NATION'S #1 POKER TOURJUNE 2016

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 3

President and Publisher Bryan Mileski Bryan@msptpoker.com

Editor-in-Chief Chad Holloway Chad@msptpoker.com

Art Director Carolyn Borgen Carolyn@msptpoker.com

Advertising Information Chad@msptpoker.com

Story Ideas Chad@msptpoker.com

Our MissionMSPT Magazine is a monthly magazine dedicated to serving poker players and gaming facilities through MSPT news, results, tour-nament schedules, player profiles and professional tips. Coupled with our website, msptpoker.com, we are the Nation's #1 Poker Tour.

Mid-States Poker Tour Lakeville, MN 612-743-9847

Mid-States Poker Tour is published on or near the first of each month. All claims or guarantees are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. All comments and views of contributing writers are their own and do not reflect official policy of Mid-States Pok-er Tour which assumes no liability for any advertisement not supplied camera ready by the advertiser. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written consent from the publisher and Copyright owners is prohibited.

Vol. 1/No. 2

Letter from the Editor

By the time this issue hits the stands, the 2016 World Series of Poker will

be underway, and Season 7 of the Mid-States Poker Tour will either be in

the midst of wrapping up this summer's MSPT Venetian stop—which will

run from June 6-10 and feature a $2 million guarantee—or on our annual summer

hiatus.

The MSPT will return July 9-17 with a $350 Regional Event at Milwaukee's

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, with the next Main Event—the Iowa State Poker

Championship—taking place July 16-24 at Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa. Other

stops on the horizon are the Indiana State Poker Championship at Tropicana

Evansville from August 13-21; the MSPT Grand Falls Casino near Sioux Falls,

South Dakota from August 20-28; and a return to Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells

from September 3-11.

However, until then we realize all eyes will be focused on Las Vegas.

With that in mind, we devote a large part of this issue to the WSOP including an

interview with Millionaire Maker champ Adrian Buckley, talking to MSPT Pros and

regulars about their summer plans, and a special strategy contribution by Blake

Whittington, one of the circuit's hottest players in the first half of 2016.

In addition, we catch you up on an incredibly rare title defense, introduce you

to one of the Midwest's most respected poker room managers, and highlight our

recent stop at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Bryan Mileski Chad Holloway

MSPT Founder MSPT Magazine Editor-In-Chief

FROM THE MSPT TO THE WSOPBY CHAD HOLLOWAY

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 5

MSPTPOKER.COM

Q & A

Less than a year ago, 27-year-old Adrian Buckley of

Westminster, Colorado topped a field of 7,275 entries—

the sixth-largest live tournament of all time—to win the

2015 World Series of Poker Millionaire Maker for $1,277,193.

Buckley, who holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from

the University of Colorado, had an interesting story on his

way to winning that event. On Day 2, he bagged just 80,000,

which made him the third-shortest stack among the 142

survivors. He somehow managed to survive Day 3, albeit dead

last in chips among the final 17 players that included Andrew

"Lucky Chewy" Lichtenberger, Mike Sexton, Erick Lindgren,

and Olivier Busquet.

"I came here this year with a limited bankroll, and I told

myself I'm going to play in 10 events and see how I do," Buckley

said after the win. "I've been trying every once in awhile,

because I've been a young kid just trying to get through

school, and I've never really had the bankroll to actually play

poker. I've done really well in cash games and stuff. I've been

a cash game grinder for a long time, but never had the money

to play in some big events."

Buckley was recently at the MSPT Golden Gates stop in

Black Hawk, Colorado—where he bubbled the final table

in 11th place for $7,239—so we took the opportunity to catch

up with the Millionaire Maker champ heading into the 2016

WSOP.

MSPT: What have you been up to since your big win?Buckley: It's been crazy. I've been traveling all over the

world. Went to Ireland, went to Germany for the WSOP

Europe. We've been all over the country. I've been able to do

what I love doing. It's been fantastic.

You say we. Who do you mean?Buckley: People that come join me. I'll invite people to

come travel with me and such. Not everybody comes, but

some people will join me. I had a really good friend go to

Ireland with me, had a good time there. Now I'm back home

until the WSOP.

Have you made any big purchases with your prize money?Buckley: No. I'm kind of a nit in life, which is the opposite

of poker [laughs]. Pretty agro in poker, pretty nitty in life. I bought a house, but it's for a rental. I have a couple of houses

now, so that's nice. I'm able to do what I want to do. I paid off

CATCHING UP WITH 2015 WSOP MILLIONAIRE MAKER CHAMP ADRIAN BUCKLEYBY CHAD HOLLOWAY

Adrian Buckley

all my student loans, which is fantastic. I can live life the way

I want now. I hit the jackpot, it's a dream come true man.

It's a touchy subject, action?Buckley: I had 95% of myself, and the gentlemen who had

5% of me does not really want people to know [who he is]. I had

almost all of my action. It was my eighth of eight tournaments

I was going to play at the WSOP last year. I pretty much went

bankroll bankrupt you could say. It was my last tournament

and I was just going to go home and work again to save up

some money. I got lucky in my last tournament, it's crazy.

What are your plans for the 2016 WSOP?Buckley: I got a house with a bunch of grinder buddies.

We're going to stay out in Vegas and grind the whole series.

Hopefully play as many events as possible, or as few events as

possible [laughs], one of the two.

