Chan Pelton led a 920-entry field and won $169,271 in the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Running Aces Main Event last weekend. Also, Matt Kirby, a talented Minnesota poker player, won $2,136 after finishing 81st in the same event.
Kirby's score wasn't huge, but the amount of money he received was considerable. It was his 25th cash prize in his MSPT poker career.
The statistics and his previous MSPT Main Event victory make him one of the few players with three titles alongside Carl Carodenuto, Dan Bekavac, and Blake Bohn. They allow him to be the ninth professional poker player to win into the MSPT Hall of Fame.
The MSPT Hall of Fame was founded in 2017, and it acknowledges people who take part in the poker tour and who display exceptional gaming skills. Also, they need to have long-term accomplishments in their careers. Players need to fulfill these conditions to get into the MSPT Hall of Fame;
- Achieve at least 1 MSPT Win and 10 MSPT Main Event final tables or 1 MSPT Player of the Year award
- Achieve at least 1 MSPT Player of the Year award or 1 MSPT Win, and 25 MSPT Main Event cashes
What Kirby Feels About Being in the MSPT Hall of Fame
Kirby stated that he felt great and isn't surprised that he got the Hall of Fame (HOF) status. He admitted that the Coronavirus pandemic prevented him from achieving it in recent years. Also, he often spent a lot of time playing daily fantasy sports (DFS)before the health crisis.
The player played three poker tournaments in three years. He started playing in MSPT in its 2010 Season 1. Since then, Kirby has made many attempts to qualify for a Hall of Fame induction.
Kirby knew he was close to getting the status, and he had to win a Player of the Year (POY) award or come close to winning one. Yet, he no longer takes part in many events today. He further revealed that he knew he was a few cashes away from the status late last year and one more cash prize to the MSPT Running Aces.
The poker pro was excited after he did it at the Minnesota Running Aces and praised its staff for their friendliness and professionalism. He stated that their previous MSPT was the largest event that they have ever organized. Yet, the Aces and MSPT workers handled it perfectly, thus making Minnesota his new poker destination.
His MSPT Wins
Kirby won the following MSPT events;
- Season 10 MSPT Canterbury Park in February 2019. It had 479 entries, and he won $99,573.
- Season 2 MSPT Grand Casino Mille Lacs in November 2012. It had 172 entries, and he received $46,970.
- Season 3 MSPT Northern Lights Casino in May 2012. It had 163 entries, and he won $46,070.
The Player Is Now Focusing on His Family
Kirby has shifted most of his attention from professional poker to his family. He stated that he currently spends most of his time with his 7- and 10-years old sons and little time playing DFS or poker. The player also claims that life goes fast once a player gets children.
