#PNWPokerCal Planner for 15 February 2017

Does This Make My Stack Look Big?

To be a little fair to myself, I only lost half that stack in a flip, then I lost two thirds of the rest with tens against jacks on what looked like a pretty safe board. It was the next night I made an incredibly bone-headed move in a satellite tourney for the Main Event at Chinook. A satellite tourney!

By the way, the noon $10K at Portland Meadows on Saturday had a prize pool of more than $21K

Goodbyes

When you play poker long enough, you get to know some people, even if they’re just faces across the table, and people come and go. I’m actually kind of a wallflower when I’m not behind my computer, and I’m horrible with names. But three of the people I’ve talked to for years are all heading out of town next month (to different places).

Jack at Final Table has been a fixture in the 11am game there and I’ve been at tables with him as much as probably anyone in town. He and his wife are moving overseas.

Jason is heading to San Francisco. I met him as a dealer when I first got into live poker, and he’s the only person I’ve ever actually staked in a tournament.

I met Toma in the first Main Event I played at Chinook Winds, back when Deepstacks Poker Tour was running things. Toma impressed me with his come from the bottom play that got him to the final table (as opposed to my min-cash). He moved up to Portland from Vegas, and he’s been here for a few years, but he’s heading out.

I guess now I’m going to have to learn a few more names. Good luck, all!

On a sad good-bye, after press time this morning, I learned of the passing of Chris Vetter, known in the Portland poker community as an activist for poker, as well as a player. There’s an announcement on Facebook.

WSOP Watch

It’s only mid-February and all of the structures for the 74 events of the 2017 World Series of Poker have already been posted. Usually by this time in the season, we’re just getting the full schedule.

Deaf Poker Weekend

For several years, Chadd Baker‘s Portland Players Club was host to the Annual Northwest Deaf Poker Tournament, which was actually several tournaments over two days in an environment where deaf players were made to feel comfortable . With the demise of the PPC, this year’s series is being held at Portland Meadows on 24-25 Feb. There are three tournaments, a $50 buyin at 6pm Friday, a $100 on Saturday at 10am, and a $75 event at 6pm Saturday with $500 added to the prize money. Contact James Forncrook via the Facebook link above if you or someone you know is interested in participating.

This Week In Portland Poker

The Game has been running mostly shootouts (including some 2/5 PLO8), but this weekend is the first of their WSOP-related events. They’ve got a freeroll on Saturday at noon that gets you a flight to Vegas, two nights in a hotel, and a boat ride with the winners of the bigger packages. The winner of the Sunday event ($40 buyin, $20 addon) gets all the same stuff and a seat in Event #5 $565 Colossus III Flight F on 4 June. Flight F is the afternoon flight of the last entry day; if you get through the day, you’ll start up at 2pm Monday. There’s another seat for the Colossus being given away next Wednesday at 7pm. The buyin for that tournament is $25, with a $10 addon. A week from Saturday is an entry to the Ladies Championship.

Deal of the Week: Better Be At the Beach

It’s time once again for the PacWest Poker Classic at Chinook Winds Casino Resort, which may be the largest poker tournament in the Northwest, after the Wildhorse series.

The series has more than $200K in guarantees, and features a Main Event with a $100K guarantee. Events each day begin at noon and 6pm.

It opens this Saturday with one of the most exciting events (for me), the $50K GTD NLHE 6-Max. Entry is $300 + $30 fee + $10 dealer appreciation. Blind levels are 40 minutes (super-long for a 6-Max) and you start with 75bb (with an extra 10bb if you get the dealer appreciation). There are two entry days (Saturday and Sunday), with both flights converging on Monday (President’s Day) at 2pm. Re-entry through level 6 of each entry day.

Each night of the first weekend has satellites to the Main Event.

Monday at noon is a $15K GTD NLHE tournament ($140 with DA), and there’s another $15K on Tuesday for Seniors (50+) ($120). Both days have Main Event satellites.

Wednesday’s noon tournament is a $7,500 GTD Limit Omaha Hi/Lo ($160), with an $80 NLHE Bounty tournament in the evening. Thursday is the ever-popular $160 Big O tournament with a $15K guarantee (Main Event satellite at night. Friday’s tournament is NLHE with a $180 buyin (including DA) and an $80 addon with a $25K guarantee. There’s a satellite at 6.