Finally, what is it about the MSPT that keeps you coming back?Buckley: I actually love the structure of the MSPT. The way

it's run, the way you're able to register, there aren't a lot of

tables up here in Black Hawk unfortunately so you can't get a

huge crowd, but the MSPT seems to structure it perfectly. It's

my favorite tournament that comes through here each year.

The updates are fantastic. I have no complaints at all.

canterburypark.com

JUNE HIGHLIGHT:

TAG TEAM NLH June 9, 2016

TWIN CITIES POKER OPENAugust 2016

ULTIMATE $100KSeptember 2016

Live Racing Now - September 17

$50,000 GUARANTEED NLH TOURNAMENTJUNE 22 - 26

$250 BUY-IN • 20K CHIPS • 30 MINUTE LEVELS

$250 Main Event 1-A Wed 6/22 6:30 PM • 1-B Thurs 6/23 6:30 PM

1-C Fri 6/24 6:30 PM • 1-D Sat 6/25 10:30 AM1-E Sat 6/25 6:30 PM • Day-2 Sun 6/26 2:00 PM

$65 Qualifiers Top 20% win 200 lammers+$50 cash

Thurs 6/16 6:30 PMTues 6/21 6:30 PM

www.canterburypark.com • 952-445-6870 • 866-MN-POKER • 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, MN 55379

Other Upcoming Events:

Mid-States Poker Tour

MSPTPOKER.COM

canterburypark.com

JUNE HIGHLIGHT:

TAG TEAM NLH June 9, 2016

TWIN CITIES POKER OPENAugust 2016

ULTIMATE $100KSeptember 2016

Live Racing Now - September 17

$50,000 GUARANTEED NLH TOURNAMENTJUNE 22 - 26

$250 BUY-IN • 20K CHIPS • 30 MINUTE LEVELS

$250 Main Event 1-A Wed 6/22 6:30 PM • 1-B Thurs 6/23 6:30 PM

1-C Fri 6/24 6:30 PM • 1-D Sat 6/25 10:30 AM1-E Sat 6/25 6:30 PM • Day-2 Sun 6/26 2:00 PM

$65 Qualifiers Top 20% win 200 lammers+$50 cash

Thurs 6/16 6:30 PMTues 6/21 6:30 PM

www.canterburypark.com • 952-445-6870 • 866-MN-POKER • 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, MN 55379

Other Upcoming Events:

"The plan for me this summer is playing the good value tournaments, including a few bracelet events and the MSPT Venetian. Additionally, I will be playing in some of the PLO cash games. I learned that one of the keys to success in the summer is having adequate rest—a good work/life balance—and just having some fun, so hopefully there's plenty of that as well." – Nick Pupillo

"I'll play the MSPT Venetian. I'm not going to play the Colossus. The Seniors Championship and WSOP Main Event are the two I really want to play. Other than that it's up for grabs." – MSPT Season 6 POY Mark Hodge

"First thing is to play the MSPT Venetian, then the WSOP Millionaire Maker. Those are the two I have in mind, but there are tons of tournaments to play all over the city." – Rick Syverud

"I'll be in live cash action all summer. I'll also play some $1,000 tournaments, and then of course the WSOP Main Event." – MSPT champ TJ Ryan

"I'm going out to start with the MSPT Venetian then pretty much playing all WSOP events. I'm doing a little less than I have in the past because I want to enjoy summer. I get to have July 4 at home for the first time in five years." – MSPT Pro Matt Kirby

“To me, the WSOP is like a combination of a high school reunion and a modern day gold rush. The buzz from the excitement is enough to keep you up for days. I plan to 'heat up' on the tables through the summer, then come back home to cool down on the lake.” – Johnny “Gstaks” Hayes

"I just fly out and play it by ear. My plan is to play all the 11 a.m. no-limit hold'em events and a lot of satellites. I find value in the satellites and sit-n-goes." – MSPT Pro Matt Alexander

"I'll be there June 2-14. I plan on playing the Colossus, MSPT Venetian, and Millionaire Maker. The Goliath too at Planet Hollywood. Those are my set-in-stone plans right now." – Jeff Fielder

MSPT PLAYERS DISCUSS THEIR SUMMER LAS VEGAS PLANSEvery summer, the entire poker world turns its attention to Las Vegas. As such, we thought we'd catch up with some

MSPT regulars to find out their plans for the MSPT Venetian and 2016 World Series of Poker. Here's what they had to say…

PAGE 8 Mid-States Poker Tour JUNE 2016

MSPTPOKER.COM

Mid-States Poker Tour

In its seven-season history the Mid-States Poker Tour has

experienced some noteworthy records including a back-

to-back winner, six two-time champs, and the first female

champ. However, until April 24 no one had successfully

defended his or her title.

The MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event in Shakopee,

Minnesota attracted 376 entries (184 Day 1a; 192 Day 1b)

and created a total prize pool of $376,000, nearly double the

advertised $200,000 guarantee. After an unusually speedy

Day 2, 31-year-old Carl Carodenuto, who topped a field of 470

entrants to win the same event in December 2015, once again

walked away with the title and a $90,805 first-place prize.

"I'm pretty mesmerized," said Carodenuto, who qualified

for the tournament via a $250 satellite." "I'm in shock. It hasn't

CARL CARODENUTO SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS MSPT CANTERBURY PARK TITLEBY MSPT POKER STAFF

Carl Carodenuto

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 9

MSPTPOKER.COM

Canterbury Parkcompletely hit me all the way, but I'm just really proud of

myself."

