WPT comes to Colorado for first time

By Mark Lasser

There’s a very exciting event this weekend. For the very first time ever, Colorado is hosting a World Poker Tour series and it is taking place at the Isle Casino in Black Hawk. This regional WPT series is comprised of 10 events which started on Oct. 5 and 6 with mega-satellites.

This afternoon (Oct. 7) at 3 p.m. is a $225 No Limit Hold’Em tournament, and the there’s an event every day culminating in the Colorado Poker Showdown Main Event Oct. 14-16. This is a $1,600 buy-in event and will launch with a first flight on Oct. 14 at 3 p.m. and a second flight on Oct. 15 at noon. There are technically no re-buys, but of you get knocked out of Friday’s flight you can still play on Saturday. The finals will begin Sunday, Oct. 16 at noon.

This event is deep stacked at 20,000 starting chips (or 30,000 if you buy the $10 dealer appreciation bonus) and blinds start at 25-50, so you effectively start with 600 big blinds. Rounds are 40 minutes, will incorporate antes starting in round 5. If the event sells out, and I suspect it will, the event will pay out 40 players with first place being about $162,000.

Other events include a 6-Max Hold’em game on Oct. 9, a Limit Omaha Hi-Lo on Oct. 10 and a mixed OH game on Oct. 12, which combines Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Texas Hold’em.

Matt Dodd, the poker room manager at Isle, told me the event will be on the ground floor behind the escalators. The Isle is removing a bunch of slot machines to make room for the event. The space will be able to accommodate up to $200 players at one time and the upstairs poker room will be available for cash games as well. Players will be issued wrist bands to let them in and out of the playing area and these will also serve as line passes for the buffet. A hot dog cart will also be available to players throughout the event and room discounts will be available at the hotel. While this event will not be televised, Dodd has every reason to believe that subsequent WPT events at the Isle will be.

“We recognize that the World Poker Tour is an important national brand for poker players and are excited to bring that brand to the Isle,” said Dodd. “We have the area’s premier poker room and this is just one more exciting event that we can offer our players.”

Sit-N-Go satellites are available whenever 10 players register. These have been taking place since Sept. 4 and will continue through Oct. 13. Satellites to the regional event are $220. A full rundown for the event as well as structure sheets and schedules can be found at www.worldpokertour.com, www.theisleblackhawk.com, or call the Isle Poker Room at 303-998-7905.

Mark B. Lasser is Denver writer and international poker player. He regularly plays in Colorado, Arizona, California, Missouri and Nevada. You can hear him talk about gambling and casinos every Friday at 5 PM on KEZW AM 1430. Readers can send questions and comments to him at ColoradoPokerMark@comcast.net.