One for the Reigning MSPT Player of the Year

Chad Holloway

Level 6 : 200/400, 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.

"I started playing poker when I was 12. I would use my allowance and play with my dad and his friends in our basement," Steele previously told PokerNews. "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."

Steele didn't make his way to Milwaukee until today, so Day 1b marks his first shot at the MSPT Potawatomi. In a recent hand, there was approximately 2,000 in the pot and a flop of when the player in the big blind checked and Steele bet 1,025 from middle position. The big blind called and then both players checked the turn. When the completed the board on the river, the big blind led out for 3,000 but wasted little time in folding when Steele raised to 6,500.

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