Carodenuto added that he will be in Las Vegas this

summer, but can you expect him back at Canterbury Park at

the end of December?

"Absolutely, I've got to try to defend again," he said.

With the win, which also made him the tour's seventh two-

time champ, Carodenuto brought his lifetime tournament

earnings up to $305,106.

Day 2 saw 64 players return to action, which meant 28

needed to go before the money was reached. Among those

to leave empty handed were MSPT Pro Blake Bohn, high-

rolling businessman John Morgan, and the MSPT's all-time

money winner Peixin Liu.

Among those to cash were brothers Tony & Ryan Hartmann

(31st and 35th respectively); father-and-son combo Brett &

Josh Reichard (13th and 30th); as well as the last woman

standing, Jay Philips (27th—$2,906), two-time MSPT champ

Johnny Hayes (23rd—$2,906); MSPT Potawatomi champ

Travis Lauson (18th—$3,632); and World Series of Poker

bracelet winner John Reading (17th—$3,632).

There were some interesting storylines at the final table

including the appearance of bracelet winner Adam Friedman

and former champ Dan "DQ" Hendrickson, though all eyes

were focused on Carodenuto, who began the final table as

chip leader and proceeded to steamroll the competition.

Canterbury ParkBuy-in: $1,100 ♣ 376 Entrants

Place Name City, State Prize1 Carl Carodenuto Bloomington, MN $90,805

2 Gennady Shimelfarb Minneapolis, MN $54,483

3 Jeff Taylor Eden Prairie, MN $35,341

4 Adam Friedman Gahanna, OH $24,699

5 Jason Song Crystal, MN $18,524

6 Pete Bigelow Moose Lake, MN $14,529

7 Tim Signore Oak Lawn, IL $12,349

8 Justin Thurlow Cottage Grove, MN $10,170

9 Scott Johnson White Bear Lake, MN $8,717

10 Dan Hendrickson Faribault, MN $6,902

The "Crazy Carl" show saw his opponents hit the rail one

by one until he was heads up holding a significant chip lead

against local cash game pro Gennady Shimelfarb, who had

previously made a MSPT final table on three occasions, never

finishing better than eighth.

Shimelfarb held his own for a bit, but ultimately fell when

his king-queen was flushed by Carodenuto's ace-jack suited.

Final table

PAGE 12 Mid-States Poker Tour JUNE 2016

MSPTPOKER.COM

Mid-States Poker Tour

The record-breaking Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT)

FireKeepers—the tour's largest Main Event outside of

Las Vegas—attracted 820 entries (165 Day 1a, 310 Day

1b, and 345 Day 1c) and created a $820,000 total prize pool.

On Sunday, 167 players returned to action, and 15 hours later,

Aaron Massey emerged as champion to capture his first MSPT

title and a $174,658 first-place prize.

"I'm feeling really good," said Massey. "Perfect timing right

before the summer, great for my morale. I'm heading down to

New Orleans tomorrow and the World Series of Poker is after

that. I thrive in these big fields over my career. I do really well

in the mid-majors. That's my bread and butter. I'm just really

happy to close it out in such a big field."

Massey, a top pro with nearly $2.9 million in lifetime

earnings, broke through back in 2012 when he topped a field of

1,394 to take down the Winstar River Poker Series $4 Million

Guaranteed event for $651,559. Since then, he's continued

to dominate by finishing third in the 2014 WSOP Event #55:

$1,500 No-Limit Hold'em for $255,209, runner-up in the World

Poker Tour Borgata Open $500 Big Stack Reentry for $219,209,

and a win in the 2014 Heartland Poker Tour East Chicago for

$177,502.

Prior to this event, Massey, also a former HPT Player of the

Year, only had one MSPT cash on his poker résumé—155th in

the MSPT Venetian for $2,512. Now he's the winner of the

MSPT's largest-ever event outside of Vegas.

With 81 players slated to cash, 86 players needed to hit

the rail before the money was reached. Among those to

leave empty handed were former champ Ryan Dykhouse,

reigning MSPT Player of the Year Mark Hodge, defending

champ Michael Ferrarotti, and 2009 World Series of Poker

Main Event champ Joe Cada, who fell three spots shy of the

money after running pocket fives into the nines of MSPT Pro

Matt Kirby.

Once the bubble burst, the eliminations came at a rapid

pace and included Dan Heimiller (67th—$2,223), Tom

Midena (59th—$2,540), Kirby (57th—$2,540), Nick Pupillo

(54th—$2,937), Mark Johnson (43rd - $3,334), and Adam

Lamphere (19th—$5,002).

Jason Smith began the final table as the chip leader, but

first blood would go to MSPT Season 3 Running Aces champ

Rodger Johnson, who on the fourth hand picked up pocket

POKER PRO AARON MASSEY WINS LARGEST MSPT EVENT EVER HELD OUTSIDE OF VEGASBY MSPT POKER STAFF

FireKeepers CasinoBuy-in: $1,000 + $100 ♣ 820 Entrants

Place Name City, State Prize1 Aaron Massey Chicago, IL $174,658

2 Ronald Kruk Osceola, IN $106,383

3 Rodger Johnson Grand Forks, ND $69,228

4 Jason Smith Ferndale, MI $47,952

5 Christopher Blik Grandville, MI $34,932

6 Richard Bai Schaumburg, IL $26,834

7 Alfred Singletary II Okemos, MI $22,150

8 David Berman Solon, OH $18,498

9 Brian Brenneke Fort Wayne, IN $14,847

10 Ryan Lally Rockford, MI $11,354

Aaron Massey

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 13

MSPTPOKER.COM

tens and survived Ryan Lally's ace-queen. Lally earned

$11,354 for his tenth-place finish.

