The Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) is coming to JACK Cleveland Casino May 4-8 for the Ohio State Poker Championship. The series of poker tournaments will culminate with a $1,100 Main Event running Thursday through Sunday, May 5-8, with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
One of four casinos in Ohio, JACK Cleveland recently renovated its poker room. The MSPT stop will be the first major tournament hosted in the new space.
The Ohio State Poker Championship Main Event will have three starting flights, one each day from Thursday to Saturday, to give players as many chances as possible to take down a potential six-figure first-place prize.
Additionally, satellites to the Main Event will be running for nearly a week leading up to the tournament. They begin on Friday, April 29 for as little as a $70 buy-in. Also on the schedule is a $400 Pot-Limit Omaha event on Wednesday, May 4.
MSPT’s first return to JACK Cleveland since COVID
More than two years have passed since MSPT visited JACK Cleveland Casino in January 2020, mainly due to the hiatus required from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Ohio is ready to welcome live poker events back into its venues, and it seems nearly certain the $500K guarantee will be well exceeded.
History was made the last time the tour came to town, as Michigan’s Pat Steele bested a field of 611 entries for the top prize of $124,461 to become the fifth player in history to earn a spot in the MSPT Hall of Fame.
MSPT Hall of Famers must achieve 25 Main Event cashes in addition to either one Main Event win or one Player of the Year title. Steele had already won POY, and his victory also happened to be his 25th tour cash to score the trifecta.
Another deep finisher in the event was four-time WSOP bracelet winner (and three-time reigning $10K Dealers Choice champion) Adam Friedman, who took 16th after winning the previous MSPT JACK Cleveland event in August 2019 for $121,405.
Christening JACK Casino’s new poker room
JACK opened the doors to its new poker room on April 1 and is wasting no time showing it off for a mid-major poker tour event. The new room features 26 tables and sits adjacent to a large table games area on the second floor of the casino, much more visible and inviting for patrons than its previous third-floor location.
With a thriving poker scene in Cleveland, JACK’s previous poker room was always popular. However, it was due for an upgrade. Instead, it was given a brand-new home inside the casino after a burst pipe flooded the entire room and rendered it unplayable.
JACK Cleveland also recently launched a new, free-to-play sports betting app in Ohio. The app will transition to a real-money online sportsbook once Ohio legalizes sports betting, which will happen no later than Jan. 1, 2023.
About the Mid-States Poker Tour
MSPT has been in operation since December 2009. It originated in Minnesota before expanding coast to coast with recently featured annual events in San Diego and Las Vegas.
In its 12-year history, MSPT has run nearly 200 Main Events and has awarded over $132 million in prizes. More information on upcoming events, tour history, and past champions can be found on MSPT’s website.
