Main Event
Day 1a Started
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
The MSPT Turns Its Attention to the Wolverine State
Season 5 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) continues today with Day 1a of the MSPT FireKeepers Casino $1,100 Main Event here in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Located on Highway 94 directly between Chicago and Detroit with live poker action 24 hours a day, seven days a week, FireKeepers Casino Hotel is a beautiful, new property that offers craps and other table games, including two-deck blackjack and baccarat, a world-class buffet and a host of quality restaurants and bars. However, this weekend it's all about the poker!
Season 5 of the MSPT has been setting state records left and right. It started in back in March at the Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells, which set a state record with 383 entries. A couple weeks later, the MSPT set the Iowa state record at Meskwaki with 389 entries, and then followed that up with a massive 447 at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. That too was a state record, and a special one at that as it was the venue of the very first MSPT event!
Now, all eyes are on Michigan.
“FireKeepers is proud to be the Michigan tour stop for the Mid-States Poker Tour and the destination for the Michigan State Championship,” Kelley Bailey, Poker Manager at FireKeepers, told PokerNews. “With each MSPT tournament series we have experienced an increase in player participation as well as notoriety for being a stop on the tour. MSPT has done a wonderful job in expanding their product and establishing their brand in the premier tournament arena. We are pleased to continue to offer players in Michigan and surrounding areas the opportunity to play in this tournament series.”
This may only be the third time the MSPT is rolling into town, but if the first two stops are any indication, the third time will be the biggest and best yet. It will be the first time the new “Allen-Kessler Approved” structure will be utilized, and some of the Midwest’s best are expected to make the journey including World Series of Poker bracelet winner and Heartland Poker Tour champ Adam Friedman, who is confirmed to play his first-ever MSPT.
Cards are schedule to be in the air at 4 p.m. local time, which is about an hour from now. The plan is to play 14 40-minute levels of play, which means things will come to a close around 2 a.m. Friday morning. Then, at Noon on Friday, Day 1b will play out, while Day 1c will follow at the same time on Saturday. On Sunday, all surviving players will combine under one roof to play down to a winner.
Season 5 of the MSPT is set to light up Michigan here at FireKeepers, so stay tuned.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
MyStack App Available for MSPT FireKeepers
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The PokerNews MyStack App is available for players here in the Mid-States Poker Tour Season 5 FireKeepers, allowing players to directly update their chip count on the PokerNews Live Reporting page for their friends and family to see.
You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.
Be forewarned, however, any abuse of the app will result in account suspension or termination.
Some Familiar Faces
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
||
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
One for Bahls
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
After a player in early position opened for 225 and a middle-position player called, Steve Bahls limped from the hijack. The cutoff came along too, and four players took a flop of 
. After the original raiser checked, the middle-position player bet 600, which only Bahls called.
When the 
appeared on the turn, the middle-position player continued for 1,000 and Bahls announced a raise before making it 2,000. It did the trick as his opponent folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
22,000 |
Bracelet Winner Jivkov Gives Up a Few in First Level Action
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Carter Myers raised to 300 from the hijack and Nick Jivkov called on the button. The blinds got out of the way and they were heads up to the flop. The flop came down 
and Myers checked, Jivkov bet 350 and Myers called. The turn was the 
and Myers led for 600 and Jivkov made the call. The river brought the 
and Myers continued with a bet of 1,400; Jivkov thought for a while before finally mucking his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
31,000
31,000
|
31,000 |
|
|
15,600
-4,400
|
-4,400 |
|
|
||
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Midena Walks Away with the Inaugural MSPT FireKeepers Title
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
From March 8-10, 2013, the MSPT visited FireKeepers for the first time and attracted 272 entrants and created a prize pool of $272,000, making it the largest first-time event in the history of the tour. After three days of intense play, popular local pro Thomas Medina, who qualified for the tournament through a $250 qualifier, walked away with the $73,456 first-place prize and the coveted RF Moeller diamond championship bracelet.
Midena, who primarily played cash games, did so by defeating another local grinder, Adam Lamphere, in a heads-up match that lasted more than an hour. Lamphere, who would be back at the final table later in the year, earned $39,351 for his runner-up finish.
"This [event] was so much fun." said then-MSPT Ambassador Chris "Fox" Wallace. "To come back to Michigan and host an event here that was such a huge success is fantastic. The staff was great here, from the beverage servers all the way up to the top, we had everything we needed, and we were able to make sure the players all left wanting more. We're really looking forward to coming back in August."
Here’s a look at the first-ever MSPT FireKeepers final table:
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Midena | Brooklyn, MI | $73,456 |
| 2 | Adam Lamphere | Lansing, MI | $39,351 |
| 3 | Tim "Homer" Ebenhoeh | Chesaning, MI | $24,922 |
| 4 | Patrick Steele | Chelsea, MI | $18,364 |
| 5 | Benjamin Krill | Parts Unknown | $15,740 |
| 6 | Trevor Kirkland | Jackson, MI | $11,805 |
| 7 | Tom Hujda | New Lenox, IL | $9,969 |
| 8 | Sai Muduluru | Lansing, MI | $8,920 |
| 9 | Adam Bacon | Bryan, OH | $7,346 |
Hackney Wins 14.2k Pot
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
At 50-100, a player in middle position limped for 100, the player to his direct left raised it up to 400, and was called by three players, one of which was Dale Hackney, who called from the big blind.
The flop fell 
. Hackney checked, as did the original raiser. The first caller bet out 1,000 and was called by both the button and Hackney. The preflop aggressor released his hand.
The turn was the 
. Action checked to the button, who bet 2,100. Only Hackney called.
The river was the 
. Hackney checked, the button fired again for 2,700 into a pot of 8,800. Hackney called after some consideration. The button tabled pocket queens, but was bested by Hackney's AhQh. Hackney dragged in the pot worth 14,200, and is now up to 24,300 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
24,300 |