That's when Smith got to work eliminating players in back-

to-back hands. First, he sent Brian Brenneke to the rail in

ninth place after flopping a set of threes to vault past tens, and

in the next hand he called David Berman's shove with ace-

three, which flopped two pair to pull ahead of his opponent's

ace-jack. Neither the turn nor river helped Berman, and he

had to settle for eighth place and an $18,498 payday.

Not long after, Al Singletary, who had been extremely

aggressive, opened for 500,000 in Level 29 (40,000/80,000/10,000).

Smith pushed back with a three-bet to 1.2 million, Singletary

moved all in for 2.8 million, and Smith called. Both players

held ace-king, but Smith's were suited diamonds. The

flop brought two diamonds and the river one more to send

Singletary out the door in seventh place.

After Richard Bai bowed out in sixth place—his queen-

eight failed to get there against the ace-ten of Ron Krux—

newlywed Chris Blik hit the rail in fifth place after shoving

his short stack with ten-nine and running into two players

with pocket pairs. Interestingly, Blik was married on Friday,

and the best man at his wedding was none other than Casey

Carroll, who was less than a week removed from winning the

HPT Ameristar East Chicago for $174,469.

Four-handed play lasted awhile, and that is when Massey

came on strong. Eventually he and Smith collided in a cooler

hand, and Massey doubled big when his kings held against

Smith's queens. Smith was crippled but still managed to

outlast Johnson,

who fell in third

after shoving his

short stack with

a weak ace only

to run into Kruk's

pocket jacks. Smith

followed him out

the door one hand

later.

That set up a

heads-up match

between Massey

and Kruk with the

former holding a

little less than a 2-1-

chip lead. The two

jostled back and

forth for awhile,

but before long it came to a head with Massey holding Big

Slick and Kruk the inferior ace-queen. Massey's hand held

and Kruk had to settle for runner-up.

"The fact that it was such a big field, it does make me feel

good," Massey added. "It feels more prestigious to me. The

MSPT is fantastic. You offer a great product, and I can speak

for me, my brother, and my friends, we're always thrilled to be

able come out here and compete for a good amount of money

for a reasonable buy-in. It's definitely something special."

FireKeepers Casino

Jason Smith

Final table

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 15

MSPTPOKER.COM

Potawatomi Casino

From July 9-17, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) will

return to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin for the second $350 buy-in, $100,000

guaranteed Regional Event of Season 7. The stop, which

requires players be 21 years of age to play, will host more

than a dozen $50 ad $90 satellites for the Regional Event,

which will feature three starting flights.

Day 1a will kick off at 5:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, July

14, while Day 1b will take place at the same time on Friday,

July 15. Then, on Saturday, July 16, Day 1c will get underway

at 2:00 p.m. The survivors from all three flights will then

combine at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 17 to play down to a

winner.

Players are allowed a max of one reentry per starting flight

during the standard registration process. Each starting flight

will play 16 levels that will last 30 minutes each.

"Few poker markets thrive as well as the one in and around

Milwaukee," said MSPT owner and operator Bryan Mileski.

"Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is a luxurious property with

unlimited gaming options. As such, it's no surprise to see

our events there attract players from throughout Wisconsin,

Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota."

Indeed, the last time the MSPT rolled into Milwaukee for

a Regional Event was back in January when 904 entries—a

record for Regional Events—took to the felt to battle for a

$58,964 top prize. Oscar Arndt walked away with the top prize,

while the likes of David Gonia (3rd—$20,965), Jason Bender

(7th—$9,303), and Travis Lauson (18th—$1,493) all walked

away with some cash.

Speaking of Lauson, he returned to the property in April

and won the MSPT Potawatomi Main Event for $129,077.

What's even more amazing, he did it after finishing runner-up

in the same event in the fall of 2015.

Here's a look at the upcoming MSPT Regional schedule:

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR MSPT POTAWATOMI REGIONAL FROM JULY 9-17BY MSPT POKER STAFF

ALL DAYEVERY DAY

$50 High HandM-F: 1-8am | S&S: 2-8am

Progressive Board Every Night: 1-8am

LATE NIGHT EVERY NIGHT

DA

ILY

PO

KE

RP

RO

MO

TIO

NS SUN: 8am - 3pm $50 Splash Pots

Every 15 MinutesMON: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed

$1,500 Minimum PayoutTUE: 8am-3pm High Hand

$100/$50/$50 Hourly12am - 11:59pm Spade & Club VIP Appreciation

$25 added to all Poker PromosWED: 8am - 3pm $50 Splash Pots

Every 15 MinutesTHU: 8am Start High Hand

$100/$50/$50 HourlyFRI: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed

$1,500 Minimum PayoutSAT: 8am - 3pm High Hand

$100/$50/$50 HourlyEVERY DAY:

