Healthy payouts at World Poker Tour

The World Poker Tour’s recent stop at Black Hawk’s Isle Casino Hotel was a huge hit.

The event began with 207 players at a buy-in of $1,500 each. The total prize pool was $310,500. Oct. 14 and 15 were days 1A and 1B. Players could start on either day, but the remaining players from each would go on to the final day of the WPT Regional Event on Sunday, Oct. 16. Forty-seven players out of the 207, including The Denver Post’s own Kendall Smith, made it to the final day of play.

The final day’s play began at noon and continued until just after 11 p.m. to finally crown a winner. In the end, three players made an equity deal on the money, “chopping the pot,” but Chris Tryba of Las Vegas was the chip-leader and winner of the first WPT Regional Event ever to be held in Colorado. Tryba pocketed a cool $67,000. Michael Bonetto of Golden ($60,222) and Aaron Frei of Longmont ($59,078) fared well also. Smith finished tied for 13th. A total of 20 spots were paid out of the starting field of 207.

The WPT Regional Event was the main event of a larger series of tournaments that made up the Colorado Poker Showdown at the Isle. Total prize money for all of the events was just under $600,000.