Chicago-based high-stakes poker player Aaron Massey has made poker history again. The recent Mid-Stakes Poker Tour (MSPT) Main Event at the Venetian showcased his consistency. Massey’s performance this time breaks records.
The seventh-place finish puts Massey in an elite group. He became the first player to enter the prestigious MSPT Hall of Fame with his 10th top-10 finish in the mid-major tournament series. His MSPT winnings total $700,000. This implies his career earnings have surpassed $5 million.
Massey is only the 12th player inducted into the Hall of Fame. He joins “DQ” Dan Hendrickson and Josh Reichard in a select group. Members include Jason Seitz, Rob WazWaz, Blake Bohn, Patrick Steele, Mark Hodge, Aaron Johnson, Rich Alsup, Kou Vang, and Matt Kirby. Everyone knows they’re good at poker.
A passionate fan base has grown around the MSPT, and its Hall of Fame honors the best of its competitors. Unlike a democratic decision, it has severe entry requirements:
Win an MSPT event or be named MSPT Player of the Year with 25 Main Event cashes. Make at least 10 MSPT Main Event final tables and win an event or be awarded MSPT Player of the Year. With 24 MSPT Main Event cashes, Massey did well. He was on the brink of fame before his last win propelled him into the second category. He won $174,658 at FireKeepers in 2016 and finished four times in the top three.
Massey’s 2016 triumph at FireKeeper’s Casino was his second on the circuit, but it signaled his rise to poker stardom. Massey placed second at FireKeepers again that year. He made $300,000 in February 2017, a tremendous achievement at MSPT’s most popular place.
He continued to cash in the Main Event, including a 10th-place result at FireKeepers in 2019, demonstrating his skill. Massey began noticing Las Vegas’s brilliant lights as his poker career progressed. The Chicagoan started signing his name on Venetian Las Vegas award sheets in late 2020. He placed ninth in June 2021. In December, he placed sixth, and in 2022, he placed third in the Poker Bowl.
The turning point was February 2022. Massey’s perseverance earned him three more Venetian final tables and a spot in the MSPT Hall of Fame. He received most of the credit he deserved when poker emerged from COVID-19.
Aaron Massey, known for his poker skills, revolutionized the MSPT and what it means to be a poker superstar. He left his mark on this iconic game with every hand he played, and the MSPT Hall of Fame is a monument of his hard work and card skills.
ALSO READ: PokerStars Mystery Cash Challenge Episode Two: Silence, Strategies, and Triumphs
