$1.5 Million Guarantee Surpassed with 2,773 Entries
The Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) wrapped up its first-ever Spade Poker Championship at FireKeepers Casino in Michigan, held from October 9 to 12. The $1,110 buy-in Championship drew an impressive 2,773 entries, easily surpassing its $1.5 million guarantee to create a $2,688,310 prize pool.
When the final hand was dealt, it was Missouri’s Merritt Kuhn who claimed the inaugural title after reaching a heads-up deal with Florida’s Raymond Mancini, earning $339,115* for the victory.
*Denotes heads-up deal.
Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merritt Kuhn | $339,115* |
| 2 | Raymond Mancini | $268,049* |
| 3 | Brian Jones | $172,720 |
| 4 | Michael McFadden | $134,711 |
| 5 | Roger Khoury | $102,343 |
| 6 | Robert Mitchell | $80,853 |
| 7 | Ben Luber | $61,782 |
| 8 | Tony Tran | $47,679 |
| 9 | Anthony Babic | $39,218 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
A Breakthrough Win for Kuhn
Before this event, Kuhn had $116,586 in Hendon Mob-recorded earnings, with his previous best live cash standing at $84,267. This victory more than quadrupled his career-best result and marked a major breakthrough.
“Feels really nice to win one of these finally,” Kuhn said after his victory. “I’ve been trying for a while now but haven’t had too much luck with no deep runs, so to be able to take this one down that had such a large starting field, feels amazing.”
The Road to the Title
The final table featured several MSPT regulars, including WSOP bracelet winner Robert Mitchell, Tony Tran, and Ben Luber. Anthony Babic and Tran were the first to exit, followed by Luber and Mitchell. Kuhn then went on a heater, eliminating four straight opponents on his way to the title.
In the final hand, Kuhn flopped two pair against Mancini’s top pair. His hand held through to the river, securing both the trophy and his place in MSPT history as the first Spade Poker Championship winner.
Star-Studded Field
The Championship drew many familiar names and Hall of Famers, such as Umut Ozturk (reigning back-to-back Player of the Year), Aaron Johnson, Chris Moon, Rob WazWaz, Rodger Johnson, Josh Reichard, and Gerald Cunniff, who finished 16th for $23,101.
Other notable participants included WSOP fan favorite Nicholas Rigby, Chicago grinder Jennifer Lin, and seasoned pro Aaron Massey.
Side Event Winners at FireKeepers
The festival also featured multiple side events alongside the Championship:
| Event | Entries | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1: $400 Ultimate Stack | 213 | George Janssen | $18,556* |
| #2: $300 Monster Stack NLH | 338 | Marty Masar III | $15,000* |
| #4: $250 Monster Stack NLH | 187 | William Webb | $8,932* |
| #5: $400 Monster Stack NLH | 256 | Jacob Long | $21,020* |
*Denotes final table deal
What’s Next for MSPT
The tour now moves north to The Playground in Montreal, where the Canadian Poker Championship runs from October 15 to 19 with a $1,000,000 guarantee.
