Ante Up Magazine

By Scott Long

After two great Ante Up Poker Tour events at Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Vee Quiva, one of the resort’s sister properties Wild Horse Pass is set to host its first AUPT series Nov. 11-16.

“As this is our first tournament series at Wild Horse Pass, everyone here is extremely excited to host this event. We’ve put a lot of thought into creating this series because we want to keep true to what our room provides, as well as showcase the talents of our experienced dealers,” said Susan Pendarvis, poker room manager for the casino in the Phoenix metropolitan city of Chandler, Ariz.. “In creating the tournament series, we wanted to put together a structure that many tournament players desire. Here at Gila River Hotels & Casinos, we pride ourselves on listening to our players, and our players wanted more chips, more play, and longer levels. I feel that we meet all those goals with this tournament.”

The Ante Up Winter Poker Classic series consists of three events, culminating with a two-flight $400 buy-in Main Event with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool, the winner of which will appear on the cover of Ante Up Magazine and get an entry in the 2020 Ante Up World Championship Main Event at Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, Calif. Poker News’ live reporting team also will be on hand for the Main Event.

“For the Main Event, players start with 20,000 chips with 30-minute blind levels throughout the tournament and we have every level possible in the structure. We are also providing the big blind ante as well,” Pendarvis said. “We wanted to keep the tournament at a price point that would be manageable for our every day tournament players as well as a price point where the overlay was very enticing to more seasoned players to come and play. Our poker room is warm and friendly, and we look forward to highlighting what we have to offer at Wild Horse Pass.”

The other events include a $100 no-limit hold’em Big Stack event with up to $2,500 added to the prize pool and a $35 buy-in “Thank You for Your Service” event on Veterans Day that also will add $2,500 to the prize pool and will offer buy-ins of $15 for guests with a government-issued military ID.

“Gila River Hotels & Casinos is a big supporter of our veterans. We are offering a discounted buy-in for veterans in our Nov. 11 tournament. As a show of our gratitude for their service, we will be adding $2,500 to the prize pool, as well as passing out free T-shirts to participants.”

“Gila River Hotels & Casinos is a big supporter of our veterans. We are very fortunate that Veterans Day occurs at the beginning of our series. We are offering a discounted buy-in for veterans in our Nov. 11 tournament,” Pendarvis said. “A military ID or proof of service is all that we require to enter at the discounted buy-in. As a show of our gratitude for their service, we will be adding $2,500 to the prize pool, as well as passing out free T-shirts to participants.”

The casino also is offering 20 $50 Main Event satellites starting Oct. 1, and will spread plenty of cash game action.

“Offering satellites into this tournament is important because we want everyone to have a chance to play in this great event and to provide the opportunity to parlay a $50 satellite win into a $20,000 win. It also creates a buzz leading up to the tournament and helps build up the main event prize pool,” Pendarvis said. “We have just introduced a variety of mix games to our live game selection. Players not playing in the tournament will have many opportunities to participate in any of our limit and spread limit hold-em games. We also spread a variety of mix games at many different price points. We offer $3-$6, $4-$8, $6-$12 and $8-$16 hold-em games, as well as $4-$8, $6-$12 and $8-$16 mix games. Our higher limit games include $10-$500 Omaha Hi and $5-$10 spread limit and $20-$40 hold-em.”

Wild Horse Pass features a variety of delicious dining and entertainment options, including Shula’s Steakhouse, Ling and Louie’s, and Fullhouse Café. Dance the night away to Live DJs on Friday and Saturday night or enjoy a drink at Spotlight Lounge. The premier entertainment destination features more than 1,000 slot machines, live table games and live entertainment in The Showroom. It also neighbors 36 holes of golf at Troon Golf at Whirlwind Golf Club, a variety of rejuvenating treatments at Aji Spa, horseback riding at Koli Equestrian Center, Bondurant Driving School and shopping at Phoenix Premium Outlets.

Gila River Hotels & Casinos operates three Arizona casinos owned by the Gila River Indian Community: Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva. All three casinos offer a combination of slots, table games, bingo, poker and more, and are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additional information on these and other events is available at 1-800-946-4452 or at PlayAtGila.com.

“Ante Up is the foremost destination for information on poker events throughout the country. Being associated with this brand for our Winter Poker Classic introduces Wild Horse Pass’ Poker Room to players in multiple markets as well as elevates our series as the place to play in the Southwest,” Pendarvis said. “We look forward to our growing relationship with Ante Up and working together in the future.”