Battle Creek Michigan: home of Rob Van Dam, WK Kellogg, and the beautiful FireKeepers Casino. This month, FireKeepers plays host to the MSPT’s lone October stop for the Michigan State Poker Championship - the MSPT’s 6th consecutive million dollar plus prize pool at this location. The casino opened in 2009 and has 2,900 slot machines, 70 table games and an awesome 24/7 poker room spreading No Limit / Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-lo 8, 7-Card Stud & Hi/Lo 7-Card Stud, as well.

Michigan, well known for its craft beer scene, has Battle Creek’s newest GTO craft beer experience located right there, at Dacey’s Taphouse in the casino. With 50 different taps, big-screen TVs, a huge menu featuring the best homemade beef jerky you're going to find anywhere in the union, and a completely fun and entertaining atmosphere - you're going to love this place.

Another GTO play you will want to take advantage of as soon as you walk into FireKeepers is signing up for their Red Hot Rewards Card. Rewarding its players with free ATM withdrawals & cash advances as well as a 50% discount on alcoholic beverages and complementary dining offers, this program is one of the very best you will find on tour.

If you would like to get out of the casino and explore a little bit, I highly recommend the 20 minute drive to Marshall to check out Dark Horse Brewery. The craft beer rating website RateBeer recently ranked Dark Horse 29th (out of 13,000) in its list of Best Brewers in the World!

Unique features of the Dark Horse taproom include over 3,200 mugs that fill the ceiling and walls owned by its mug club members. Members must purchase their membership with one non-recurring fee. The members keep their mugs in a designated spot within the pub and are able to drink beer directly from their own mug. Dark Horse employees claim that the mugs of mug club members are larger than the pint glasses by which beer is served to non-members, and thus, mug club members receive a higher value for their purchases. Mug club members at Dark Horse also have a punch-card system where every sixth mug is .50 cents. With these deals, you should definitely sign up for your own mug, or tell the bartender that you’re Bryan Mileski and drink out of his.

Dark Horse also offers a variety of food, with the cuisine centered around items which can be produced in their pizza ovens. They also will not play AC/DC or Nickelback music under any circumstances - a unique and quirky jukebox restriction that I can completely support. In May, I asked the owner, Aaron Morse if he had anything else he would like me to say to entice MSPT out-of-towners to come check out Dark Horse, and he responded with, “Tell them to slip into the pub and look around. Go out and buy a six-pack, and read the holder the beer comes in. Read the back of your growler. When you’re done, you’ll either get it or you won’t. No matter, as you’re drinking some of the best fuckin’ beer made in the great state of Michigan. Period!” As a big beer fan with a Michigan based bar in my basement (HopCat) I would have to agree.

That’s all we've got for this months GTO Life Battle Creek. Enjoy the casino and very best of luck in the tournament, one that is sure to be one of MSPT’s very best yet!

By Ben Valder