#PNWPokerCal Planner for 19 September 2018

There is no other news. Ali Imsirovic, a 24-year-old guy from Vancouver, Washington beats a field of top players in a high-roller series to win back-to-back events and score enough points to take the second-ever Poker Masters purple jacket trophy. (Read Chad Holloway at PokerNews for more.)

By all accounts, he’s been incredibly successful for several years on Bovada and—particularly—America’s Cardroom, but at this time last year, his total live recorded cashes were for less than $70K. By the time the Poker Masters started, he’d ramped that up to $1.2M, and the money he made last week doubled that.

There are a couple of good, long interviews with Ali. Evan (@gripsed) Jarvis talked to him last fall for PokerNews, before Ali’s incredible streak in the high rollers got going. Remko Rinkema caught up with him for Poker Central just after the Poker Masters concluded. Both times he tells the same story of how his streak in poker tournaments began. It sure sounds like he’s talking about Final Table…

Only a Day Away

  • See the 28 August Planner for info about the Muckleshoot Fall Classic starting this weekend. There’s a satellite tonight, events on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then satellites Monday through Wednesday nights before the four events next weekend.
  • The Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza III continues through Sunday. Entry days for the final $250K GTD event run through Saturday with a $250 buyin.
  • HPT Golden Gates $1,650 Main Event stared today with entries through Saturday and Final table on Monday.
  • The Gardens Poker Classic started last weekend, there’s a $100K GTD Friday at 2pm [170e100a], with the $50K GTD PSPC Moneymaker event (guarantee includes the $30K PSPC package) on Saturday. The $350 buyin $300K GTD Main Event starts next Thursday.
  • The WSOPC Online got going Tuesday. There’s a $100K GTD $350 buyin on Sunday.
  • The Pechanga Endless Summer Poker Series f$200K GTD Main Event ($400 buyin) starts Friday.
  • The Wynn Fall Classic runs 26 September—14 October and features a $500K GTD Main Event, plus two $250K GTD and two $150K GTD side events, along with a Survivor, PLO, and Seniors event.
  • Deepstacks Poker Tour Edmonton is at Casino Yellowhead s week from Friday, with the C$1,100 buyin Main Event (now with BB ante) getting under way 4 October. Other events include a bounty, 8-Max, Seniors, and Ladies tournaments. The Main Event is about US$850; RT flight and a room near the casino for the last few days of the series can be found for about US$450.
  • Lucky Chances Casino near San Francisco has their monthly $350 buyin $20K-to-first guarantee tournament on the last day of the month at 9:30am. It’s kind of a turbo structure with 20-minute rounds for the first two hours, but a prize pool with a 5700% potential return is nothing to sneeze at.
  • There’s a Last Sunday of the Month tournament at Tulalip Casino on 30 September at 11am. $25K GTD with a $100 bounty. $340 buyin including dealer appreciation. Big blind antes!
  • Bicycle Casino‘s Big Poker Oktober is back on 1 October, opening with a Quantum $400K GTD tournament ($245 and $365 entry flights, with 10% and 15% getting to Day 2, respectively). They have another $400K GTD ($1,100 buyin) in conjunction with the CardPlayer Poker Tour mid-month.
  • Canterbury Park Casino‘s Fall Poker Classic has more than 20 events from 5—21 October outside Minneapolis. Lots of tournaments including PLO, 6-Max, HORSE, Crazy Pineapple, and the $1,100 buyin Main Event. Should you be silly enough to blow off the first weekend of the Fall Coast Classic at Chinook Winds, you can get there for the Main and have a place to stay for about $500.