IMPORTANT NOTE: CHANGE OF SCHEDULE
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE RESTART FOR EVENT #1 ON SUNDAY WILL TAKE PLACE AT 3 PM EST. THE PREVIOUSLY-SCHEDULED RE-START TIME WAS 12 NOON. THE SURVIVORS OF ALL DAY ONES WILL INSTEAD BE UNITED AND RESUME PLAY ON SUNDAY -- AT 3 PM.
West Palm Beach Opener Set to Smash Prize Money Record
WSOP Circuit at Palm Beach Kennel Club Continues through Feb. 29th
West Palm Beach, FL (February 16, 2012) – They’re off and running at the Palm Beach Kennel Club!
The first of 12 gold ring tournaments started today with what is expected to be a near-record turnout. Based on early attendance figures for the first of three playing days, West Palm Beach is expected to boast the second-largest tournament in WSOP Circuit history.
The $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em opener (Event #1) could very well hit the 2,500-player mark. If so, this would make it the second biggest field in the eight-year-history of the WSOP Circuit. Only the opening event in Chicago (Horseshoe Hammond) earlier this season generated a bigger field.
Moreover, the prize pool for West Palm Beach's opener will almost certainly be a record for a non-Main Event tournament. This is quite a feat considering that more than 800 WSOP Circuit tournaments have taken place since 2005. But none will have generated as large a prize pool – aside from the much larger buy-in Main Events held at each Circuit stop ($1,500 and up). Hence, with players shooting out of the gate at the Palm Beach Kennel Club in record numbers, the next two weeks should be filled with non-stop action and excitement.
The first playing day, which took place on Friday, included two playing sessions. The first flight was capped at 750 players, which filled every poker table to full capacity. The overflow created a unique situation for tournament organizers, who were quick on their feet and added a special session, which was played at 4:00 pm. The overflow session included 220 added players who otherwise might have missed the chance to play for a guaranteed one-million dollar prize pool.
The final prize pool and attendance figures for Event #1 are expected to be released on Saturday, after registration closes.
...................................
No doubt, the “One Million Dollar Guarantee” -- boosted interest and enthusiasm.
For the first time in history, a major poker tournament offered $1 million guaranteed on an event which cost $500 to enter. Normally, million-dollar guarantees are associated with only the most expensive tournaments, usually costing $5,000 or more to enter. But the Palm Beach Kennel Club went one step further -- making history in the process.
Indeed, the Palm Beach Kennel Club continues to distance itself from the other dogs in Florida’s poker race. Last year, the Florida poker scene took a quantum leap forward when the World Series of Poker Circuit came to the Sunshine State for the very first time. The inaugural tournament series, held last February, was so successful that the WSOP made Palm Beach an anchor stop for the current season.
This year, the Palm Beach Kennel Club is hosting 12 WSOP Circuit gold ring poker tournaments over a two-week period. Tournaments began on Thursday, February 16th, followed by multiple tournaments and around-the-clock cash-game action. The poker festival concludes on February 28th with the final table of the $1,600 buy-in Main Event Championship.
Gold ring tournaments are only a fraction of what’s on the poker menu at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Second-chance No-Limit Hold’em tournaments will be running from day one. The deep-stack tournaments will cost $235 to enter and begin nightly at 7 pm. Satellites for all gold ring tournaments will also be going regularly inside the poker room. Several mega-satellites for the Main Event Championship will also be offered.
About a year ago, the Palm Beach Kennel Club expanded its poker operations to include 64 tournament tables, which should be able to accommodate the record turnout expected for several events. The first event is expected to shatter the previous attendance record as the largest single-venue poker tournament ever held in Florida history.
The Palm Beach Kennel Club is the first dog track to ever host a WSOP-related tournament. Each final table will take place in a premium location near the main grandstand, which will enable everyone close to the poker action to cheer on the greyhounds, as well. Naturally, betting windows will be close by for those who want to mix in some racing action with poker playing. Dog races take place most days starting at 1 pm. There are also dog races nightly on weekends.
The Palm Beach Kennel Club is conveniently located just steps away from the West Palm Beach international Airport, which offers direct flights from all over the country. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is also closeby. Several hotels are situated near the dog track and poker facility, to accommodate all budgets. The cardroom offers regular shuttle service to and from at least three nearby hotels. Special hotel rate packages for poker players are available.
This will be the 11th of 17 WSOP Circuit stops this season. All players over age 21 are eligible to compete for a seat in the $1 million freeroll event which crowns the WSOP Circuit National Championship point race. This season's top 100 players who qualify will compete in the first-ever nationally-televised championship, which will take place in Las Vegas, in May 2012. The winner of that extraordinary event will receive the most coveted prize in all of poker, a WSOP gold bracelet.