Major Poker Tournament in Milwaukee to Offer $1,000,000 GTD; 11 Gold Card Events on Schedule
Season 17 of the Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) is gearing up for its second Major of the year. From Feb. 17-22, the MSPT will return to Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for an 11-Gold-Card festival.
The stop will kick off with the $400 buy-in, $200K GTD Mini Main Event, and then hold a full slate of side events, including $400 PLO, $400 Mixed PLO/NLH, $250 Monster Stack, $400 Seniors (50+), and a $300 Black Chip Bounty Ultimate Stack.
The Club Poker Championship will culminate with an $1,110 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD Main Event that’ll kick off with Day 1A action at Noon local time on Thursday, Feb. 19. Late registration will remain open until 9:10 p.m., and players will start with 30,000 in chips while playing 40-minute levels.
Days 1B and 1C will take place at the same time on Friday, Feb. 2,0 and Saturday, Feb. 2,1 respectively, and then the surviving players from all three flights will return at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, to play down to a winner.
It marks the first of three times the MSPT will visit the venue in 2026. The tour will return April 28-May 3 for another $1 million GTD event, and then again from Sept. 22-27 for the Wisconsin Poker State Championship, which also boasts a seven-figure guarantee.
The MSPT visited Potawatomi twice in Season 16, the first stops since before the pandemic. October’s 2025 Wisconsin Poker State Championship drew 1,698 runners and saw Greg Shuda take it down for $232,955, and before that, in January, the tournament drew 1,697 entrants and saw Timothy Thorp win it for $244,362.
History of MSPT Potawatomi
| Date | Event | Entries | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2-5, 2025 | 2025 Wisconsin Poker State Championship | 1,698 | Greg Shuda | $232,955 |
| January 30-February 2, 2025 | 100 GRAND STACK | 1,697 | Timothy Thorp | $244,362 |
| November 14-17, 2019 | 2019 Wisconsin Poker State Championship | 660 | Gerald Heath | $130,935 |
| April 4-7, 2019 | Milwaukee Poker Open | 625 | Dan Bekavac | $126,998 |
| November 15-18, 2018 | 2018 Wisconsin Poker State Championship | 748 | Brett Halan | $144,812 |
| March 31-April 8, 2018 | MSPT Potawatomi | 635 | Greg Himmelbrand | $125,958 |
| November 11-19, 2017 | 2017 Wisconsin Poker State Championship | 701 | Richard Bai | $139,086 |
| April 1-9, 2017 | MSPT Potawatomi | 495 | Ari Engel | $114,876 |
| November 12-20, 2016 | MSPT Potawatomi | 596 | Alex Aqel | $138,385 |
| April 2-10, 2016 | MSPT Potawatomi | 556 | Travis Lauson | $129,077 |
| August 29-September, 2015 | MSPT Potwatomi | 462 | Dan Goepel | $114,117 |
| April 4-12, 2015 | MSPT Potawatomi | 635 | Jason Mirza | $147,529 |
| August 30-September 7, 2014 | MSPT Potawatomi | 487 | Jason Zarlenga | $120,164 |
What's Else is Coming Up?
Right after the MSPT Club Poker Championship, the tour will hold an MSPT Festival at Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa – which is situated just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota – from March 11-15, followed by the MSPT Festival at Iowa’s Riverside Casino from March 17-22.
Finally, March will wrap up with the MSPT Missouri Poker State Championship at Ameristar Casino St. Charles in St. Louis.
More details on all those stops can be found at msptpoker.com.
Here’s a look at the remaining MSPT Season 17 schedule.
| Dates | Venue | State | Event | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 10-16 | JACK Cleveland | Ohio | Ohio Poker State Championship | TBD |
| Feb. 17-22 | Potawatomi Casino | Wisconsin | Major Club Poker Championship | $1,000,000 |
| March 11-15 | Grand Falls Casino | Iowa | MSPT Festival | $200,000 |
| March 17-22 | Riverside Casino | Iowa | MSPT Festival | $500,000 |
| March 24-29 | Ameristar St. Charles | Missouri | Missouri Poker State Championship | TBD |
| April 7-19 | Running Aces Casino | Minnesota | Minnesota Poker State Championship | TDB |
| April 21-26 | Ameristar East Chicago | Indiana | MSPT Festival | $300,000 |
| April 28-May 3 | Potawatomi Casino | Wisconsin | MSPT Festival | $1,000,000 |
| May 12-17 | FireKeepers Casino | Michigan | Michigan Poker State Championship | $1,000,000 |
| May 13-25 | Sycuan Casino | California | Showdown Series | TBD |
| June 2026 | The Venetian | Nevada | Diamond Poker Championship | TDB |
| June 2026 | The Venetian | Nevada | TBD | TDB |
| July 21-26 | Riverside Casino | Iowa | Iowa Poker State Championship | $500,000 |
| July 22-Aug. 2 | Bally’s Black Hawk Casino | Colorado | Colorado Poker State Championship | $600,000 |
| September 2026 | The Venetian | Nevada | Nevada Poker State Championship | TDB |
| Sept. 22-27 | Potawatomi Casino | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Poker State Championship | $1,000,000 |
| Oct. 13-18 | FireKeepers Casino | Michigan | Major Spade Poker Championship | $1,500,000 |
| Nov. 3-8 | Riverside Casino | Iowa | MSPT Festival | $500,000 |
| Nov. 18-Dec. 2 | Seminole Hard Rock | Florida | Major Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO) | $2,000,000 |
| Dec. 1-13 | Running Aces Casino | Minnesota | Winter Poker Classic | $700,000 |
MSPT Gold Cards
For every side event with a $200 buy-in and above, the MSPT has introduced coveted Gold Cards.
MSPT Gold Cards are awarded to winners of MSPT Series events. These Cards are highly coveted by poker players and represent a significant accomplishment in the poker world, representing skill and success.
The custom, gorgeous, and premium MSPT Gold Cards are produced using Gold Foil by Faded Spade – the Gold Standard of Playing Cards in the poker industry – designed specifically for MSPT by one of the best artists in the country, Joel Jensen, and are displayed and awarded in a Graded Card Case.
The first Gold Card won will be the custom Ace of Spades, the second will be the 2 of Spades, the third will be the 3 of Spades, and so on. After win 13, the next suit will be presented. The race for the most MSPT Gold Cards is sure to be competitive, with the addition of the new Gold Card Leaderboard as well as the number of Gold Cards won displayed with each player’s MSPT profile.
MSPT Podcast
Did you know that Chad Holloway and Kyna England host the bi-weekly MSPT Podcast Presented By PokerNews.
The show covers all things MSPT, including recent results, player highlights, guest interviews, and a preview of upcoming stops.
If you’re not familiar with the show, a new episode comes out at 8 a.m. PT every other Wednesday on the PokerNews YouTube channel. An audio version is also available on all major podcasting platforms.
Here’s a look at the latest episode:
