Poker News

PlayNow Poker Championship Generously Grants CA$500,000 in Cash Prizes ahead of Sunday

by Sharon Stanton

Over the span of the next several days leading up to Sunday Club Regent Casino is going to be transformed into the hottest location for poker thanks to the 2018 PlayNow Poker Championship, featuring a Main Event with a buy-in of CA$1,100. Winnipeg, Manitoba is well-known for its gaming offerings, set to be elevated on a new level this week.

Official launch of the poker festival was given this Wednesday, but preparation for the impressive poker congregation commenced way back in July when online satellites were first given green light. Everyone willing to register for participation in them and potentially claim their spot at the live events scheduled had the opportunity to do so in the time period until August 26th. As many as 12 of the players registering for participation from Manitoba, Quebec, and British Columbia had the chance to lay their hands on one of the packages reserving them a spot at the premium poker room of Club Regent Casino.

For those who could not make it to the limited number of packages, there was also the opportunity of purchasing tickets for participation available online. A total of CA$500,000 is set to be distributed among top players of all tournaments scheduled to take place ahead of Sunday. Players performing best and amassing the most points would be eligible to seats at the 2019 Spring PlayNow Poker Championship next April.

Poker Action Starts with a Bang

About 290 players were eager to register for participation at the first event which launched this Wednesday. The Satellite event had on offer the mouth-watering opportunity of a Main Event seat as a reward. All players had five hours to prove they are worthy of the tickets and when all was said and done 28 of them claimed their spots at the CA$1,100 buy-in culminating event. In comparison, the satellite event featured a buy-in of only $120, making it a significantly more affordable option.

Players were all willing to make the best of the 20-minute levels and CA$5,000 starting chip stacks. Once survivors have made it through, real poker action is due to happen, setting the mood with a CA$600 No-Limit Texas Hold’em event on Thursday. The player cap at this tournament limits the number of participants to 280, meaning that players would have to be fast to make it to the poker tables. Their mandatory buy-ins would reserve them a starting chip stack of $15,000.

It could be recalled that last year at this very event Canadian poker pro Marcel Pruden managed to reach all the way to the top position on the official rank list and this guaranteed him the first-place prize of CA$15,713. His 13-hour poker conquest proved to be successful as he claimed the throne. This week the first event of the poker festival is also projected to attract the attention of players willing to warm up before the official Main Event commences on Saturday.

Before Day 1, however, Friday would offer players the special CA$300 No-Limit Texas Hold’em Bounty event, which is a preferred tournament by many. Starting chip stack amounts to CA$7,000 in chips, providing best players in the pool with the freedom to reach the heads-up duel freely.

Main Event Awaits Players on Saturday

Exactly at 12 p.m. this Saturday, the official start of the culminating event would be given for all participants eligible to a seat. They would begin their quest towards the top positions on the official rank list with as chip stacks of CA$20,000 in chips. For those of them eliminated earlier than expected, a re-entry option is available up until Level 7 of the tournament structure. In order to maintain poker action snappy, a deadline is set – at Level 15 or around 12:45 a.m. players would put an end to poker action.

All survivors would have to reunite on Sunday once again making an attempt to reach the Final Table and claim the top prizes. In the meantime, a second event would be in progress both for disqualified players and for those just now entering the run. It would be a CA$400 No-Limit Texas Hold’em providing up to 240 players with a starting chip stack of $8,000 in chips. The upcoming days are set to be heated ones at the Club Regent Casino striving to bring more to the poker scene.