Arizona poker continues to grow each year, just as it has nationally, and area casinos are taking notice by adding new annual, and in some cases seasonal, deepstack no-limit hold’em tournaments to attract players from all over the country.
Casino Arizona’s Talking Stick Resort recently launched its inaugural $370 Winter Poker Classic, which had a capped field of 400 entries and saw Chris Cronin take down first place, winning more than $50K.
Early spring is the best time to visit Arizona, with perfect 80-degree weather, spring-training baseball and many other major events, including Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s annual Poker Roundup on April 12-22, with $50,000 added to the prize pool.
Looking ahead, don’t forget the eighth annual Arizona State Poker Championship (Aug. 10-14, $1,070) is right around the corner at Talking Stick’s poker room, a.k.a. the Arena.
LOCAL BUZZ: The idea of TVs in poker rooms isn’t anything new, but Talking Stick has taken it to another level with a giant scoreboard TV that practically assures everyone has a great viewing seat.
With all players able to see what’s on TV, the sports promotions seem to have doubled in size and has been a great addition to the Arizona poker scene.
— Brian Fanzo is Ante Up’s Arizona Ambassador. Email him at anteup.fanzo@gmail.com.
