The Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Casino is gearing up for its second annual Casino Arizona Winter Classic three-day event on Feb. 16-18. Buy-in is $335, playing down to 10 percent of the field each day or after 10 hours, whichever comes first. Players may rebuy (one time) when they have 1,200 chips or fewer.
There will be one optional $300 rebuy in the first six levels, and one optional $300 add-on at the end of Level 6 (no matter the stack size). Rebuys and add-ons will receive 8,500 chips, and all will begin with 8,500 chips. A $20 staff appreciation add-on will gain you 3,500 chips. If knocked out the first day, players will be allowed to re-enter the tournament on the second day. The final table will have 60-minute levels. Based on 400 entries and limited to 200 players each day, first place is estimated to pay $27,972, and top 40 will cash.
HARRAH’S AK-CHIN: The poker room in Phoenix is offering WSOP tournaments on Sundays at 10 a.m. for a $1K seat, with a $50 buy-in and two $20 rebuys. Monday $40 SNGs at 7:30 p.m. wins entry into the May 18-19 tournament for a $10K main-event seat (win a spot in a SNG or buy-in direct for $250). Wednesday is the $1,500 seat for $65, plus two $25 rebuys. Early bird entrees are offered for all WSOP events, in which live play for up to three hours is awarded with an extra 4,000 tournament chips. In February, Ak-Chin plans to start a Saturday 12:30 p.m. WSOP Event Seat rotating schedule with a ladies $1K seat, a senior $1K seat, an Omaha $1,500 seat and a casino employee $1,500 seat.
CASINO DEL SOL: The poker room presents a $25K WSOP Seat freeroll March 12-16, in which any player qualifies to win one of five seats when they play 50 hours between now and March 10. Each 10 hours played, beyond 50 hours, earns an additional 500 chips.
FORT MCDOWELL CASINO: During February, Fort McDowell will host weekly tournaments on Sundays at 10 a.m., with $60 buy-ins (except for Omaha). First Sunday features seniors only. On second Sunday, it’s a no-limit Omaha, $5 buy-in, $5 rebuys and $5 add-on. Third Sunday will be a ladies event and the fourth Sunday features couples.
NEW MEXICO: Players at Albuquerque Hard Rock Casino are more than ready to start winning buy-ins to the World Series of Poker, with $100 qualifying tournaments every Tuesday and Thursday. Winners of each Tuesday tournament get a seat in the final on June 25. Thursday winners get seats in the final on June 27. All seats will be won, with no buy-ins at the end. Winners will receive $10K buy-in to WSOP main event and $2,500 for expenses, and there will be a $2,500 prize pool for each second-10th finalists.
INN OF THE MOUNTAIN GODS: Kicking off New Year promotions in southern New Mexico, the timer is on for the Inn of the Mountain Gods’ second annual Bad Beat PayBack Jackpot event, which ends June 2. From the bad-beat pool, $10K will be freerolled to players who have racked up the most hours between until April 30. The Road to the Main Event tournament takes place at the Inn on Feb. 23-24, with a $335 buy-in for the two-day event. But, registering from until Feb. 15 pays off in early bird bonuses with reduced room rates, free buffet tickets and table game comps. Only 60 rooms will be blocked off for this tournament.
SANDIA CASINO: “Play Poker With the Big Dogs” pits players against each other for more than $20K on Saturdays (2 p.m., $150).
BUFFALO THUNDER: Never doubt Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino is serious about its $150 Last Saturday of the Month tournament at 1 p.m., Players get 15K chips and 20-minute rounds. The poker room also is excited about Sunday cash drawings hourly 2-10 p.m., with more than $1K in prizes.
— Mary Bradley is Ante Up’s Southwest Ambassador. Email her at anteupmary@gmail.com.
