Chicago’s own Aaron Massey had recently shown another strong performance Mid-Stakes Poker Tour (MSPT) main event at the Venetian, but this one was for the record books.
Massey’s seventh-place finish was enough to make him the first player to qualify for the MSPT Hall of Fame with his tenth top-ten finish on the popular mid-major tour. To date, he has earned over $700,000 from MSPT events, while his total career earnings have now surpassed the $5 million mark.
As the 12th player to qualify for the MSPT Hall of Fame, Massey joins the youngest entrants “DQ” Dan Hendrickson And Josh Reichard with an honor that includes Jason Seitz, Rob WazWaz, Blake Bohn, Patrick Steele, Mark Hodge, Aaron Johnson, Rich Alsup, Kou VangAnd Matt Kirby.
MSPT Hall of Fame
The MSPT has gained a strong following over the years and its Hall of Fame is a way to recognize the most successful regular players. There is no voting process, just a series of criteria that must be met to receive approval:
- Earn at least 25 MSPT Main Event cash wins and an MSPT win or MSPT Player of the Year award. or
- Reach at least 10 MSPT Main Event final tables and an MSPT win or MSPT Player of the Year award.
Massey has won 24 MSPT main event cashes, but the most recent win was enough to propel him to the top of the second category. Massey’s top ten finishes include four top-three finishes and a win at FireKeepers in 2016 for $174,658.
Massey’s MSPT career
The victory at FireKeeper’s Casino In 2016, it was only the second time Massey had won money on tour, and another final table followed later that year at the same venue. Massey returned to FireKeepers in February 2017 for a runner-up finish and within months had earned well over $300,000 at one of the MSPT’s biggest stops.
Massey continued his steady stream of Main Event prize money, including a 10th-place finish in the FireKeepers in 2019, before focusing on success in Las Vegas. As of late 2020, the Chicago native’s payroll at the Venetian Las Vegas included a ninth-place finish in June 2021, a seventh-place finish in December of that year, and a third-place run at the Poker Bowl event in 2022.
Since February 2022, Massey has had three more final tables in events at the Venetian, earning his way into the MSPT Hall of Fame, with much of his success coming from the emergence of poker in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Massey’s MSPT completion tables
| Date | Event | Location | Price | season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2023 | MSPT Venetian ($1,600 Main Event 233) | 7 | $14,326 | 14 |
| May 2023 | MSPT Venetian ($1,100 Main Event) | 9 | $19,556 | 14 |
| Nov 2022 | MSPT Venetian (Main Event 208) | 3 | $139,852 | 13 |
| February 2022 | MSPT Venetian (Main Event 190) | 3 | $87,213 | 13 |
| Dec. 2021 | MSPT Venetian (Main Event 187) | 7 | $24,472 | 12 |
| June 2021 | MSPT Venetian (Main Event 177) | 9 | $40,385 | 12 |
| Oct 2019 | MSPT FireKeepers (Main Event 159) | 10 | $20,345 | 10 |
| May 2017 | MSPT FireKeepers (Main Event 104) | 2 | $131,646 | 8th |
| Oct 2016 | MSPT FireKeepers (Main Event 92) | 7 | $23,882 | 7 |
| May 2016 | MSPT FireKeepers (Main Event 86) | 1 | $174,658 | 7 |
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Matt Hansen
Live Reporting Manager
PokerNews Live Reporting Executive based in Las Vegas, originally from Chicago, IL
