Poker tournaments

The Australian Poker Championship

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:02:15 +0000

The Australian Poker Championship, better known as the Aussie Millions, is the ultimate Poker Tournament hosted down under. Held at the Crown Casino in Melbourne Australia, the Aussie Millions is the richest Poker tournament to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, with the cash prize exceeding Australian $7 million in totality. The tournament was introduced in the mid of 1997 and the first main event took place in July 1998. The buy in was pegged at $1000 and the tournament had attracted 74 of the most seasoned poker players from Australia and rest of the world. The cash prize for the first ever main event was pegged at $74,000. In the subsequent years, the buy in, as well as the prize limit was increased. By 2001, the prize limit has reached $200,000 and thus the name Aussie millions was crowned, round about that time itself. The January event required a buy-in of $5000 and attracted more than 40 players. It was in 2003 that the tournament went international, attracting a total of 122 players. The prize pool has exponentially increased this time around, and was pegged at $1,200,000. It was in 2006 that the headcount peaked and the Aussie millions started to grow to mammoth proportions. The buy-in value was set at $10,000 and the Aussie million saw more than 260 entrants that year, pushing the prize money to a hefty $2,630,000- Making it the richest Poker Tournament in the Southern Hemisphere. The $100,000 challenge is the most unique feature of the Aussie millions, imposing no limits Hold’em challenge. The 100,500 buy-in required for this event is the most expensive in the world and therefore, sets it apart from all the other independent Poker tournaments.

The United States Poker championship

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:01:48 +0000

The United States Poker championship, held at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City is another upcoming Poker tournament. Apart from being featured at ESPN in recent years, the tournament attracts some of the best budding Poker stars. Since its inception in 1996, the United States Poker Championship has come a long way. Ken Flaton was the first ever main event winner of this particular tournament and was given a cash prize of $500,000. The 2007 main event of the USPC was featured on ESPN and the winner, Adam Gerber, was entitled to a cash prize of $606,095. Other big names of this particular Poker even include John Juanda, Surinder Suner and Robert Ford. The main event of this series culminates with a classic game of a $10,000 Texas Hold’em up game.

The World Poker tour

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:01:21 +0000

The World Poker tour also broadcasts a number of additional Poker tournaments taking place throughout the world. The Caribbean Poker Adventure is one such stand alone Poker tournament which commands considerable air time on the world Poker Tour. Originally sponsored by Pokerstars, the CPA is one of the biggest independent Poker competitions in the world (apart from WSP and WPT). The event began in 2004, and the last event held in 2009 had registered a handsome headcount of 1400+. The last event held at a resort in the Bahamas had given away a cash prize of $3,000,000 and the winner of this tournament was Poorya Nazari. There are a number of other Poker tournaments which are covered in by the World Tour of Poker, but unlike the CPA, most are held in conjunction with the main event and are not stand alone, independent tournaments. Examples of such adjunct events include the LA Poker Classic at commerce casino, the World Poker Challenge at the Grand Sierra and the Legends of Poker, held at the Bicycle Casino.

Multi table games

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:00:57 +0000

The series features a number of events and a number of multi player- multi table games. A few final events are televised and the main event is usually a classic Texas Hold’em up game. During the first few tournaments, the events were not organized on a freeze out basis and the final winner was decided on the basis of a secret ballot, if the game stretched beyond a pre-defined time limit. With time, as the headcount kept increasing to mammoth proportions, the organizers have introduced various rules and versions to make the series more commercial. The rules for determining one clear cut winner have grown more stringent with time, as the headcount of registered participants has increased. Many legendary Poker players have emerged from this platform, with Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar being two of the most memorable names in the history of international Poker game-play. Moss and Ungar are the only two players in the history to have won the Series thrice in their carrier-span. Ungar, Brunson and Chan are the only three players to have won the main event at the WSP for two consecutive years in a row. Phil Hellmuth is another legend to have emerged out of the WSP and hold multiple records, such as the max cash prize and most number of bracelets. The WSOP Europe also started its operations in 2007, and is said to be the biggest Poker event in Europe.

The World Series of Poker

admin — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:24 +0000

The World Series of Poker, another famous international Poker tournament held in Las Vegas is another important tournament of world repute. Being termed as the most hyped about international Poker event, the WSP is also the oldest and the most prestigious among the lot. The WSOP had started in 1970 and it took it more than a decade before it attracted a sizeable number of participants. It was only in 1982 that the tournament had registered more than 50 participants for the first time. With an immense increase in the popularity of Poker in general, and the WSP in particular, the tournament was able to register a headcount of 2100 by 1987. By 2006, the headcount had peaked to 8773. Today, the event organizers allow anyone into the tournament, be it a seasoned player or a rookie trying to gather some experience, only if the person can afford the hefty buy-in of $10,000. The winner of every tournament wins the World Series of Poker bracelet and a cash prize, which is determined on the basis of the total number of registered participants. In 2000, this prize was pegged at $1,500,000 while in 2009; the cash prize was a whopping $9,152,416.

