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Poker players are back at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, for one of the state’s biggest tournament festivals. The Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) Spade Poker Championship runs Oct. 13-18 and features a $1 million guaranteed Main Event and several affordable ways to qualify.
The championship returns for its second year, attracting players from across the United States who are chasing large prize pools and titles. This year’s festival centers on a $1,110 no-limit Texas Hold ’em Main Event.
Satellite qualifiers run through Oct. 16
Players hoping to spend less on a Main Event seat can qualify through satellites. FireKeepers scheduled qualifying tournaments Oct. 9-12, including $70 Milestone satellites and $265 Milestone satellites. Additional satellites are running during the festival.
For Michigan players who usually play online poker, satellites offer a lower-cost way to enter live tournament play, with a Main Event seat as the prize.
Main Event opens with three starting flights
The Main Event begins Thursday, Oct. 15. Players may choose one of three Day 1 flights:
- Day 1A: Oct. 15
- Day 1B: Oct. 16
- Day 1C: Oct. 17
Each flight starts at noon. Survivors combine for Day 2 on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m.
The buy-in is $1,110, and the prize pool is guaranteed at $1 million at minimum. Players receive 30,000 starting chips and may register until Level 13 begins, with no cap on re-entries before registration closes. Each Day 1 plays until about 11% of the field remains, so everyone advancing will already have secured a cash finish before Day 2 begins.
The six-day festival also includes several Gold Card tournaments, with buy-ins generally ranging from $250 to $400. A $400 Monster Stack event starts at noon Sunday, Oct. 18, while Day 2 of the Main Event is underway.
FireKeepers continues its major poker tradition
FireKeepers has become one of the Midwest’s leading poker destinations, hosting major MSPT festivals each spring and fall that regularly draw large national fields and generate seven-figure prize pools. Earlier this year, the Michigan Poker State Championship drew more than 2,500 entries and awarded nearly $2.5 million, far above its guarantee.
Some Michigan online casinos also offer online poker, but the Spade Poker Championship itself is played in person at FireKeepers.
Last year’s inaugural Spade Poker Championship attracted 2,773 entries and a prize pool of more than $2.6 million. Merritt Kuhn won the title and the top prize.
This year’s guarantee is $1 million, down from $1.5 million last year, but organizers still expect a strong turnout.
Winner gets $3,500 MSPT Championship seat
The Main Event winner also earns a non-transferable $3,500 entry into the MSPT Championship. The event counts as an MSPT Major and awards 1.5 times the usual Player of the Year points.
Players must meet the casino’s age requirement and hold a free Red Hot Rewards Club membership to register.
