POKER SHOWDOWN
Your guide to the diverse summer poker tournament scene in Las Vegas
by Sean Chaffin
The World Series kicks off on May 28 in Las Vegas at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos, running through July 17 with 99 events. Players from around the world will converge on the tournament in a quest for big bucks and a chance to win a coveted gold bracelet. Fans looking to check out the action will have plenty to look forward to via PokerGO, the world’s largest poker content company and streaming platform.
The platform recently announced live coverage plans for this year’s series. The streaming begins starting May 30 and viewers will find more than 300 hours of live broadcasts. That schedule includes daily coverage of the entire $10,000 Main Event from July 3-17.
Plans also call for an additional 30-plus WSOP gold bracelet events featured on PokerGO, including the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, $250,000 High Roller, $25,000 Heads-Up Championship, $1,500 Monster Stack, $1,500 Millionaire Maker and $1,000 Ladies Champion-ship. For a complete schedule, visit www.PokerGO.com.
Summer Tournament Preview
The World Series of Poker certainly isn’t the only game in town each summer in Las Vegas. With so many players, there are numerous other options for poker aficionados looking for some action. Buy-ins, formats and game variants differ, and there is seemingly something for everyone. Here’s a quick look at some of the summer tournament series to check out.
Aria Poker Classic
This series is set for May 29-July 13 with 45 events and guaranteed prize pools totaling more than $12 million. The series features buy-ins ranging from $600 to $3,500, with several poker variants and mystery bounty tournaments featuring guarantees up to $500,000.
The $3,500 BetMGM Championship kicks off on June 7, highlighting the series and offering a $3 million guarantee. The event allows players to qualify online in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, as well as in the Canadian province of Ontario. The final table will be streamed live on PokerGO.
Bellagio Mixed Games Festival
The famed Strip property plays home to this festival for the first time. The Cardplayer Lifestyle website has hosted several Mixed Game Festivals over the last few years and the action shifts this summer to the Bellagio from June 16-20.
The festival features dealer’s choice cash game action beginning daily at noon with limits of $4/8 and $8/16, with higher stakes also available. Look for a pizza party on the first day of action, contests and swag, with the event sponsored by the Moneymaker Poker Tour. For more information, see cardplayerlifestye.com.
Aria/PokerGO Tour High Roller Series
In partnership with the network, the Aria High Rollers runs June 19-July 8 and features a 14-event schedule. All tournaments are single-day events and the schedule begins with nine Pot Limit Omaha tournaments before switching to five consecutive No Limit Hold’em tournaments. Buy-ins are in the $5,000 to $15,000 range.
Golden Nugget – Grand Poker Series
The Nugget hosts the only poker room in downtown Las Vegas and this year’s Grand Poker Series is scheduled for May 28-July 1, with $3.3 million in guaranteed prize pools. Players will find 96 events with buy-ins ranging from $130 to $1,200 and a wide range of poker variants and tournament formats. The $600 NLHE Championship is the marquee tournament, beginning on June 20, with $500,000 guaranteed and three starting flights.
Orleans Poker Open
This off-Strip property has become popular with lower rollers and this year’s series runs May 26-July 14 with a wide range of poker variants and tournament types. The Orleans generally features three events daily (11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.), with buy-ins ranging from $120 to $600 and overall guaranteed prize pools of $3.5 million. Look for several championship events, with the $600 Main Event commencing on June 26 with multiple starting flights and $500,000 guaranteed.
Resorts World Summer Series
This great property has a growing poker room that caters to mixed game players but also features some nice NLHE daily tournaments as well. The property has seen a growing poker environment since it debuted in 2021 and features its first summer poker festival this year. The action runs June 6-July 22 with more than $900,000 in total guaranteed prize pools. The festival features NLHE tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $200 to $400 with two $400 main events on June 20 and 27, each with a $100,000 guarantee.
Wynn Summer Classic
This summer’s poker series is set to be the largest in the property’s history, offering 98 events and more than $37 million in guaranteed prize pools. The series kicks off May 22 and runs through July 18, with the $10,400 NLHE Summer Championship set for June 18, offering a $10 million guarantee and three starting flights. The World Poker Tour is also highlighted this summer for high rollers, with the Alpha 8 Trifecta featuring a trio of $25,000 high-roller events.
Venetian DeepStack Championships
This annual series features a 79-event schedule and runs May 20-July 31, with almost $14 million in guaranteed prize pools. Players can expect buy-ins ranging from $300 to $1,600 and plenty of NLHE events, with several other poker variants also mixed in, including PLO, Limit Omaha, Big O and more. Numerous formats are also in the works including UltimateStack events, bounties, survivors, seniors and super seniors events and more.
The series also hosts two Mid-States Poker Tour events, with the $1,100 NLHE beginning on May 25 with $500,000 guaranteed and another $1,600 event beginning on June 3 with $750,000 guaranteed. A $600 LIPS (Ladies in Poker Series) championship is also set for June 25 with $50,000 guaranteed.