3pm -1pmBounty Bonus BoardWin Your Share of $1,450

RunAces.com

JUNE 10– 12POKER TOURNAMENT SERIES

ALL DAYEVERY DAY

$50 High HandM-F: 1-8am | S&S: 2-8am

Progressive Board Every Night: 1-8am

LATE NIGHT EVERY NIGHT

DA

ILY

PO

KE

RP

RO

MO

TIO

NS SUN: 8am - 3pm $50 Splash Pots

Every 15 MinutesMON: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed

$1,500 Minimum PayoutTUE: 8am-3pm High Hand

$100/$50/$50 Hourly12am - 11:59pm Spade & Club VIP Appreciation

$25 added to all Poker PromosWED: 8am - 3pm $50 Splash Pots

Every 15 MinutesTHU: 8am Start High Hand

$100/$50/$50 HourlyFRI: 8am Start $50 Aces Cracked & $25 Splashed

$1,500 Minimum PayoutSAT: 8am - 3pm High Hand

$100/$50/$50 HourlyEVERY DAY:

3pm -1pmBounty Bonus BoardWin Your Share of $1,450

RunAces.com

JUNE 10– 12POKER TOURNAMENT SERIES

PAGE 18 Mid-States Poker Tour JUNE 2016

MSPTPOKER.COM

Industry Insiders

FireKeepers Casino Hotel,

located in Battle Creek,

Michigan, opened in August

of 2009. The venue features an

111,700-square foot gaming floor

with 2,900 slot machines, 70 table

games, multiple restaurants and

lounges, a live poker room and

bingo room.

In addition, FireKeepers,

located just off Interstate 94 at

Exit 104, opened the doors on its 243-room resort-style hotel

complete with indoor pool, exercise facility, full service

restaurant named Smoke ‘n Fire, and business center in

December 2012.

In less than a decade, FireKeepers has not only established

itself as one of the Midwest's premiere gaming destinations,

but one of the best places to go for poker action. That was

evidenced in early May when the Mid-States Poker Tour

rolled into town and attracted 820 entries, which was a record

for a Main Event held outside of Las Vegas.

It was a massive turnout, and credit goes to the hard work

and preparation by the FireKeepers staff, led by Poker and

Bingo Manager Kelley Bailey, who has worked in the poker

world for the past 30 years. The last 15 have been spent in

management running poker rooms in Nevada and California

before heading to Michigan, where she's been for three years.

Bailey, who has two children and grandchildren, was kind

enough to chat with us about what makes FireKeepers Casino

so special.

MSPT: How did you come to work at FireKeepers?Bailey: I have always sought exciting challenges. I came to

Michigan as a new adventure, knowing it would be an entirely

different experience. The Midwest poker community and the

ever-changing weather here have helped provide some of

those unique differences for me in my capacity as the Poker

and Bingo Manager at FireKeepers.

It was baptism under fire in a way as I arrived during

POKER MANAGER KELLEY BAILEY PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN ON FIREKEEPERS CASINO'S SUCCESSBY CHAD HOLLOWAY

FireKeepers’ first MSPT in March 2013 to complete my new

hire paperwork and got my overview of the Poker Room and

property during this inaugural event. I got my first taste of

the high skill level, attention to extraordinary standards and

property emphasis on guest service then that I have since

learned are part of the great expectations at FireKeepers

that started from the day the property first opened on August

5, 2009. From its inception, the Poker Room has both created

and built a solid reputation as the place to play in Michigan,

with the best dealers and floor staff. Here, service, attitude

and teamwork mean everything!

It seems FireKeepers has developed as a well-balanced room between cash and tournaments. Would that be accurate?

Bailey: It was during my first interview for the Poker

Manager’s position that Table Games Vice President Lance

Allen let me know that he wanted to build our tournament

structure to increase our appeal to a larger pool and variety

of poker players. We now offer poker tournaments every day.

They range from $40 to $400 depending on the time of year as

well as our MSPT Super Satellites and Main Event qualifiers

six weeks prior to the start of each tour stop.

Kelley Bailey

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 19

MSPTPOKER.COM

Industry InsidersAre there any employees who've been with the room since its

inception?Bailey: Illustrating that FireKeepers is the “Employer of

Choice” in the Midwest, the Poker Room has eighteen “Day One” Team Members. Those of us who are fortunate to work here know just how amazing this company is. There are more than 400 “Day One” Team members who remain in all areas from that grand opening nearly seven years ago.

You seem to have a strong team in the poker room. What can you tell us about the poker team you've assembled and get to work with on a daily basis?

Bailey: The great pride exhibited by FireKeepers’ staff is uncommon and I feel privileged to work with this team. We have a dedicated group of people who are truly assets and work together, taking ownership of all they do to make FireKeepers the special place to which our guests routinely return. That the MSPT keeps setting new records here each year is proof that this unique property has attributes that brings additional poker players yearning to play here. It’s not just that the dealers know most players names—and spend time talking to them. They have built strong relationships that serve as the underpinning to the Poker Room’s growth.

What sort of promotions does your room offer?Bailey: Some of our promotions are a Bad Beat Jackpot; five

“High Hand” payouts daily; a Tournament of Champions with a $50,000 prize pool; miscellaneous MSPT seats and custom card protector and cash drawings.

What's the strangest thing you've ever seen happen in your poker room?

Bailey: Every day I have the opportunity to see something

I’ve never witnessed before. This provides many different

experiences that once could characterize as unusual but in

the casino and poker world might be classified as ordinary

or expected.

