The annual WinStar River Poker Series promises to be the most eventful in the history of this mega-successful series, developed and directed by poker room manager Jay Wiles. Players of all levels from all parts of the country are drawn here every year for the unsurpassed prize-pool guarantees and return on investment for their tournament dollars (e.g. the $5K No Juice listed at the end of this article).
This year, the River lives up to its namesake with events that take an intriguing variety of twists and turns. Mega- and single-table satellites are under way; the following is a schedule of events for the next two months:
Single-table satellites
• Single-table satellites are qualifying events for all River Poker Series events.
• They will be no-limit hold’em freezeout tournaments in the WinStar World Casino Poker Room. Patrons may buy in for $125 and each satellite must contain 10 players. Each player will begin with 1,500 chips and blind levels will start at 25-50 and advance every 15 minutes.
• Top-three players of each $125 STS will receive $400 worth of River lammers good for any River Poker Series event.
• River lammers are transferable but not refundable and have no cash value. No currency exchange will be made for River lammers.
Mega-satellite qualifiers
• These events cost $440 ($20K added so that top 40 places receive $500 each).
• Top 20 percent of field receives $2,100 in River lammers.
• These events will be July 8, July 22, Aug. 5 and Aug. 12 in the poker room, while more will be in WinStar’s Global Event Center on Aug. 19, 26 and 29.
River Series schedule
• Aug. 16-17, $330 NLHE re-entry, $250K guarantee
• Aug. 18-19 $550 PLO, $50K guarantee
• Aug. 20-21 $550 NLHE, $100K guarantee
• Aug. 21-22 $440 NLHE bounty, $100K guarantee
• Aug. 22-23 $440 NLHE re-entry, $250K guarantee
• Aug. 24-25 $1,050 NLHE re-entry, $300K guarantee
• Aug. 27 $5K NLHE No Juice, $300K guarantee
• Sept. 2 $1,050 NLHE turbo/bounty, $100K guarantee
The River Poker Series’ $2,100 main event has a $2.5 million guarantee and will have three Day 1s (Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1). Day 2 is Sept. 2 and the final table will be Sept. 3.
— Bonnie Demos is Ante Up’s Oklahoma Ambassador. Email her at bdemos1@gmail.com.
