Local player Loren Klein added to a stellar year on Oct. 10 when he topped the field in the Heartland Poker Tour Main Event at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno. Klein earned $47,099, a $3,600 championship package and the silver HPT bracelet. Anton Dimagiba finished second ($29K).
“I’m just so happy that I made it here,” said Sacramento’s Dimagiba. “To make a final table is always so exciting.”
Jae Pak was third ($19,416). Pak and Klein went back forth throughout the day, doubling each other up several times before Klein’s Q-Q bested Pak’s K-Q.
Southern California
OCEANA CASINO: On Sept. 21, the property in Oceano burned down in the late afternoon, but there were no injuries. It was one of the city’s original buildings from the early 1900s and the company’s website reports it is working on a new Oceana Casino location. Stay tuned for details.
HUSTLER CASINO: The football pool runs every Sunday in regular season.The first 100 players get a spot on the board after a minimum of one hour of play for the 1 p.m. game.At the end of each quarter, if your square matches the game score, you’ll win $200. If you’re the winner of the first or fourth quarter, you also will be entered into the Big Game Board to win $10K.
AQUA CALIENTE: The Football High Hand Frenzy promotion runs until Jan. 1. During the 1 p.m. Sunday broadcast game, when any team gets a touchdown ($75) or field goal ($40), the player with the current high hand in the room will win a cash prize.
When someone wins, tablemates will have a chance to win the same amount as it will be a splash pot on the next available hand. You must be in a live game to qualify. If no one in the room makes a qualifying hand (full house or better using both hole cards) before there’s another score in the game, the winner of the last high hand and their table will win again. Also, at the end of the game the player and table with the last high hand will win, too.
The Monday Night Football Rack Attacks promo means when either team scores a field goal, all live games (hold’em or Omaha) split or share $300 or more in chips.When either team gets a touchdown, all live games will split $500 or more in chips. For a full list of promotions and rules, go to hotwatercasino.com
DIAMOND JIM’S CASINO: The Super Thanksgiving Drawing promotion allows players to earn tickets in hold’em with a straight or better and in Omaha with a flush or better. Weekly drawings for prizes will be done until Nov. 18on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 p.m. and on Fridays at 11 p.m.
The grand prize drawing will be Nov. 21 for a Honda Fit EX.From 7-11:40 p.m., eight tickets will be drawn. At 12:15 a.m., the eight ticketholders will each win a prize, with one being the car. For details, go to diamondjimscasino.net.
PALA CASINO: The poker room will host the Fallen Soldier charity tournament Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. and the five-day Quantum Reload tournament on Nov. 16-20.The property also will introduce a new Saturday Double tournament that will be played at noon and 8 p.m. each Saturday when major tournaments do not conflict. Call the poker room for more info.
Northern California
The Ante Up Poker Tour and Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, Calif., have agreed to hold the Ante Up World Championship in the Northern California poker room in 2017 and possibly 2018.
Thunder Valley Casino Resort and the Ante Up Poker Tour have announced an agreement to host the Ante Up World Championship at the Lincoln, Calif., resort for another year.
“It’s been truly incredible to watch how our two brands have helped each other grow immensely since our first joint event in 2012,” said Scott Long, owner of Ante Up Poker Media with Christopher Cosenza. “We are beyond appreciative of the relationship we’ve forged with Thunder Valley and especially Ben Erwin, director of poker operations, and we’re looking forward to more combined success.”
The past three Ante Up World Championships have been at the resort just east of Sacramento, as well as four Ante Up NorCal Classic Ante Up Poker Tour events, with a fifth running Nov. 22-27. The Ante Up NorCal Classic is also part of the new agreement, though is expected to move to October in 2017. The agreement includes an option for the two events to remain at Thunder Valley in 2018 as well.
“We are looking forward to continue the partnership with Ante Up and the Ante Up Poker Tour,” Erwin said. “We have come a long way together over the past five years. In 2016, the Ante Up World Championship set records and we are truly excited to see what we can bring to the industry in 2017.”
OAKS CARD CLUB: The Emeryville poker room hosts its Turkey Shoot Tournament on Nov. 12 at 11 a.m.
This $400 tournament will draw players from all around the Bay Area.
There’s also a Super Saturday event Nov. 5 for $340 and the other Saturdays are $130, and all are at 11 a.m. Sunday events are $235 at 1 p.m. Finally, Oaks hosts two 6:15 events during the week on Monday ($150) and Wednesday ($185).
LUCKY CHANCES: In Colma, the Gold Rush series will run on Nov. 13-21 with four no-limit hold’em events throughout the series.