What do you envision for the future of the FireKeepers Poker

Room?

Bailey: We are going to continue to grow and develop

FireKeepers Casino’s Poker Room and ride the waves of

success that come with vision, carefully planned evolution to

maintain the progress that has been our trademark.

Thursday, June 23 • Grand Casino Hinckley • Registration starts at 3 p.m. —

first come, first served. • $30 original entry & re-entry fee. • Space is limited to 280 entries.

Must be a Grand Rewards Member. Membership is free & easy — see Grand Rewards to sign up today!

File Name Bleed Size (w x h) Designer Account ExecutiveGCS-16-86369_MSPT_Grand-Classic-BlackJack_(8-375x10-75)_b01 8.875x11.25 Ben Laura/Heidi

Creation Date Final Size (w x h) Copywriter Proofreader

05/17/16 8.375x10.75 Andy Erin

Modified Date Color(s) Creative Director Production

May 17, 2016 5:07 PM 4c Dean

Due Date Vendor/Publication

GRAND CLASSIC BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT$8,400 guaranteed purse!

JUNE 2016 Mid-States Poker Tour PAGE 21

MSPTPOKER.COM

This hand comes from my victory

in the $350 MSPT Regional at

bestbet Jacksonville. I arrived

at the final table with 35% of the chips

in play but faced a lot of adversity

for the first few hours, eventually

becoming the short stack with five

players left. Let’s set the scene. Three

people remain between me and my

goal, and after being relatively even

stacked with the others for a few orbits, I finally started to

gain some traction.

Then, in the last hand of the 50k/100k/10k level, I am in

the small blind with 3.9 million. The two players before me

fold, I raise to 250,000 holding the A♥3♥, and the big blind

(BB), who has 2.8 million, calls, making this scenario a good

spot to apply pressure on the person who is sitting second in

chips. On the Q♣J♥10♦ flop, I lead for 225,000 and the BB calls.

This flop is an automatic continuation-bet given my range

advantage being the aggressor preflop. When he calls, I think

his range includes a lot of Ax, Kx, and pair-plus-straight-draw

hands such as Q8, J9, KJ, T8, etc.

The turn is the 7♣ bringing a club flush draw. Here is

where I choose to do something a bit unorthodox based on

some hands the BB has already played (on breaks I had a

close friend of mine that was watching the stream giving me

info on key hands). The BB had shown a propensity to play

his big hands fast on the flop, so when he just called on the

flop, I immediately removed K9, 98, QJ, QT, and JT from his

range (and of course AK and sets, but those hands most likely

reraise preflop).

So with 990k in the pot, and with 3.5M in my stack and 2.4M

in his, I bet 1,030,000. The turn doesn’t change the board

texture much except for bringing a backdoor flush draw. I

went with this sizing because of my leverage due to the other

two stacks being shorter than him (they were 2 million and 1.4

million respectively). The bet is designed to discourage him

from continuing with his pair-plus-straight-draw hands.

Even if he has a hand like KQ, I believe he would fold to

this sizing on the turn because it represents almost half his

stack and he is not going to want to end up facing a decision

with one pair if the river bricks out. If I had gone with a more

standard sizing of somewhere in the 450-650k range, he would

probably be inclined to continue with his pair-plus-straight

draw hands, and I didn’t want that to happen considering how

poorly my hand was doing against that range. As it turns out,

he folded A♠7♠ and I took down a crucial pot.

Although it may seem unnecessary to risk so much on the

turn, I was confident enough that my sizing was extremely

likely to inspire a fold given all the factors that were involved

four handed. It’s important to keep your opponents guessing

by throwing them an occasional curveball, and when it

worked, I got the added benefit of sending a message to the

three remaining players that I was there to win.

In this scenario, it benefits me if the other players at the table

are less inclined to play pots with me. I would much prefer to

just play small ball and chip away slowly by exercising my

postflop advantage rather than get involved in high-variance

situations. Winning that pot was huge for my momentum, and

fortunately I managed to carry that momentum to the end and

close out the tournament for $45,492.

Thursday, June 23 • Grand Casino Hinckley • Registration starts at 3 p.m. —

first come, first served. • $30 original entry & re-entry fee. • Space is limited to 280 entries.

Must be a Grand Rewards Member. Membership is free & easy — see Grand Rewards to sign up today!

File Name Bleed Size (w x h) Designer Account ExecutiveGCS-16-86369_MSPT_Grand-Classic-BlackJack_(8-375x10-75)_b01 8.875x11.25 Ben Laura/Heidi

Creation Date Final Size (w x h) Copywriter Proofreader

05/17/16 8.375x10.75 Andy Erin

Modified Date Color(s) Creative Director Production

May 17, 2016 5:07 PM 4c Dean

Due Date Vendor/Publication

GRAND CLASSIC BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT$8,400 guaranteed purse!

