The World Series of Poker and the surrounding Las Vegas tournament series came to a close in July, but the rest of the country begins to pick up again with quite a few series to choose from in August.
East
The East Coast has some nice action in the first two weeks of the month, with three series happening simultaneously with a good selection of buy-in levels.
The Mohegan Sun Summer Showdown runs Aug. 1-15, featuring big guarantees, reasonable buy-ins, and step tournaments running every night to help you satellite into the $1,100 main event.
The World Poker Tour Regional series returns to Parx Casino in the Philadelphia market, with the Parx Open (Aug. 1-15). The series starts with a number of small events and satellites that run daily to offer players a chance to win their way into the $3,300 main event.
The Heartland Poker Tour will be at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in New York, with satellites starting Aug. 3. The HPT has been getting large fields for its $1,650 main events, and we expect a big turnout for this one.
Don’t forget the Mega Stack Challenge at Foxwoods in Connecticut, which runs Aug. 11-19 and always has big numbers.
South
The South has four series this month, two in Florida (a pair of WPTs) and two in Biloxi, Miss. including a WSOPC event at the IP in Biloxi.
The Gulf Coast Poker Classic at the beautiful Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss. starts Aug. 24 and runs through Sept. 2. The schedule includes a number of smaller events, including the popular seniors event, leading up to the $2,600 main event.
But before the GCPC, the WSOPC kicks off its ninth season with its annual stop at the IP in Biloxi. This series runs Aug. 9-20 and features 12 ring events.
Hard Rock Hollywood in Florida gets another visit from the WPT with its Summer Splash (Aug. 10-27). The $2,200 main event runs Aug. 24-27 and has a $500K guarantee.
The Jacksonville Summer Series, in conjunction with the WPT Regional series, looks good, especially for those recovering from the WSOP and trying to rebuild a bankroll. The bestbet poker room hosts Aug. 24-Sept. 10, featuring smaller buy-ins. The WPT main event is $1,500 and has two Day 1s (Sept. 7-8) at noon.
Midwest
Big tournaments dot the heart of the country this month, including two in Minnesota.
The River Series at WinStar in Oklahoma kicks off and has a $4 million guarantee for its overall prize pools. See our Oklahoma column on Page 24 for more details.
Running Aces Harness Park in Minnesota is hosting the largest buy-in in Minnesota history, the $2,500 Tournament of Champions, on Aug. 11. We expect every major player in the Midwest to show up for the 20K starting stacks, hour-long levels and $75K guarantee for first place.
The Mid-States Poker Tour will be in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the Grand Falls Casino (Aug. 11-19) with a $100K guarantee for the main event.
The Horseshoe Poker Classic at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Iowa, runs Aug. 21-27, the first series under new manager Andrew Brock. See the ad on Page 42 for schedule and details.
Canterbury Park, in Shakopee, Minn., hosts the Twin Cities Poker Open on Aug. 26. This $1,100 event usually attracts a large field for the Midwest, and it’s only 20 miles from the Twin Cities.
West
The Western U.S. has three notable events this month, a fairly light month in terms of quantity, but they make up for it in quality.
The eighth annual Arizona State Poker Championship at Talking Stick Resort and Casino will be a $1,070 buy-in event starting Aug. 10 and scheduled for five days. Should be a large field, with a lot of big names, as most events at this venue draw a serious crowd.
In NorCal, Thunder Valley’s Players Championship continues this month as its championship begins Aug. 10. Manager Ben Erwin is doing some fine things with his series and structures.
The Bay101 Open will run Aug. 20-27, with the main event featuring a nice smooth structure and a $1,040 buy-in. Smaller events include a seniors event and an all-in-or-fold tournament.
