#PNWPokerCal Planner for 2 November 2016: MAIN EVENT EDITION

The Main Event

In case you’ve been living under a rock since 3:20am. Speculation on Twitter is that Qui Nguyen’s WSOP Main Event win might finally draw Vietnamese immigrants to the world of poker.

@ 2016 WSOP/Jayne Furman

@ 2016 WSOP/Jayne Furman

The Main Event?

Yeah, I somehow forgot to mention in last week’s Planner that Sunday was the start of World Series of Poker Main Event final table coverage. I’m an idiot. I remembered to DVR it, at least, and Reading Poker Tells author Zach Elwood invited me over to watch some of the broadcast with him, so after the trick-or-treaters tapered off on Monday, I caught some of it with him. Seriously, though, maybe they could have waited until a weekend after both Halloween and the election.

Separated at the Poker Table

Final Table tournament director Heath Bloodgood pointed out a similarity in chip stacking:

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The State of Portland Poker

Last week was a busy one for Portland players, following on the success of Portland Meadows’ $20K guarantee with the regular $10K events at Final Table on Friday, the Saturday $10K at Meadows, and a special $15K freezeout on Sunday at Meadows.

The freezeout reached a prize pool of more than $22K, with 171 entries. I was only able to make the first of the three events, and six players (including yours truly) chopped the $12K+ at Final Table for $1,600 each.

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Final Table $10K, 28 October 2016

Even though I didn’t make the Saturday $10K at Meadows ($13,700 prize pool), I did go out to catch the 7pm—thinking it might be juiced a bit by busted players from the noon game—and chopped that three ways, then promptly dusted off a third of my profit playing Big O with Jeremy Harkin. That did free me up to have some drinks with River Rich, who had just finished taking down the $10K.

Combined with rumors of an impromptu 10/20 NLHE shootout running at Final Table last Tuesday night, there might be some life in the old beast yet.

Deal of the Week: Big Entry, Small Field at Tulalip

As anyone who’s read this blog for a while (I pity the fools!) knows, I have a thing for small-field tournaments because of their relative value (ask Fedor Holz about that). It’s why things like the High Roller at Wildhorse next week are attractive. This month, on the weekend after Thanksgiving, the Tulalip Casino north of Seattle is turning their Last Sunday of the Month game into one of those events by making it a $75K guarantee with an $820 buyin (including dealer addon). 30-minute rounds, 15K+3K in chips. Alternates, late entry, and re-entry for the first 4 rounds.

The monthly calendar doesn’t specify how much of the buyin goes to the prize pool, but I think we can assume about $750, so the field is expected to be something over 100 entries, but you’re probably not looking at more than 200. 11am on 27 November.

This Week in Portland Poker

It’s a new month, which means the Final Table First Friday $20K is upon us. That’ll be at 7pm on 4 November. $80 buyin with a live rebuy and $40 addon.

Only a Day Away

  • The Liz Flynt Fall Classic draws to a close tomorrow at Hustler Casino with a one-day $20K deepstack tournament. If you hurry down to LA, you might be able to catch the last flight of the $200K guarantee tonight at 5pm. $240 entry.
  • At the Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza this weekend, there’s a $175K guarantee bounty tournament with an $1,100 buyin, with entry days on Friday and Saturday. Entry days for a $250 buyin $150K guarantee are Monday through Wednesday.
  • The World Series of Poker Circuit at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Main Event has starting flights ($1,675 buyin) on Friday and Saturday. The last event starts on Sunday. One-way airfare to Sacramento early Friday can still be had for a couple hundred dollars and Reno’s about three hundred, but you’d need to get from either airport to Lake Tahoe.
  • HPT St. Louis Main Event at Ameristar Casino St. Charles has one entry flight on Friday and two on Saturday. $1,650 entry and there are plenty of satellites running as late as noon Saturday. Might be a bit spendy to get to St. Louis at this late date.
  • The Rio Final Table Festival starts tomorrow with a mic of has $500 and $300 NLHE events, and a $1,100 satellite into the 2-day $10,000 main event on Monday (Halloween). Several other satellites to both the Main and smaller events that are running through the weekend.
  • The Mid-States Poker Tour starts tomorrow at Golden Gates Poker Parlour in Blackhawk, Colorado with a $360 buyin $100K guarantee and an $1,100 buyin $200K guarantee Main Event a week from tomorrow.
  • The Wildhorse Fall Poker Round-Up starts tomorrow. Individual tournaments are listed on the calendar.
  • The final leg of the SoCal Poker Championships is at Commerce Casino’s LA Poker Open. The first event is Friday, followed by eight days of starting flights for the $350 buyin $3M guarantee SCPC. The LAPC Main Event has $100K guaranteed for first place with a $1,650 buyin.
  • The HPT moves across Missouri to Kansas City on 10 November art the Ameristar Casino. Seven events, with three entry days for the $1,650 Main Event.
  • There will be a little bit of a slowdown in the number of tournaments over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but don’t worry! The Poker Mutant will be here to keep you updated. Unless he’s in Prague.

Remember to keep an eye on the #PNWPokerCal Twitter hashtag and the PNW Poker Calendar for upcoming events!