Welcome to Day 1a of the MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event!
The 2021 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) has made its long-awaited return back to the place where it all started in the great state of Minnesota for the Winter Poker Classic at Canterbury Park.
The ten-day series is headlined by the $1,100 buy-in, $400,000 GTD Main Event which starts today at 3 p.m. local time.
Canterbury Park has long been the staple on the MSPT schedule since the beginning of the tour but due to the ongoing pandemic, this will be the first time the tour has returned to the tundra since February 2020 when Minnesota native Derek McMaster navigated his way through a 488 entry-field to win his first MSPT Main Event title along with $100,824 for his victory.
February 2020 MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | City | State | Prize | MSPT POY Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek McMaster | Richfield | MN | $100,824 | 1,300 |
| 2 | Dan DQ Hendrickson | Fairbault | MN | $61,948 | 1,300 |
| 3 | Nathan Fair | Plymouth | MN | $44,644 | 1,300 |
| 4 | Dedric Henderson | Minneapolis | MN | $33,764 | 1,200 |
| 5 | Umut Ozturk | St. Paul | MN | $25,323 | 1,100 |
| 6 | Kevin Boyer | Hopkins | MN | $19,227 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Dennis Stevermer | St. Paul | MN | $15,006 | 900 |
| 8 | Phil Mader | Grand Island | NE | $11,724 | 800 |
| 9 | Brandon Waalen | Rogers | MN | $8,917 | 700 |
Today marks the first of three starting flights and cards will be in the air at 3 p.m. local time. Plenty of MSPT regulars are expected to make their way to Canterbury Park from throughout the country, including Season 12 point leader Cy Church, Taylor Howard, Jason Seitz, Jonathan Kim, and DJ Buckley.
The standard MSPT structure is in play, with 25,000 starting stacks and blinds beginning at 100/100/100. Levels will increase every 40 minutes throughout the entirety of the tournament.
Fifteen levels are scheduled for Day 1a play, unless 12% of the field is reached prior. Ten-minute breaks occur after the completion of every three levels or two hours of play. Late registration is open until the beginning of Level 13 at approximately 11:40 p.m. local time with one re-entry available per flight should players wish to use it.
MSPT Winter Poker Classic Remaining Schedule
| Date | Time (CDT) | Tournament | Late Reg | GTD Prize Pool | Starting Stack | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 9 | 10:00 a.m. | $265 Satellite – 1 in 5 advance to MSPT Main | 1:00 p.m. | - | 15,000 | 20 |
| 3:00 p.m. | Event #9: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 1a | 11:40 p.m. | $400,000 | 25,000 | 40 | |
| 7:00 p.m. | $265 Satellite – 1 in 5 advance to MSPT Main | 10:00 p.m. | - | 15,000 | 20 | |
| Friday, December 10 | 10:00 a.m. | $265 Satellite – 1 in 5 advance to MSPT Main | 1:00 p.m. | - | 15,000 | 20 |
| 3:00 p.m. | Event #9: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 1b | 11:40 p.m. | $400,000 | 25,000 | 40 | |
| 7:00 p.m. | $265 Satellite – 1 in 5 advance to MSPT Main | 10:00 p.m. | - | 15,000 | 20 | |
| Saturday, December 11 | 10:00 a.m. | $265 Satellite – 1 in 5 advance to MSPT Main | Noon | - | 15,000 | 20 |
| 3:00 p.m. | Event #9: $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 1c | 11:40 p.m. | $400,000 | 25,000 | 40 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | $135 Nightly NLH | 10:10 p.m. | - | 12,000 | 20 | |
| Sunday, December 12 | 11:00 a.m. | $1,110 MSPT Main Event Day 2 | - | |||
| Noon | Event #10: $250 Last Chance NLH | 3:00 p.m. | - | 15,000 | 20 | |
| 3:00 p.m. | $135 Last Dance NLH | 5:10 p.m. | - | 12,000 | 20 |
*Visit msptpoker.com for a complete listing of rake and staff fees.
The survivors of all three flights will combine for Day 2 Sunday, December 12 at 11 a.m. local time and will play until a winner is crowned. Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates throughout the entire tournament.