Saturday morning at 10am is your last opportunity to enter a mega satellite for the Main Event, which has a $100K guarantee for a $560 buyin and $200 addon. There’s only one entry day, and this year there’s no re-entry. Day 2 starts at 11am on Sunday (26 February).

Only a Day Away

  • Commerce Casino‘s LA Poker Classic‘s $1M GTD starts today, with four entry days for the $1,100 buyin. It’s one re-entry per session, and players will reach the money on Day 1 (12%) with 10% of players going to Day 2 on Sunday. You can try to qualify for Day two up to 4 times, and receive the smallest prize for any qualifying abandoned stacks. There are $175 mega satellites (10 seats GTD) for the event through Friday evening. Saturday is a $50K GTD $175 buyin NLHE tournament, and Sunday has a $1,650 Bounty ($500 for each elimination) and a $350 HORSE tournament. Monday is a NLHE Seniors event ($570) and Omaha 8/Stud 8 ($1,100). Tuesday is a 2-day $100K GTD ($1,100 entry) and PLO8 (also $1,100). What am I doing here?
  • In Vegas at the Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza I, Thursday kicks off a $600 entry $250K with 3 entry days and a final day on Sunday. Monday is the first of two entry days for a $750K 3-day $1,600 buyin.
  • Heartland Poker Tour Colorado starts its $1,650 buyin Main Event today at Golden Gates Casino west of Denver, with four entry flights through Saturday..
  • Tonight is the first Wednesday satellite for the Muckleshoot Spring Poker Classic. Direct buyin starts today for the five events beginning Wednesday, 15 Marsh ($250 Shootout; $200, $300, $500 NLHE; and $750 Main Event). A Wednesday night (7pm ) satellite win get you either:
    • Tickets to the $500 and any two of the three smaller events, or
    • Main Event ticket and one of the events excluding the $500.

    If you missed the Muckleshoot Casino Monthly Special last Sunday, you have two more specials over the next two Sundays. This weekend is the $170 Big Bounty tournament, and next weekend is a $250 Deepstack. Something to fall back on after Day 1 of the Main Event at Chinook.

  • Tomorrow is the first flight (5pm) for another $100K Catapult at Thunder Valley.
  • The World Series of Poker Circuit Las Vegas stop this year moves to the WSOP’s home at the Rio on Friday. The opening event is a $250K GTD $365 Ring event with six starting flights (two each Friday through Sunday).
  • Chinook Winds’ PacWest Poker Classic (see above) begins Saturday.
  • The first of the $550 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star mega satellites is Saturday morning at 9am. Daily satellites start up 26 Debruary and run through the beginning of the first day of the series. Speaking of which, Will Kassouf is one of this year’s Shooting Star Bounties, so here’s your chance to make $2,500 for taking him out (though he’s been on a bit of a heater lately….)
  • The Wynn Spring Classic starts next Thursday with four events and $165K in guarantees (including a Survivor with a $5K payout for $400 entry and a PLO tournament on Sunday evening). There’s a $100K with entries on Monday and Tuesday ($400) and a $750K championship that starts the next Thursday ($1,600 entry).
  • Think you won’t get enough poker to suit you at Chinook? The Stones Gambling Hall in the Sacramento area has a $250,000 Spring Classic starting 24 Feb and running through 5 March. It features a $125K GTD two-day Main Event ($450), satellites, a $10K GTD NLHE 6-Max ($200), $40K GTD NLHE Deep Stack ($350), $75K NLHE Monster Stack ($500), and a $120 NLHE on opening day. Everything except for the Main is a single day event.
  • The gimmick at Lucky Chances south of San Francisco is tournaments with guaranteed first place prizes, and the first big event of the year there is at 9:30am 26 February. It’s guaranteeing $20K for first place, with a $350 buyin. Their weekly events guarantee first place $8K (Sunday, $250 buyin), $4K (Tuesday, $200), and $2.5K (Monday, Wednesday—Saturday, $65). And those are all 9:30am tournaments.
  • Tulalip‘s Last Sunday of the Month tournament is a $20K GTD 26 February at 11am with a $220 buyin and $10 dealer appreciation.

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