This week, the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., will be hosting a massive $2,100 Main Event with a $2.5 million guarantee as part of its annual River Poker Series. The event has become a big draw in the Midwest over the years, and for the first time PokerNews is proud to provide live updates from start to finish of the five-day tournament!
The River Poker Series Main Event will run from from Thursday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 3. There will be three Day 1 flights, and the survivors from those days will combine on Sunday, Sept. 2 for Day 2. The final table will be held on Sept. 3 at the WinStar World Casino Global Events Center.
The tournament has averaged around 1,400 participants over the past two years. Last year, Bronson Tucker outlasted a field of 1,355 players to collect a $640,400 payday. The event generated a prize pool of $2,710,000 and saw each of the 10 members of the final table secure a payday of at least $50,000.
Satellites for the Main Event have been running since early June, and WinStar World Casino Poker Room Manager Jay Wiles said he expects attendance to continue growing this year with the change in entry methods. Starting this year, players can enter the Main Event using a combination of cash buy-in and specially-designed lammers for entry into the satellite tournaments as well as the mega and final events.
“Using lammers enables players to gain entry into events like mega satellite qualifiers, preliminary events as well as the main event in a more convenient manner,” said Wiles. “It also offers players more options for entries and enhances our staff’s ability to operate the tournament. The implementation of this new system shows we are dedicated to the overall satisfaction of our poker players and strive to hold our place as the region’s best poker venue.”
In addition, poker pros Maria Ho and Greg Raymer have returned as official celebrity endorsers for the River Poker Series. Ho and Raymer have taken part in the series’ prelims this month and are geared up for another shot at the Main Event.
"I am ecstatic to be back representing WinStar World Casino," Ho told PokerNews earlier this year. "Jay Wiles and the entire team at WinStar go out of their way to create a personal experience and a genuine relationship with their players, and that’s just one of the reasons I’m so proud to represent them."
Be sure to check in to the PokerNews Live Reporting Page this week for live updates from the River Poker Series Main Event!
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