The complete guide to the Major Series of Poker: The Tour, featuring full schedule, Player of the Year details, Hall of Fame information, and much more.
Last updated: January 27, 2026
Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) is a year-long mid-stakes live tour that takes place all over the United States of America. It started back in 2009 as the Minnesota Poker Tour, becoming the Mid-States Poker Tour in 2011, and finally becoming Major Series of Poker: The Tour in 2025.
The MSPT is one of the premier live poker tours in the US and features buy-ins typically ranging from $300 to $700 for most events, while all Main Events have a buy-in of $1,110. The yearly schedule consists of over two dozen stops, five or six of which are designated as Majors, featuring boosted guarantees of $1,000,000+.
On this page, we bring you the full 2026 MSPT schedule, information about all the Majors and their guarantees, as well as details of the Player of the Year system and rewards.
2026 Major Series of Poker: The Tour Schedule
| Dates | Event | Location | Total GTD | Main Event GTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 – 4 | $1,600 New Years Poker Open | The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Jan 8 – 19 | Golden State Poker Championship | Sycuan Casino Resort, San Diego, CA | $500,000 | $400,000 |
| Jan 14 – 25 | Showdown Series | Bally’s Black Hawk Casino, Black Hawk, CO | $400,000 | $300,000 |
| Jan 24 – Feb 1 | MAJOR – Diamond Poker Championship | Scottsdale, AZ | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Feb 4 – 7 | $1,600 Poker Bowl X | The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Feb 10 – 16 | Ohio Poker State Championship | Jack Cleveland Casino, Cleveland, OH | $750,000 | $750,000 |
| Feb 17 – 22 | MAJOR – Club Poker Championship | Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI | $1,200,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Mar 11 – 15 | MSPT Festival | Grand Falls Casino, Larchwood, IA | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| Mar 17 – 22 | MSPT Festival | Riverside Casino, Riverside, IA | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Mar 24 – 29 | Missouri Poker State Championship | Ameristar Casino St. Charles, St. Louis, MO | $300,000 | $300,000 |
| Apr 7 – 19 | Minnesota Poker State Championship | Running Aces Casino, Columbus, MN | $700,000 | $700,000 |
| Apr 21 – 26 | MSPT Festival | Ameristar East Chicago, Chicago, IN | $300,000 | $300,000 |
| Apr 28 – May 3 | MSPT Festival | Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| May 12 – 17 | Michigan Poker State Championship | Firekeepers Casino, Battle Creek, MI | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| May 19 – 25 | Showdown Series | Sycuan Casino Resort, San Diego, CA | TBD | TBD |
| Jun 1 – 30 | MAJOR – Diamond Poker Championship | The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV | TBD | TBD |
| Jul 21 – 26 | Iowa Poker State Championship | Riverside Casino, Riverside, IA | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Jul 22 – Aug 2 | Colorado Poker State Championship | Bally’s Black Hawk Casino, Black Hawk, CO | $600,000 | $600,000 |
| Sep 1 – 30 | Nevada Poker State Championship | The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV | TBD | TBD |
| Sep 22 – 27 | Wisconsin Poker State Championship | Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Oct 1 – 12 | MAJOR – Canadian Poker Championship | Playground, Montreal, Canada | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Oct 13 – 18 | MAJOR – Spade Poker Championship | Firekeepers Casino, Battle Creek, MI | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Nov 3 – 8 | MSPT Festival | Riverside Casino, Riverside, IA | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Nov 18 – Dec 2 | MAJOR – Rock 'N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO) | Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood, FL | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Dec 1 – 13 | Winter Poker Classic Series | Running Aces Casino, Columbus, MN | $700,000 | $700,000 |
2026 MSPT Player of the Year
Season 17 of the Major Series of Poker: The Tour runs January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026, and all tournaments played during this period qualify for the Player of the Year race.
The eventual Player of the Year winner will receive an entry into the $10,000 Main Event taking place in July 2027.
Players receive points based on their finishing position in a tournament, the total number of entries, and the tournament buy-in. The following point multipliers are applied depending on the buy-in amount.
- $1,000+ (Majors) — 1.5x
- $500 – $999 — 0.5x
- $400 — 0.33x
- $300 — 0.25x
- $250 — 0.2x
- $200 — 0.17x
For a full breakdown of how points are awarded depending on the field size, check out this detailed document on the MSPT site. In the event of a tie between two players at the end of the season, the winner is determined by the largest cash amount won.
