Level: 8
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 75
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers Casino
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$397,170
Entries
411
Level
28
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
1,000
Nice Hand For The Turtle Man
![[user274197]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 7
: 250/500, 50 ante
Action folded around to The Turtle Man, Gary Matthews, in the small blind. Matthews completed and the big blind checked to go heads up to the flop.
The flop fell 
. The Turtle Man wasted no time and led for a bet of 1,000. The big blind quickly called.
The turn came the 
. The Turtle Man bet 2,000 this time and the big blind called.
The river was the 
. The Turtle Man fired again for 2,000 and the big blind looked him up.
Unperturbed, The Turtle Man lifted his card protector and confidently tabled 
for a pair of nines. The big blind mucked his hand and The Turtle Man took the pot. It's starting to look a lot more like power than luck.
Get to Know the Reigning MSPT Player of the Year
Level 7
: 250/500, 50 ante
Before 2013, the name Pat Steele wasn’t mentioned much in the poker world; however, thanks to a stellar performance by the family man from Chelsea, Michigan, it's now found its place in poker history. That’s because Steele, who is married with three children, won the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Season 4 Player of the Year title — not to mention amassing $261,941 in winnings including a $155,636 win in the Heartland Poker Tour Soaring Eagle Main Event.
Steele, who attended Northwood University in Midland, Michigan where he played Division II football, owns Steele Heating & Cooling, Inc. — a third-generation family business — but has been supplementing his income through poker. Steele previously spoke to PokerNews about his success.
PokerNews: How does it feel like to win the MSPT POY for Season 4?
Steele: It is a great honor to be POY for a tour with so many talented players.
Was this a goal you had at the beginning of the season? If not, when did you decide to go for it?
My first MSPT event was at FireKeepers in March where I placed fourth. I wasn't sure if I just got lucky, so I wanted to play the next event in Wisconsin. I took third, which gave me the confidence to continue on the tour. When it came back to FireKeepers, I placed fourth again and took over the POY lead. That was when I decided I wanted to hold on to POY, and fend off all of the other great players on the tour.
Can you describe your history with the game a little bit?
I started playing poker when I was 12. I would use my allowance and play with my dad and his friends in our basement. I have played since that time, mostly cash games, with a few tournaments. It wasn't until the fourth-place finish at FireKeepers that I gained the confidence required to be competitive.
On top of being the MSPT POY, you also won an HPT title. What was it like to claim your first victory?
Winning my first title with the likes of Joe Cada and my close friend Tom Midena was a thrill. It was nice taking home the cash to my family.
You also made a deep run in the WSOP Main Event. Was that a positive experience?
It was a great experience to play with some of the big name professionals like Phil Hellmuth and Shaun Deeb, who I played with on Day 1. It was also fun to play in the biggest poker tournament in the world.
What do you like about the MSPT? What does the tour have that other tours may not?
I really like the fact that the MSPT offers a good mix of professional and amateur players. It also has a good structure with good prize pools.
Here’s a look at Steele’s 2013 accomplishments:
| Date | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 7 | MSPT $1,100 FireKeepers Main Event | 4th | $18,364 |
| March 22 | MSPT $1,100 Ho-Chunk Main Event | 3rd | $27,773 |
| May 17 | HPT $1,650 Soaring Eagle Main Event | 1st | $155,636 |
| June 17 | Wynn Summer Classic $550 NLHE | 81st | $1,174 |
| July 6 | 2013 WSOP Main Event | 362nd | $28,063 |
| August 16 | HPT $1,650 Gary, Indiana Main Event | 41st | $3,505 |
| August 22 | MSPT $1,100 FireKeepers Main Event | 4th | $18,880 |
| November 8, 2013 | MSPT $1,100 Ho-Chunk Main Event | 34th | $1,472 |
| December 6 | MSPT $1,100 Canterbury Park Main Event | 10th | $7,074 |
Steele is in action today looking to punch his ticket to Day 2.
Townsend Captures the Second MSPT FireKeepers Title; Lamphere Runner-Up Again
Level 7
: 250/500, 50 ante
From August 17-25, the MSPT was back in Battle Creek, Michigan, and attendance was up as 301 entrants packed the poker room and created a prize pool of $301,000. Amazingly, there were some familiar faces at the final table in Patrick Steele and Adam Lamphere.
Like he did at the first final table, Steele finished in fourth place, a feat that helped him capture the MSPT Season 4 Player of the Year title. Similarly, Lamphere finished as runner-up for the second time in a row. It was disappointing for him to come so close in back-to-back MSPT FireKeepers Main Events, but the $42,118 consolation prize no doubt helped ease the pain.
In the end it was Jordan Townsend, who was sporting a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt, that stopped Lamphere and took the title and $76,975 first-place prize for himself.
Here’s a look at the second MSPT FireKeepers final table:
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Townsend | $76,975 |
| 2 | Adam Lamphere | $42,118 |
| 3 | Jimmy Dennis | $27,885 |
| 4 | Patrick Steele | $18,880 |
| 5 | Steve Anderson | $14,524 |
| 6 | Elliott Hebden | $11,619 |
| 7 | Greg Wiggins | $10,166 |
| 8 | Tony Pena | $8,714 |
| 9 | Mark Schmid | $7,262 |
Level: 7
Blinds: 250/500
Ante: 50
Second Break of the Day
Level 6
: 200/400, 50 ante
Three more levels are in the books, and that means it's time for another ten-minute break.
Jivkov Makes It Look Easy
Level 6
: 200/400, 50 ante
A player in middle position limped, and Nick Jivkov raised to 1,500 from the button. Action folded back around to the limper, who made the call, and the two went heads up to the flop.
The flop fell 
. The player in middle position check-called a bet of 900 from Jivkov.
The turn was the 
. After his opponent checked, Jivkov continued his aggression with a bet of 2,000. His opponent mucked, and Jivkov, who won a WSOP bracelet in pot-limit omaha in 2012, raked in the pot without showdown.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
33,400 | 10,400 |
History of Day 1a Here at FireKeepers
Level 6
: 200/400, 50 ante
Right now the tournament clock says today's field stands at 101 entries, which can go up considering registration is open through the break at the end of Level 9. That's quite the number and bodes well for the stop.
In it's first visit to Michigan, the MSPT attracted 81 players on Day 1a, which ultimately led to a total field of 272 entries. In the subsequent visit, 301 entrants turned up for the MSPT, of which 87 came from Day 1a. It's just the start, but the numbers suggest this could be the biggest MSPT FireKeepers event yet.
A Few Counts
Level 6
: 200/400, 50 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
83,000 | 21,000 |
|
80,000 | 57,500 |
|
|
73,000 | 19,000 |
|
72,000 |
Level: 6
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 50