Formerly a World Poker Tour event, the World Poker Open at the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, Mississippi began this week. The Main Event is a $5,150 buy-in tournament that starts on Sunday, October 26th. The casino just underwent a full renovation of every room in its 31 story tower and 50 suites were added in order to make the Gold Strike the premier gambling destination on the Mississippi River.
For the first six seasons of the World Poker Tour, the Gold Strike was a regular stop. Arguably the most recognizable building in the state, the casino towered above the flat terrain just south of Memphis, Tennessee. An interstate now connects Tunica with the city and provides fast access to Las Vegas-style gambling. The World Poker Open tournament series began on October 16th and will conclude on October 28th. Here is the remaining schedule of events. All times are Central:
Saturday, October 18th
12:00pm: $550 No Limit Hold’em
11:00am: $345 Ladies No Limit Hold’em
Sunday, October 19th
12:00pm: $550 No Limit Hold’em
11:00am: $235 Ladies No Limit Hold’em
Monday, October 20th
12:00pm: $340 No Limit Hold’em
4:00pm: $340 Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better
Tuesday, October 21st
12:00pm: $340 No Limit Hold’em
Wednesday, October 22nd
12:00pm: $340 No Limit Hold’em
Thursday, October 23rd
12:00pm: $550 No Limit Hold’em
Friday, October 24th
12:00pm: $550 No Limit Hold’em
Saturday, October 25th
12:00pm, 4:00pm, and 8:00pm: $540 Mega Satellites
Sunday, October 26th
12:00pm: $5,150 Championship Event Day 1
Monday, October 27th
12:00pm: $5,150 Championship Event Day 2
12:00pm: $230 No Limit Hold’em
Tuesday, October 28th
12:00pm: $5,150 Championship Event Day 3
12:00pm: $230 No Limit Hold’em
In the Season VI installment of the World Poker Open, Brett Faustman defeated Hoyt Corkins heads-up to take home the $892,000 first place prize. Others making the final table included Men “The Master” Nguyen, Freddie Deeb, Gabe Costner, and John Spadavecchia. There were 259 entrants in the South’s marquee poker tournament, the last held as a WPT event.
There were 294 entrants in the Season V WPT World Poker Open. At the end of the day, Bryan Sumner defeated PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu to pocket $913,000. Kido Pham and J.C. Tran also reached the final table. In Season IV, Scotty Nguyen, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, and Gavin Smith finished first, second, and fourth, respectively. There were 327 entrants and the tournament awarded $969,000 to first place.
The Season III final table of the World Poker Open gave WPT viewers one of the most talented final tables ever. When the smoke cleared, Johnny Stolzmann defeated a group that included Chau Giang, Negreanu, Mizrachi, and Scotty Nguyen.
Barry Greenstein came out on top in Season II, pocketing nearly $1.3 million and besting a field of 367 players. Randy Jensen, Chip Reese, and Can Kim Hua also reached the final table. In the inaugural WPT installment, which was held next door at the Horseshoe Casino Tunica, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott defeated Phil Ivey for the win. All told, the tournament has seen some of the world’s top poker pros vie for millions of dollars.
The WPT will head to the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi for the Southern Poker Championship during Season VII. The tournament takes place in January, which was when the Gold Strike event was traditionally held. Despite not being a televised event, Robert Williamson III and Clonie Gowen will be in Tunica for the Championship Event.
In the $5,150 buy-in tournament, players will start with 15,000 chips. Blinds begin at 50-100 and escalate every 75 minutes. Antes kick in during Level 3. In addition to the cash, the winner of the Gold Strike event will be awarded a $10,000 seat into the Southern Poker Championship.