MSPT Gold Cards
Throughout the season, all winners in MSPT events with buy-ins of $200 and over also receive Gold Cards. These are created by the artist Joel Jensen for the playing card company Faded Spade and provide an additional incentive for players to compete for the top spot.
Gold Cards are awarded in numerical order, starting with an Ace of Spades, followed by a Deuce of Spades, etc. Once all 13 spades are awarded, Gold Cards from the next suit in the sequence will be awarded.
Additionally, the Player of the Year winner will also receive a special Gold Card to commemorate their achievement.
Gold Cards represent a nice touch, adding an extra competitive dimension to the MSPT and giving players something they can’t win on any other tour. While they may not be as prestigious as WSOP Circuit rings, these trophies are a point of pride among MSPT regulars.
MSPT Hall of Fame
Established in 2017, the Major Series of Poker: The Tour Hall of Fame features some of the best and most accomplished players to have participated in the series over the years.
There is no committee or panel of judges determining who enters the Hall of Fame. Instead, players earn the honor. A player needs to meet all the criteria from either Tier 1 or Tier 2 to enter the Hall of Fame (HoF).
- Tier 1: At least 40 MSPT Main Event cashes, two (2) MSPT Main Event wins or POY titles, one (1) Major win, and at least $500,000 in MSPT earnings
- Tier 2: Legends Club – At least 60 MSPT Main Event cashes, three (3) MSPT Main Event wins or POY titles, two (2) Major wins, and at least $750,000 in MSPT earnings OR be one of the first five players to reach 100 Main Event cashes
MSPT Hall of Fame Inductees
| Player | State | Year Inducted |
|---|---|---|
| Kou Vang | Minnesota | 2018 |
| Richard Alsup | Minnesota | 2018 |
| Aaron Johnson | Minnesota | 2018 |
| Mark Hodge | Minnesota | 2019 |
| Patrick Steele | Michigan | 2020 |
| Blake Bohn | Minnesota | 2020 |
| Jason Seitz | Minnesota | 2021 |
| Rob WazWaz | Minnesota | 2021 |
| Matt Kirby | Minnesota | 2022 |
| Josh Reichard | Wisconsin | 2022 |
| DQ Dan Hendrickson | Minnesota | 2023 |
| Aaron Massey | Nevada | 2023 |
| Umut Ozturk | Minnesota | 2023 |
| Rodger Johnson | North Dakota | 2024 |
| Chris Moon | Michigan | 2024 |
| Gerald Cunniff | Minnesota | 2025 |
| Keith Heine | Missouri | 2025 |
Short History of the MSPT
The MSPT was originally founded in 2009 by Brian Mileski, a poker player and enthusiast who remains the tour President to this day. In 2017, Mileski qualified for a place in the MSPT Hall of Fame.
The tour started its life in December 2009 as the Minnesota Poker Tour, with the first event taking place at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota.
A year and a half later, in 2011, the tour crossed state borders, expanding to Iowa. Not long after, it was rebranded to reflect this change, becoming the Mid-States Poker Tour.
From the very beginning, the MSPT has been designed as a mid-range poker series with affordable buy-ins and deep structures that offer plenty of play. Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler, a well-known poker pro and an authority on tournament structures, helped develop the structure sheet for MSPT Main Events.
In 2025, the tour was rebranded once again, officially becoming Major Series of Poker: The Tour while keeping its acronym (MSPT). Alongside the name change, there were changes to the schedule and the Player of the Year system to make the MSPT even more popular and attractive to players.
FAQ
What is the Major Series of Poker: The Tour?
Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) is a live tournament series with stops all over the United States, featuring lower to mid-stakes buy-ins.
What is the buy-in for MSPT Main Events?
All MSPT Main Events have a buy-in of $1,110.
What are MSPT Gold Cards?
Gold Cards are special trophies awarded to all MSPT winners in tournaments with a buy-in of $200 or more.
How can I qualify for the MSPT Hall of Fame?
To be inducted into the MSPT Hall of Fame, a player needs to meet a certain set of criteria, which include a total number of cashes and wins in Main Events, prizes won, and wins in Major events.
What are MSPT Majors?
MSPT Majors are special events that feature boosted guarantees and offer special Player of the Year points multipliers. There are usually five to six Majors during an MSPT season.