Welcome to Day 1 of Mid-States Poker Tour Meskwaki Casino
After nearly two months between main events, the Mid-States Poker Tour has returned with another stop at Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa. The location may be remote, but the action isn't; Matthew Anderson can attest to that. The Lincoln, Neb., based player took home $100,075 for winning the last MSPT event here on April 6.
Anderson topped a field of 389 players, a record for a poker tournament in Iowa with a buy in of more than $1,000. The hard-working MSPT crew undoubtedly enjoyed their long stretch of time off, but they've been hard at work trying to break their own record since arriving in Iowa. If the official MSPT Twitter account is any indication, things are shaping up well with some dense qualifier fields and action-packed cash games throughout the week leading up to today's Day 1a.
The tournament will begin at 4 p.m. local time as is customary for the MSPT since switching the majority of their events to the Allen Kessler-approved structure earlier this year. Coincidentally, the "Chainsaw" himself announced via Twitter that he will be in attendance. Players will begin with stacks of 20,000, and blinds start at 50/100. The plan for the day is to play 14 levels, each lasting 40 minutes. Breaks are given are every three levels, and late registration will end after Level 9.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all of the live updates and photos as the MSPT kicks off the second half of its record-breaking season.