Ante Up Magazine

By Scott Long

Jamul Casino made a big splash in the San Diego poker market with a lavish grand opening of its new poker room this year, and will make another when it hosts an Ante Up Poker Tour series in September.

The Ante Up Sweetwater Series will run Sept. 20-29 and feature eight events, including a $550 Main Event with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool

 with the winner appearing on the cover of Ante Up Magazine.

“When creating Jamul’s first tournament series, I wanted to give our players the ability to enjoy a quality event, which had previously not been offered in the area,” said John Rochfort, poker manager. “We are very excited to be the first Southern California partner with Ante Up. The national brand and recognition that the Ante Up Poker Tour brings is vital to the success of our first tournament series. Since the announcement of our upcoming event, we’ve been receiving a great deal of interest from the area.” 

The series starts Sept. 20 with a $300 buy-in, $40,000 guaranteed prize pool two-flight Kickoff Event, and ends with a frenzied final day of action that includes not only Day 2 of the Main Event, but two other events – a $240 knockout event with $100 bounties and $100 event that features chip leader bonuses. There will be a Player of the Series race with prizes, too.

“Jamul Casino is owned by the Jamul Indian Village of California. In the tribe’s Kumeyaay language, Jamul’s meaning is ‘sweetwater.’ We couldn’t think of a better name for our inaugural tournament series.”

“Jamul Casino is owned by the Jamul Indian Village of California. In the tribe’s Kumeyaay language, Jamul’s meaning is ‘sweetwater.’ We couldn’t think of a better name for our inaugural tournament series,” Rochfort said. “Our Tournament Director Mel Hines and I wanted to offer some variety in our scheduled events. We are offering an eight-handed event, a couple bounty events and an Omaha/8 event, along with the traditional no-limit hold’em events.” 

Satellites start Sept. 16 and offer numerous opportunities for players to get into the Kickoff Event for as little as $50 or the Main Event for as little as $70.

“Satellites are a big part of the success of any poker series,” Rochfort said. “They allow players to play in a larger buy-in tournament that they may not normally play in. We want every player, regardless of their bankroll, to enjoy our Sweetwater Series.”

When not in an event, players will find plenty of action in the poker room. 

“We will spread just about any game as long as we have interest,” Rochfort said. “The games we spread most often are $1-$3 no-limit hold’em, $3-$6 limit hold’em and occasionally a three-blind $2-$3-$5 no-limit game.”

Jamul Casino, owned by the Jamul Indian Village of California, is just 20 minutes from downtown San Diego and features seven restaurants, more than 1,700 slot machines, 40 tables games and a 10-table poker room with full bar service and tableside dining, and incredible views of the nearby countryside.

“Jamul Casino has so many great venues to offer beyond poker. Whether you’re enjoying stunning back country views from our Prime Cut Steakhouse, enjoying the very best local bands at JIVe Lounge or trying your luck at the tables or slots, there is something for everyone,” Rochfort said. “For the out-of-town player, there is so much to do in San Diego. Some of the must do’s are Balboa Park, the beaches and Gaslamp Quarter, which are all free. If you are bringing the family, I would recommend the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld or Legoland as well.”