As the calendar clicks to the final month of 2008, poker players are preparing to take on the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, one of the most prestigious tournament schedules of the year, at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Because of its prime location and reputation as one of the finest tournament poker outlets in the world, the Bellagio routinely draws some of the toughest tournament fields even for its preliminary events. It is also the final opportunity for players who are in competition for many of the Player of the Year awards to earn points towards those respective championships. The schedule begins today with a $500 buy in event, but other tournaments on the schedule should draw out the big guns of the poker world.
Over the next two weeks, there will be a total of thirteen tournaments on the schedule with buy-ins that can put a serious dent on a player’s bankroll. There are two events each that will run $1500, $2000 and $3000 as well as a $1500 Seniors tournament and a $1500 Super Satellite. Where many of the top players will be taking a seat is in the four $5000 tournaments littered on the schedule that lead up to the World Poker Tour’s final event for the 2008 calendar year.
The Doyle Brunson Classic, a $15,000 buy in tournament that is a part of the WPT’s seventh season, will begin at the completion of the preliminary schedule at the Bellagio. December 13th is the start date for that tournament, which will play the final table on December 19th, and is one of the tournaments that top professionals mark on the calendar to compete in.
The 2007 version of the Five Diamond was hotly contested with names that are quite familiar to the poker community. Poker professionals such as Dutch Boyd, Dr. Roy Winston, David “The Dragon” Pham and J. C. Tran all captured preliminary event championships, with Boyd and Winston also cashing in other tournaments on the schedule. Other top pros such as Nick and Michael Binger, Layne Flack, Ireland’s Alan Smurfit, Italy’s Max Pescatori, 2007 World Series of Poker Player of the Year Tom Schneider, Kenna James and Godsmack vocalist Sully Erna all earned cashes. Online players did quite well also, with Thayer Rasmussen enjoying three cashes, Shannon Shorr grabbing two and Kevin Saul earning a final table.
The 2007 Doyle Brunson Classic was one of the most pro-laden fields and was a battle from the start. The 626 player field built a prize pool of almost $10 million and paid out the final 100 survivors. Daniel Negreanu – who always seems to do well in Bellagio tournaments, – Todd Brunson and Erick Lindgren all finished high on the board for significant money, but didn’t make the WPT six-handed final table. As that final table played out, English pro David “The Devilfish” Ulliott and another top online player, Ryan Daut, were not able to stop Eugene Katchalov from taking his second major tournament poker title and the $2.4 million first place prize.
Although there are two WSOPC tournaments scheduled for December, the Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio will more than likely draw the most attention from the wealth of professionals in Las Vegas and others from around the world. Poker News Daily will keep an eye on the preliminary action and have recaps of the WPT Doyle Brunson Classic as the 2008 tournament poker season draws to a close.
