For the first time, the World Poker Tour Regional in Tampa will feature a $3,500 main event with a $1 million guarantee, and this comes during the World Series in Vegas.
The Hard Rock Summer Poker Open begins May 29 and runs through the main event, which is June 12-18. Tampa’s main usually costs $1,650 and the other events are usually predictable in price point, this series is more in line with the WPT series you’d see in Hollywood, Fla.
Three big guarantee tournaments, some larger buy-in events, including $1,100 and a $1,650 bounty ($500 bounties).
The three guarantees are $300K ($350 buy-in), a $500K ($560) and the main. These are huge for this area regardless of the time, but being that it’s during the WSOP the could be some nail-biting.
However, I think the Tampa faithful will show up for the series. I know I can’t get out to Vegas easily because of my full-time job, so a series like this for me is prefect timing. I look forward to some big-time summer poker here in Tampa.
NICE CASHES: The WPT Hard Rock Showdown wrapped up recently and Central Florida was well-represented in the main event. One of those who made it all the way to the top 30 was Jeff Metajan, a friend of the Ante Up Nation, a family man and local grinder.
He’s starting to put up some big results, including a 139th last year during the $10 million guarantee and now 30th in this recent WPT championship.
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him over the past few months and he’s one of those guys you root for to succeed, a guy who does this to provide the best he can for his family.
In a business where it is easy to lose sight of what is really important, it’s good to see a man who places those values on top of his priority list. This is a guy we should be hearing big things from soon.
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— Email Andrew at anteupandrew@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @anteupandrew and read his blog at anteupandrew.wordpress.com.
