FIREKEEPERS CASINO SHOWCASES ELITE POKER ACTION WITH $2.68 MILLION PRIZE POOL AND $339,115 TOP PRIZE IN MSPT SPADE POKER CHAMPIONSHIP
Renowned for hosting some of the largest MSPT events outside of Las Vegas, FireKeepers continued to raise the bar in 2025. The $1,110 buy-in Spade Poker Championship Main Event carried a $1.5 million guaranteed prize pool but far surpassed expectations, generating 2,773 total entries and an impressive $2,688,310 prize pool.
After days of competitive play, the field narrowed to the final table where players battled for the MSPT title, trophy, and top prize. Merritt Kuhn emerged victorious, capturing the championship and earning $339,115. The win marked the first MSPT Major title of Kuhn’s career, a milestone he described as especially meaningful after several close finishes in past events.
The final table was stacked with talented players, and the action moved quickly as eliminations came in succession. Kuhn’s late surge secured key knockouts, including Roger Khoury in fifth place, Michael McFadden in fourth, and Brian Jones in third, before defeating runner-up Raymond Mancini to claim the inaugural Spade Poker Championship trophy.
“FireKeepers continues to be identified as the Midwest’s home for poker,” stated Steve Senk, Vice President of Gaming Operation at FireKeepers. “Our monthly calendar of tournaments and promotions are elite and you can always find a great game in our new poker room.”
The full final table results are as follows:
This year’s MSPT weekend was elevated with additional events designed to heighten the excitement and give players more ways to compete. FireKeepers hosted exclusive Gold Card events on October 7 and 8, followed by Monster Stack tournaments on October 11 and 12, offering expanded opportunities for poker enthusiasts to showcase their skills and share in the electric tournament atmosphere that defines FireKeepers’ poker scene.
In addition to hosting some of the nation’s most competitive tournaments, FireKeepers offers a robust year-round schedule of poker events and promotions. Looking ahead, poker players can mark their calendars for the next Major Series of Poker stop, returning to FireKeepers May 12-17, 2026, for another weekend of championship-level action.
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FireKeepers Casino Hotel, located just off I-94 at Exit 104 in Battle Creek, MI, is a premier Midwest gaming and resort destination. The property features 2,700 slot machines, 63 table games, a 21-table live poker room, and a AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel offering 446 rooms, a multi-purpose event center, six restaurants, and multiple lounges. FireKeepers has been voted one of the Best Casinos Outside of Las Vegas in the USA Today 10Best Awards, as well as Best Casino by audiences in Michigan and Indiana, and has earned Casino Player Magazine’s Players Choice award in the Native Midwest category for the most first-place wins. Its signature restaurant, Nibi, is a AAA Four Diamond winner and multiple recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Reflecting its strong service culture, FireKeepers has earned top honors for customer and VIP service from Strictly Slots, Gaming & Destinations, and Casino Player magazines. It has also been recognized as a top workplace by Glassdoor, Forbes, and the Michigan Works! Association. FireKeepers is the title sponsor of the FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race and host of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, an EPSON Tour-Road to the LPGA golf event. For more information, visit FireKeepersCasino.com.
FireKeepers Casino Hotel is owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. For more information on the NHBP, visit nhbp-nsn.gov.
