Right now, there is a lull in the tournament poker world, especially after the 2023 World Series of Poker. The Triton Poker Super High Roller Series is going on as we speak in London and the European Poker Tour is still a couple of weeks from kicking off its festivities. For those with a bit less of a bankroll, Maryland Live! Casino & Hotel is looking to fill the void with the Maryland State Poker Championship, which will offer something for everyone (and every bankroll).
Maryland State Poker Championship Kicks Off on Wednesday
For the fifth year, Maryland Live! is hosting a thirteen-day festival of poker, with some excellent guarantees on the events. Over the span of 19 tournaments from August 9-22, more than $2 million in guaranteed prize pools will be available for the players. It isn’t just the “high rollers” that can participate in the activities, however.
Opening action on August 9 is arguably one of the biggest challenges that a poker player can face. A $400 H.O.R.S.E. tournament is the inaugural event for the 2023 schedule, and it has a $20,000 guarantee that will be tempting for many players. The skills of many players will be put to the test in this format.
The evening of the first day’s action features a $400 Black Chip Bounty tournament, also holding a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool. In this tournament, players will start with 30,000 in chips and have unlimited reentry (or registration, for those latecomers) until the end of Level 12 (15-minute levels). Each player in that event will have a $100 bounty on their head, giving “bounty hunters” a chance to make back their buy-in by knocking out the opposition.
One of the other highlights of the Maryland State Poker Championship is a featured Ladies’ Event. On August 13, the women will come to the tables for a $330 buy-in tournament sponsored by the Poker League of Nations, one of the most prominent women’s poker organizations in the U. S. In this tournament, players will start with 25,000 in chips, with the levels moving up every thirty (30) minutes, and late registration and re-entries available until the end of Level 6.
Main Event Features One Million Dollar Guaranteed Prize Pool
Of course, the big game in town for the Maryland State Poker Championship is the $1 million guaranteed Main Event, with a $5300 buy-in. There are two (2) Day Ones on the schedule, on August 18 and August 19, with the field to come together for Day Two on Sunday, August 20. This is another tournament that will also see late registration and unlimited re-entry have an impact, with those options available until the start of Level 11.
Those runners stepping to the line for the Maryland State Poker Championship Main Event will get a good bit of play out of this event. They will start with 50,000 in chips and have sixty (60) minute levels over the first ten levels of play. From Level 11 onward, the clock moves up to ninety (90) minutes, ensuring that players can play poker rather than luckbox through the tournament.
In 2022, the MSPC was a bit smaller affair, but it was still hotly contested. The Main Event was a $2200 buy-in tournament with a $300,000 guarantee, which was crushed by the 344 entrants ($673,552 prize pool). In the end, Jimmy Born was able to outlast Nicholas Verderamo for the championship, taking home a $119,000 payday in what looks to have been a final table deal.
Toss in a Seniors tournament, a Super Seniors (over 60) tournament, and a $2200 Maryland Live! Championship Event (nothing like winning your club’s championship!), and it promises to be a fun fortnight of poker in Hanover. For more details on the Maryland State Poker Championship, contact the Maryland Live! poker room and check out the schedule for the MSPC here.