, 70 table games, multiple restaurants and lounges, a live poker room and bingo room.
According to their website, FireKeepers Casino Hotel, located just off Interstate 94 at Exit 104, has been named Best Casino by audiences in Western Michigan and Northern Indiana, plus earned nine first-place awards in the Casino Player Magazine Best of Gaming 2015 Native Midwest category, including Best Overall Gaming Resort.
FireKeepers was also selected one of the Best Casinos to Work for by Casino Player Magazine. Their signature restaurant, Nibi, is a multiple recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
FireKeepers offers a AAA-rated Four Diamond resort-style hotel with 243 rooms, a functional multi-purpose event center, six distinctive dining destinations, and multiple lounges. FireKeepers is the title sponsor of the FireKeepers Casino 400, a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, and host of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship a Symetra Tour-Road to the LPGA golf event.
For more information, visit firekeeperscasino.com.
For a full look at the MSPT FireKeepers schedule, click here.