Mike Shanahan Defeats Record Field To Win MSPT FireKeepers Main Event

The 2017 Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers $1,100 no-limit hold’em main event was a massive success. The tournament drew a field of 1,066 entries to the FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, MI to create a $1,032,520. The event had featured a $300,000 guarantee, which was more than tripled by the fantastic turnout, which set a record for the largest poker tournament in Michigan history.

In the end, 49-year-old attorney Mike Shanahan emerged victorious, capturing the title and the first-place prize of $216,829.

“I’ve been knocking on the door for a couple years, and this is the best I ever played,” Shanahan said after the win. “I’m elated. This was fun. There’s nothing like going deep in a tournament and finishing it off.”

Shanahan defeated poker pro Aaron Massey heads-up to secure the title. Massey earned $131,646 as the runner-up finisher, falling just short of his second title at the casino, having won this very event in 2016. After this score, Massey increased his lifetime live tournament earnings to more than $3.2 million.

Not only was this event the largest tournament in Michigan state history, it was also the largest ever MSPT held outside of Las Vegas.

“Poker is a priority at FireKeepers Casino and we have witnessed enormous increases in participation and prize pools in MSPT events over the last two years,” said Lance Allen, Vice President of Table Games at FireKeepers Casino Hotel. "Every day, our spacious 22-table, non-smoking poker room offers a great array of tournaments and an outstanding spread of games and limits. It won’t be long before we begin satellites and qualifiers for October’s MSPT Michigan State Championship and we expect another great prize pool!”

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded in this event:

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