Although they have ceased operations as a “cable television station,” Poker Central still exists as a streaming outlet online. With this in mind, the online site is moving forward with their seminal event, the Super High Roller Bowl, which will follow in much the same manner as last year’s tournament.
From May 28-31 (just prior to the start of the World Series of Poker), the Super High Roller Bowl will play out with a maximum of 50 players being accepted. The $300,000 buy in tournament will allow 35 professional players to take part in the tournament, with the other 15 seats being given to the host casino, ARIA in Las Vegas, to parcel out to non-professional players. Of that 15, at least one of the seats will go to a “celebrity guest,” per the information from Poker Central. At stake for those involved? A $15 million prize pool and a guaranteed $5 million to the eventual champion.
“The Super High Roller Bowl is the world championship of high stakes poker,” said Joe Kakaty, president of Poker Central, in the press release from the streaming network. “Fans can now follow the action live from start to finish.” It is expected that the tournament will be streamed live over Twitch – now the location for live events for Poker Central – and at Poker Central’s website.
Beginning on February 2, ARIA will begin accepting deposits for the event. If it is like 2016, then those seats should go quickly, per the Director of Poker Operations for ARIA Sean McCormick. “Last year’s Super High Roller Bowl sold out in two weeks, well in advance of tournament play,” McCormick commented. “It was an exciting event for the players and fans who stopped by to watch and we anticipate another successful Super High Roller Bowl again this year.”
A few of the names that are expected to take part in the 2017 version of this event include the winningest (as far as money) player of all time, Daniel Negreanu, and the winner of the first $1 million buy in event, the WSOP’s “Big One for One Drop,” Antonio Esfandiari. Add in the all-time record holder for WSOP bracelets won in Phil Hellmuth, the inaugural champion of the Super High Roller Bowl Brian Rast and high stakes player Tom Marchese, and the tournament has already built a solid foundation.
In a scant two years, the Super High Roller Bowl has become one of the preeminent tournaments on the poker schedule. In 2015, the tournament was a $500,000 event that drew in the crème (or at least the deepest pocketed) of the poker community. 43 men put together a $21.5 million prize pool and played for three days at seven-handed tables (which has been the format of the tournament in every year of its existence). Battling down to heads up play, Rast defeated Scott Seiver to take home a $7.525,000 payday for his efforts (Seiver didn’t leave empty handed with his $5,160,000 consolation prize).
The buy in for the tournament was reduced to $300,000 for last year’s tournament and it was the right move. As previously stated, the field hit the 49-player max limit with those on the outside (on an alternates list) literally hoping that some of those who got their deposits in first couldn’t make the tournament. The prize pool may have been a bit smaller (“only” $15 million), but it also featured additional money contributed by the official sponsors for the tournament, which included such mainstream companies as Pizza Hut, Amazon Coins, Anheuser Busch and, in what would become a running gag for poker fans, the Dollar Shave Club. It was marked as the coronation of the latest German wunderkind, Fedor Holz (who didn’t have a bad 2016), but it was another German player, Rainer Kempe, who walked off with the $5 million first place prize (and Holz picked up “only” $3.5 million).
TRIVIA #1: Only one man has been able to make the Super High Roller Bowl final table twice. Who is it?
TRIVIA #2: Has a woman ever taken part in the Super High Roller Bowl? Answers once you get to the end!
The 2017 version of the tournament should follow in the footsteps of the previous two (even at these nosebleed stakes, you can find 50 people to take part), but there might be some questions as to whether the sponsorships will come out as they did last year. Without the “live television” option – and instead the “live streaming” online – advertisers cannot quantitate how popular the program is nor how their products being involved with the tournament are received. Twitch will naturally have some of its own material, but no sponsors have been announced at this moment.
It will be a great way to kick off the 2017 WSOP and the players involved will enjoy the bankroll boost should they make the final table. Mark your calendars for May 28 as the Poker Central Super High Roller Bowl makes its triumphant return.
ANSWER to Trivia #1: Erik Seidel (seventh in 2015, third in 2016) is the only man to have cashed in both Super High Roller Bowls.
ANSWER to Trivia #2: Much as she has in many other High Roller events, businesswoman Kathy Lehne is the only woman to have taken part in the Super High Roller Bowl (2016).