Strategy

@MSPTPoker

TOURNAMENT TIP: LEVERAGING STACK SIZES WHEN PLAYING SHORT-HANDEDBY: BLAKE WHITTINGTON

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DeepStack Extravaganza III May 26th - July 24th, 2016

DATEEvent # 12PM Events (unless noted)

GTD Prize Pool

Registration Open Until Restart Times for

Day and Evening Events Event #

7PM Events (unless noted)GTD Prize

Pool

Registration Open Until

Thur May 26th 1 $400 NLH Day 1A 4:20 PM 2 $200 NLH Bounty $10K 9:10 PMFri May 27th 1 $400 NLH Day 1B 4:20 PM 3 $200 NLH (1) Rebuy $20K 9:10 PMSat May 28th 1 $400 NLH Day 1C 4:20 PM 4 $300 NLH Bounty $15K 9:10 PM

5 $400 Omaha 8/B @ 11am $20K 3:20 PM

6 $300 NLH SuperStack @ 2pm (1Day) $20K 5:10 PMMon May 30th 8 $600 NLH SuperStack Day 1A 4:20 PM #5 restart @ 11am 9 $300 NLH Bounty $15K 9:10 PMTues May 31st 8 $600 NLH SuperStack Day 1B 4:20 PM 10 $400 NLH Bounty $20K 9:10 PMWed June 1st 11 $400 NLH Bounty (1Day) $40K 3:10 PM #8 restart @ 11am 12 $400 HORSE @ 5PM $20K 9:40 PMThur June 2nd 13 $400 NLH (1Day) $40K 3:10 PM #12 restart @ 5pm 14 $300 NLH Bounty $15K 9:10 PM

Fri June 3rd 15 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM 16 $600 PLO @ 5pm $60K 9:40 PMSat June 4th 17 $600 NLH Day 1A @ 11am 3:20 PM #16 restart @ 5pm NO EVENTSun June 5th 17 $600 NLH Day 1B @ 11am 3:20 PM 18 $600 PLO 8/B @ 5pm $60K 9:40 PM

Mon June 6th 19 $1100 NLH Day 1A 6:30 PM#17 restart @ 11am #18 restart @ 5pm NO EVENT

Tues June 7th 19 $1100 NLH Day 1B 6:30 PM NO EVENTWed June 8th 19 $1100 NLH Day 1C 6:30 PM NO EVENTThur June 9th 20 $600 NLH $200K 4:20 PM #19 restart @ 11am 21 $1100 NLH Turbo @ 5pm (1Day) $75K 9:20 PMFri June 10th 22 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM #19 & 20 restart @ 11am 23 $300 NLH Survivor $20K 9:10 PMSat June 11th 24 $600 Omaha 8/B @ 11am $50K 3:20 PM 25 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PMSun June 12th 26 $600 NLH Day 1A @ 11am 3:20 PM #24 restart @ 11am 27 $400 NLH Bounty Turbo $30K 9:10 PMMon June 13th 26 $600 NLH Day 1B @ 11am 3:20 PM 28 $600 Omaha 8/B Day 1A @ 5pm 9:40 PMTues June 14th 29 $600 NLH Seniors Day 1A @ 11am 3:20 PM #26 restart @ 11am 28 $600 Omaha 8/B Day 1B @ 5pm 9:40 PMWed June 15th 29 $600 NLH Seniors Day 1B @ 11am 3:20 PM #28 restart @ 5pm 30 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PMThur June 16th 31 $600 NLH SuperStack @ 11am $150K 5:30 PM #29 restart @ 11am 32 $1100 NLH Turbo @ 5pm (1Day) $75K 9:20 PMFri June 17th 33 $1100 NLH Bounty (1Day) $200K 6:30 PM #31 restart @ 11am 34 $400 NLH Mega Sat to $3500 5 Seats 10:10 PMSat June 18th 35 $1100 NLH (1Day) $100K 6:30 PM 36 $400 NLH Mega Sat to $3500 5 Seats 10:10 PMSun June 19th 37 $1600 PLO (8) Max $150K 10:35 PM 38 $400 NLH Mega Sat to $3500 10 Seats 10:10 PMMon June 20th 39 $3500 NLH Day 1A 10:35 PM #37 restart @ 12pm 40 $400 NLH Mega Sat to $3500 10 Seats 10:10 PMTues June 21st 39 $3500 NLH Day 1B 10:35 PM 41 $400 NLH Mega Sat to $3500 10 Seats 10:10 PM

39 $3500 NLH Day 1C 10:35 PM42 $400 NLH Mega Turbo @ 10am 1 Seat 12:10 PM

Thur June 23rd NO EVENT #39 restart @ 12pm 43 $1100 NLH Turbo @ 5pm (1Day) $75K 9:20 PMFri June 24th 44 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM #39 restart @ 12pm 45 $1100 NLH / PLO @ 5pm $100K 9:40 PMSat June 25th 46 $600 NLH Day 1A @ 11am 3:20 PM #45 restart @ 5pm 46 $600 NLH Day 1B @ 4pm $250K 8:20 PMSun June 26th 46 $600 NLH Day 1C @ 11am 3:20 PM 47 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PMMon June 27th 48 $1600 NLH Day 1A 10:35 PM #46 restart @ 11am 49 $1100 PLO 8/B Day 1A @ 5pm 9:40 PMTues June 28th 48 $1600 NLH Day 1B 10:35 PM 49 $1100 PLO 8/B Day 1B @ 5pm 9:40 PM

48 $1600 NLH Day 1C 10:35 PM50 $300 NLH Mega Sat Turbo @ 10am 1 Seat 12:10 PM

Thur June 30th 51 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM #48 restart @ 12pm 52 $400 NLH Bounty Turbo $30K 9:10 PMFri July 1st 53 $1100 NLH Day 1A 6:30 PM #48 restart @ 12pm 54 $1100 PLO / PLO 8B / BIG O @ 5pm $100K 9:40 PM