The World Poker Tour

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:00:01 +0000

The World Poker Tour is one of the most well organized international events in the world today. This tournament features one of the most professional international players and Steven Lipscomb is attributed to be the man to have started the event in the US. Basically, the WPT is a collection of a number of Texas Hold’em up games. Although the game has an international outlook, yet it is quite an observable fact that the game is more focused towards the American audience and showcases American games. Some critics feel that it is because of the WPT only that the table game has gathered immense popularity in the US. This has led to a boom of poker games in the local casino markets and the internet gambling sites as well. Mike Sexton, the renowned Poker player is the man behind the success of the WPT. He hosts the highly sponsored and syndicated event. Major sponsors of the event happen to be some of the leading online Poker sites. The WPT was held for the first time in 2002, after which it has grown by leaps and bounds. With the sponsorships and viewership rising, the WPT is definitely on one the most important Poker events, not only in the US, but internationally as well. Recently, in 2008, it has been announced that the WPT will also host a WPT ladies tournament with buy INS ranging from $1000 to $1500. IT is also suggested that the final table of this particular tournament will be televised.

Poker venues of the world

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:59:35 +0000

Apart from all these venues, the Rio, Las Vegas is one place which tops the list of the most important Poker venues of the world. Most International Poker championships have been arranged at the Rio itself, making the convention center at the Rio the Mecca of International Poker.The world Poker Tour and the World series of Poker are two of the mot authentic and famous Poker tournaments in the world. While both are held at Las Vegas, Nevada, the World Series of Poker has a wider reach, owing to its long term association with ESPN. The event has regularly been featured on ESPN since the past 3-4 years, taking Poker to the length and breadth of the planet. Since 2005, the Rio has been the official home of the World Series of Poker, while before that, it was held at Binion’s horseshoe casino and Benny’s Bullpen, both being two of the most popular and legendary hubs of Las Vegas, Nevada. Harrah’s Entertainment then shifted the main event to one of its long standing landmark properties in Las Vegas – the Rio hotel. Consequently, since 2005, the event is being held at the Rio itself and has become a regular feature on the ESPN air time.

Chips

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:59:29 +0000

Each player buys-in and starts with the same number of chips. As and when a player is deprived of all his chips, (s)he is knocked out. Depending upon the position in which the player finishes, he or she is entitled to a cash prize (or no prize in some cases). The prize money in most sit and go tournaments is usually decided, depending upon the number of players that might have registered for the tournaments. Some sit and go tournaments are arranged on the winner takes all pattern and all the cash accumulated via buy-ins is given as prize money to the player who finishes in the first place. The most common venues for Poker tournaments are gambling sites and casinos. Informal tournaments can be arranged at clubs, get-togethers and even at home, among friends. Some hyper-luxurious Poker tournament venues have also been suggested. Cruise Poker venues and Poker venues while flying have also come up and have been found to be pretty popular among some of the richest and the most famous people in the gambling arena.

International level

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:58:47 +0000

Most often, stud and other versions of stud are deployed while arranging Poker Tournaments at the international level. Most common stud game deployed at Poker tournaments are seven card stud, seven card high-low studs, Texas Hold’em up and Omaha. Normally, in Poker tournaments, there is a time limit till the registration is open to all. After this limit, the tournament starts with all the players that would have registered till then. There is no upper or lower limit, whatsoever in major poker tournaments and it is open to all those who can afford the entry fee (if any). After the number of players is decided, the chips are distributed among them and the game begins. In some specific type of tournaments, such as the sit and go tournaments, a fixed number of players have to be registered before the game can take place. Usually, this fixed number varied with the expected turnout and the venue. This number is usually one of the following- ,6,9,10,12,18,24,27,36,45,90,100 or 180. Sit and go tournaments are also played in the same format as other Poker games

Poker tournaments have gone online

admin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:58:20 +0000

With the advent of the internet age, Poker tournaments have gone online. People are not only indulging in multi-player online poker tournaments, but players are also found indulging in multi-table games. The term Multi table is used to refer to the situation wherein a single player is hooked onto more than one games at different locations in the world. Online Poker tournament sites and hubs have made multi table tournament a reality and often, players can be found hooked onto three, at times even four, live tournaments at any given time. Such tournaments usually go on for hours, even days at a time till a clear cut winner is decided. Another way in which Poker tournaments are arranged is the STT or the Single Table Tournament arrangement. The tournament is carried out with a single table having a fixed number of seats. Once the seats are allotted to the players, the tournament begins. This is the way in which Poker tournaments were originally carried out. Some tournaments club more than one kind of Poker game, the most common such tournament being the H.O.R.S.E or the combination of the following games- Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud and Stud Eight.