A field of 3,040 entries pushed the prize pool up more than three times its original amount
Corey Wick pulled off a major milestone at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, winning the MSPT Michigan Poker State Championship on May 18. The Wisconsin player outlasted a field of 3,040 entries and walked away with $397,587, the largest score of his career and his first-ever live tournament victory.
The $1,110 buy-in event smashed expectations, nearly tripling its $1 million guarantee to reach a prize pool of almost $3 million. Everyone among the 344 players who made it past the starting flights earned at least $2,209. Wick’s path to the trophy wasn’t just about winning big hands—it was about picking the right moments to strike and staying out of trouble when the action heated up.
Plenty of well-known names hit the felt over the weekend. Former champions and MSPT Hall of Famers like Patrick Steele and Josh Reichard cashed deep, while veterans like Chris Meyers and Sean Hinton pushed into the top 50. When the final table began late Saturday night, Wick was in second place in chips but remained quiet early on, avoiding major confrontations.
It wasn’t until after 1:00 AM that Wick made his move, picking up back-to-back double-ups before eliminating Ryan Brown in fourth. From there, momentum was on his side. He knocked out Travis McCullough in third to take a commanding lead into heads-up play against Ryan Eamon. The match ended just before 3:00 AM, with Wick sealing the win after flopping trip threes to beat Eamon’s king-nine. Eamon collected $244,462 for second place.
The MSPT season rolls on with its next stop set for Ameristar East Chicago from May 22 to 26.