Sat July 2nd 53 $1100 NLH Day 1B 6:30 PM #54 restart @ 5pm 55 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PMSun July 3rd 53 $1100 NLH Day 1C 6:30 PM 56 $400 NLH Survivor $30K 9:10 PMMon July 4th 57 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM #53 restart @ 11am 58 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PMTues July 5th 59 $1100 NLH $250K 6:30 PM 60 $600 BIG O @ 5pm $50K 9:40 PM

Wed July 6th 61 $1600 NLH Bounty $250K 10:35 PM #59 restart @ 11am #60 restart @ 5pm NO EVENT

Thur July 7th 62 $400 NLH Ladies @ 11am (1Day) $30K 2:10 PM #61 restart @ 12pm 63 $1100 NLH Turbo @ 5pm (1Day) $75K 9:20 PMFri July 8th 64 $1100 NLH (1Day) $200K 6:30 PM 65 $600 NLH Bounty $40K 9:10 PMSat July 9th 66 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM 67 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PM

Sun July 10th 68 $400 NLH Bounty (1Day) $40K 3:10 PM 69 $400 PLO Bounty (1Day) @ 5pm $30K 9:20 PMMon July 11th 70 $600 NLH Bounty (1Day) $60K 3:10 PM 71 $400 NLH Bounty $30K 9:10 PMTues July 12th 72 $600 NLH SuperStack $100K 6:30 PM 73 $200 NLH Mega Sat to $1100 10 Seats 10:10 PMWed July 13th 74 $1100 NLH Day 1A 6:30 PM #72 restart @ 11am 75 $200 NLH Mega Sat to $1100 10 Seats 10:10 PMThur July 14th 74 $1100 NLH Day 1B 6:30 PM 76 $200 NLH Mega Sat to $1100 10 Seats 10:10 PMFri July 15th 74 $1100 NLH Day 1C 6:30 PM NO EVENTSat July 16th 77 $600 NLH Mega Sat to $5000 10 Seats 3:10 PM #74 restart @ 11am 78 $600 NLH Mega Sat to $5000 10 Seats 10:10 PMSun July 17th 79 $5000 NLH Day 1A 3:20 PM Day2 #74 restart @ 11am 80 $600 NLH Mega Sat to $5000 10 Seats 10:10 PMMon July 18th 79 $5000 NLH Day 1B 3:20 PM Day2 81 $600 NLH Mega Sat to $5000 10 Seats 10:10 PM

79 $5000 NLH Day 1C 3:20 PM Day282 $600 NLH Mega Sat Turbo @ 10am 1 Seat 12:10 PM

Wed July 20th 83 $400 NLH Bounty @ 2pm (1Day) $30K 5:10 PM #79 restart @ 12pm 84 $300 NLH Bounty $15K 9:10 PMThur July 21st 85 $400 NLH SuperStack Day 1A 6:30 PM #79 restart @ 12pm 86 $300 NLH Bounty $15K 9:10 PMFri July 22nd 85 $400 NLH SuperStack Day 1B 6:30 PM #79 restart @ 12pm 87 $200 NLH (1) Rebuy $20K 9:10 PMSat July 23rd 85 $400 NLH SuperStack Day 1C 6:30 PM 88 $200 NLH Bounty $10K 9:10 PMSun July 24th 89 $300 NLH Bounty (1Day) $20K 3:10 PM #85 restart @ 11am 90 $200 NLH Bounty $10K 9:10 PM

$250K

$3 Mill

$250K

$100K

9:10 PM7#1 restart @ 11am $15K $300 NLH Survivor

$150K

$250K

$200K

$2 MILL

$150K

Sun May 29th

Wed June 22nd NO EVENT

Tues July 19th

Wed June 29th

$500K

NO EVENT#49 restart @ 5pm

Must be 21 years of age or older and have a Grazie card to participate. Complete listing of rake, staff fee, starting chips, and length of levels can be found on the back of this schedule, or by visiting us at Venetian.com

Follow all the action all summer long at VenetianPokerRoom.blogspot.com

$200K

NO EVENT

$2 Mill

$1 Mill

$1.5 Mill

$150K

I-94 to Exit 104 | 11177 Michigan Avenue | Battle Creek, MI 49014Must be 21 or older. Schedule subject to change. Management reserves all rights.

GET READY. GET SET.

GET READY TO MEET THE CHAMPION

CONGRATULATIONSTO OUR MAIN

EVENT WINNER!

MAY 15AARON M.

$174,658

MSPT RETURNS TO FIREKEEPERS FALL 2016!

MICHIGAN STATE POKER CHAMPIONSHIP $300,000 GUARANTEED MAIN EVENT PRIZE POOL

MAIN EVENT OCTOBER 13 – 16QUALIFIERS BEGIN AUGUST 26

For more details, visit FireKeepersCasino.com or call the Poker Room directly at 269.660.5631.

A RECORD-BREAKING $820,000 PRIZE POOL!

CLIENT

FireKeepers Casino Hotel

PROJECT

June MSPT Mag

JOB NO.

FK-26179

COLOR

4/c

SIZE

8.375” x 10.75”

BLEED

.25

FK-26179_June_MSPT_Mag_8.375x10.75.indd 1 5/17/16 3:16 PM