Mid-States Poker Tour Has Record Weekend In Return To FireKeepers

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The Mid-States Poker Tour event held at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, has consistently surpassed the state’s record for the largest poker tournament prize pool numerous times throughout the years.

A new record was set over the weekend.

The tournament, which required a $1,110 buy-in, promised a prize pool of $1 million. However, it surpassed expectations by collecting over $2.2 million in prizes, thanks to the participation of 2,330 entrants.

The MSPT champion, who would emerge victorious, would not only secure the title but also walk away with a prize money exceeding $333,000.

What led to massive MSPT turnout at FireKeepers?

Despite FireKeepers traditionally being the largest stop on the tour outside of Vegas, the turnout we witnessed this time was unprecedented. Several factors contributed to this remarkable show of attendance, in my opinion.

I think the most significant impact was the alteration in the tournament structure, particularly in regards to the late-registration procedure.

Previously, players were permitted to register twice per starting day in past events. However, for this particular event, players had the freedom to register as many times as they desired during the late-registration period. Additionally, the late-registration period was expanded from the initial nine levels to the first 12 levels.

Both modifications significantly affect the average number of entries an individual will participate in. While some players may only engage with one or two entries, others will strive to maximize their chances by playing as many entries as they can to advance to Day 2.

One possible contributing factor might be the absence of MSPT events in Michigan since October 2019, owing to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Historically, the tournament took place approximately every six months, leaving players eagerly anticipating another opportunity to participate in an MSPT event in Michigan.

Top three agree to a ‘chop’

The tournament begins on Day 1, but the prize money is earned on Day 2. On Day 2, all the players who made it through each of the Day 1s come together as one group and compete to determine the ultimate champion. Out of the initial 2,330 entries, a total of 311 players advanced to Day 2. Among them, 252 players secured a minimum cash prize of $2,484.

As the day turned into night, the tournament continued until only three players remained, and they reached a mutual agreement for a chop.

If you are not familiar with the term “chop,” it refers to a situation where the remaining players in a tournament decide to divide the prize money in a way that differs from the originally posted payouts. The purpose of doing this is to make the payouts more evenly distributed, reducing the significant gaps in prize money that typically occur among the top few finishers in a tournament.

Players frequently utilize an ICM model, which essentially involves allocating the remaining prize pool proportionally to the number of chips held. The greater the number of chips a player possesses, the larger their share of the prize pool.

Once the agreement was reached, Daniel Bekavac would be awarded the title and the largest portion of the prize pool, amounting to $252,090.

Below are the listed payouts for the final table.

Position	Name	Payout
1.	Dan Bekavac	$252,090
2.	CJ Peake	$241,290
3.	Marquez Davis	$198,975
4.	Zinoviy Pelekh	$119,706
5.	Jonathan Johnson	$91,699
6.	Alex Oberlin	$72,275
7.	Timothy Mulroy	$56,465
8.	Ruben Delgado	$44,043
9.	Elliot Hebden	$35,008

If you were unable to attend the fantastic event or didn’t achieve the desired success, here’s some good news: the MSPT will be making a comeback at FireKeepers from October 13-16!

David Kaye, a poker content creator hailing from Mason, pens a consistent column for Playinmichigan. To keep up with his poker exploits, you can track David’s progress through his various social media platforms using the handle “DavidKayePoker.” Find him on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram.

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