The first is a $600 deepstack Nov. 13 with a $40K guarantee for first. The second and third events guarantee $20K for first, $350 Nov. 15 and 17.
The first three events have a starting stack of 15K chips and 30-minute levels. The $1,080 main event runs Nov. 19-21 with a starting stack of 20K and 40-minute levels and a first-place guarantee of $100K.
This event will have two starting days. All tournaments have re-entries and there will be satellites for these events Nov. 6, 12, 14, 16 and 18.
GRATON CASINO: There are some great tournaments and promotions at Rohnert Park, north of San Francisco.
Some include the daily progressive bad-beat jackpot, Hot Seat Drawings on Thursdays (1-10 p.m.) and Sundays (1-10 p.m.) that pay up to $650 per hour.
There are high hands and Aces Cracked Monday-Friday. Graton offers an early bird special Monday-Friday where players can receive $100 for an $80 buy-in from 9-10 a.m. Tournaments include $60 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. and $35 on Tuesday and Thursday at 10.
The largest daily tournaments are a $140 bounty event on Sundays at 10 a.m. where players receive $25 for knockouts and a $150 Monday night bounty at 6 with $25 bounties.
Pacific Northwest
LITTLE CREEK CASINO: The South Sound Fall Championship, which had $7K added to the prize pools, ran Sept. 5-11.The winners, all from Washington, were Mike Dumont of Bremerton (Event 1, $2K), Vincent Sperrazza of Bremerton (Event 2, $2K), Fred Bohren of Aberdeen (Event 3, $3K), Anthony Breslin of Lakewood (Event 4, $2K), Glenn Miller of Mukilteo (Event 5, $8K) and Patrick Ritter of Silverdale (Event 6, $1K).
Little Creek is a five-table room 77 miles southwest of Seattle that routinely offers $4-$8 limit and $3-$500 spread-limit.
During its twice-per-year tournament series, the poker room adds 12 or more tables in a conference room across the hall from the poker room.
CHINOOK WINDS CASINO: The Fall Coast Classic ran Sept. 6-11.Some of the winners included Adam Bernstein (Event 1, $4K), Christopher Gordon (Event 3, $5K), Carl Seaton (Event 5, $5K) and Don Larson (Event 6,r $1K).
Chinook Winds, in Lincoln, Ore., is the 13th-largest room in the region with seven tables and routinely spreads $1-$3 NLHE and features Omaha games on Tuesdays and stud on Fridays.The room is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.
MUCKLESHOOT CASINO: The Summer Classic, which had $55K added to its prize pools, ran Sept. 14-18.
There were five winners, all but one from Washington: Miles Nagel from Maple Valley (Event 1, $7K), Dong Jun Shin from Portland, Ore., (Event 2, $9K in a three-way chop), Dan Oden from Poulsbo (Event 3, $20K), Kao Saechao from Kent (Event 4, $21K in a two-way chop) and James Pennella from Kirkland (Event 5, $39K).
Pennella also won the overall championship for $6K by taking seventh place in the third event to go along with his main-event win.
Muckleshoot is 31 miles southeast of Seattle in Auburn, Wash., and is the largest room in the region with 32 tables.It routinely spreads $4-$8 limit and Omaha/8 games, $3-$5 NLHE and occasionally get a $15-$30 Omaha/8 game.
WILDHORSE RESORT AND CASINO: Nov. 3-13 is the Fall RoundUp near Pendleton, Ore., with $40K added to the prize pools of the series’ 12 tourneys. NLHE buy-ins will range from $120-$1,100, with a two-day $545 main event the second weekend.
There will be $225 Omaha/8 and HORSE events and dozens of cash games.
Las Vegas
VENETIAN: Alex Rocha won the $3,500 main event at the DeepStack 3.5 at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Sept. 13 when the last four players made a deal.
Rocha took home $174K. Matt Salsberg ($145K), Eric Baldwin ($141K) and Ryan Tosoc ($125K) were part of the deal.There were 249 players for a $1M prize pool.The Venetian added a $203K overlay to the prize pool to meet the guarantee.
BELLAGIO: The Strip property hosts its WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic on Nov. 25-Dec. 10. The $10,400 main event plays out over six days beginning Dec. 5. The series features two $25K high rollers on Dec. 8-9, plus a $50K super high roller on Dec. 10.
The cheapest buy-in tournament is $550 on Nov. 27.There’s a $1,090 seniors event Nov. 28 and a $1,600 seniors event Nov. 30. There are two PLO events: $1,090 Dec. 1 and $5,200 the next day.
PLANET HOLLYWOOD: The World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event in September went to Sean Yu for $170K.Second place went to Eli Elezra for $150K with Daniel Needleman coming in third ($77K). The $1,675 event had 520 players for a $792K prize pool.
The series also ran a $5,300 high roller that attracted 26 entrants for a $130K prize pool. Eric Sagstrom took home $65K for finishing first, Joe Kuether was runner-up ($39K) and Jay Nair was third ($26K).
CAESARS PALACE: Mixed games have become popular at the center-Strip room.A $6-$12 or a $8-$16 game can be found four or five nights a week. The minimum buy-in is $100 with no max. Nearly 25 variants are in the rotation, including Omaha, Omaha/8, double-board Omaha, badacey, baducey, razz, stud, stud/8, badugi, Big O, pineapple, razzdugi, drawmaha, triple-draw high, and deuce-to-seven.
GOLDEN NUGGET: The downtown room just added a bad-beat jackpot. It’s progressive, starting at $10K.The losing hand must be at least quads, getting 40 percent as 30 percent goes to the winning hand and 30 percent is split among the other players at the table. There are also progressive high-hand bonuses for quads, straight flushes and royals, with double payouts between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The no-limit cash games are full of action, as there are no caps on buy-ins.Multiple $1-$2 games are always going ($100 min) and a $2-$5 game with a $200 min runs often.Several $2-$4 limit games are available, too.Players get $2 an hour in comps.
The tournament schedule recently changed. At 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., a $65 event offers a 10K stack and 20-minute levels. At 3 and 7 p.m., it’s $50 for 5K and 20-minute levels.Sundays at 11 a.m. is a $125 tournament with a $5K guarantee and a 15K stack. The first eight levels are 20 minutes and go to 30 minutes thereafter.
RIO: The main cash game at the off-Strip room is $2-$3 NLHE. The minimum buy-in is $200 and the max is $1K.This game offers $2 an hour in comps and double-tier credits on the player Total Rewards card. A $1-$2 game with a $100-$300 min-max runs less often. Players in that game get $1 an hour in comps and single-tier credits.
The room offers high-hand bonuses for straight flushes ($100) and royals ($500), and a weekly freeroll.
Tournaments go daily at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.They are all $50 buy-ins, with a 10K stack and 20-minute levels and they all have a $500 guarantees.
EXCALIBUR: The main cash games here are $1-$2 NLHE and $2-$6 spread-limit. The former has a $60-$300 min-max.The spread-limit game has a $30 minimum. Players earn $2 per hour in comps.
The room is noted for the big prize wheel that players spin whenever their aces get cracked or they hit a high hand.The prizes are $20-$100. In addition to the wheel spin, players get $25 for aces losing between 10-3 p.m. Monday through Friday.The Deuces Never Loses promo awards players $222 for quad deuces. Royals get $555. The Flush Fever promo runs Tuesday-Thursday. Players getting flushes in all four suits during a 24-hour period win $300.
The football promo features cash drawings forSundaymorning and Monday night games. A random seat is drawn after each score to award player $50 for a field goal, $100 for a TD and $200 for safety. There’s a raffle for Monday night games as players earn tickets for live play beginning four hours before game. Two tickets worth $50 each are drawn at halftime and a ticket is drawn at9 p.m.for $50 and at 10 p.m. worth $100.
Four tournaments run daily. The 9 a.m. is $40 while the tournaments at 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. are $45. They all have 5K stacks and 15-minute levels.
MONTE CARLO: During Sunday morning, Sunday night, Monday night and Thursday night football games, the room has a high-hand-of-the-quarter promotion. The first quarter pays $25, the second quarter is $50, the third quarter gets $75 and the fourth wins $100.
STRATOSPHERE: The football promo is highest hand of the quarter ($50) for morning, afternoon and evening gamesSundayas well as Monday and Thursday evening games.
Meet Mark Selby
Mark Selby has been working in poker since 2009 and has been the manager of the Stratosphere poker room since March 2015.
How’d you get into poker? Sunday night card games were a regular occurrence in our house, a mix of friends and family across many generations. Around 2003 when online poker started to bloom, I felt I had a heads-up on the competition after my years of home games. There began my love affair with poker and taking poker seriously. When I moved to the United States from London, there really was no other career I considered.
Why play at the Stratosphere? The Strat is a small, fun room. Recreational players feel at home in the friendly and unintimidating environment. We regularly refresh our promotional offerings so there always seems to be something new and exciting happening.
What do you do when you’re not working? There was a time when if I wasn’t on one side of the table I was on the other. My son was born in 2011 and since then I have been fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time with him. The Strat afforded me a great opportunity to work a swing-shift schedule so I get to spend all day with him. — Rob Solomon
