Card Player Poker Tour: Inaugural St. Maarten Event Begins in April

For the first time ever, the Card Player Poker Tour will make a stop at Casino Royale in Maho Bay, St. Maarten in conjunction with Card Player Cruises for a 22-tournament series set amid the backdrop of the breathtaking Caribbean.

“As the tournament director for Card Player Cruises, I am excited to be teaming up with Card Player Media to run and host their series of events in beautiful St. Maarten,” said Card Player Cruises tournament director Zack Lawmaster. “We look forward to the start of an annual island extravaganza.”

The series will begin Apr. 24 with a $125 no-limit hold’em tournament and wrap up with a $125 no-limit hold’em survivor on May 3. Other tournaments include $340 pot-limit Omaha, $340 Omaha eight-or-better, and many satellites.

The feature event will be the $1,650 no-limit hold’em $200,000 guarantee main event Apr. 30 through May 3.

Casino Royale is a spectacular destination within a destination, offering endless activities for enjoyment and relaxation, including a large pool with cascading waterfalls, four tennis courts, a lively children’s program, an array of water sports, swim-up pool bar, five restaurants and bars, a casino, nightclub, and much more.

The property is the largest casino on the island of St. Maarten, boasting 21,000 square feet of gaming entertainment. Options include 21 tables of roulette, blackjack, craps, three-card poker, Let it Ride Bonus, Caribbean poker, and Texas hold’em. The area also includes 410 slot machines and video poker machines with themes ranging from Sex in the City to The Hangover to Wheel of Fortune to Betty Boop. Additional action can be found in the private high-roller area, home to the highest limits on St. Maarten, and at the Las Vegas odds sportsbook.

Poker players can scoop up a piece of the $8,000 jackpots offered nightly in the poker room for Royal flush, straight flush, and four of a kind hands in Texas hold’em games.
Outside the poker room, guests can find action at the craps tables, which open at 8 p.m. nightly with a $5 minimum and are the only year-round craps tables on the island. Slot tournaments take place every Thursday night at 10 p.m., and, with a $10 entry fee, players can play as many rounds as they choose. The top three players will take home over $600 in game cash prizes. Guests can also win up to $25,000 in Jackpot Bingo and up to $600 coverall with bonus ball. Jackpot Bingo begins Monday through Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and lasts until midnight and at 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays until 7 p.m.

Guests of the casino are also treated to free admittance to the Casino Royale Cabaret show every Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m..

Players can sign up for Club Royale, a club card designed specifically with players in mind. The card is free and points can be redeemed for cash, clothing, shot glasses, beach towels, hotel nights, restaurant and buffet vouchers, and spa treatments.

For accommodations, guests stay at the all-inclusive Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, where rates start as low as $140 per night. The limitless resort offers five restaurants, ranging from the Ocean Terrace – the property’s buffet-style eating establishment – to The Point, where patrons will find fine dining in an intimate atmosphere with stunning ocean views. The resort is also home to five bars, among them the Oasis swim-up pool bar.

Sonesta Maho Beach Resort’s full list of all-inclusive amenities include champagne and cold towel upon check-in, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks each day in any of the resorts restaurants, unlimited international and domestic beers, wine, spirits, fruit drinks, and soft drinks in all bars, a mini-bar refreshed daily, and weekly manager’s cocktail parties and beach dinner parties. Guests are also treated to free wi-fi in the guest rooms and common areas.

Travelers looking to keep up on their fitness routine can head to the resort’s fitness center and those looking for games and activities can participate in aerobics classes, bocce ball, billiards, board games, darts, ping-pong, snorkeling, tennis, and water aerobics.

Other options to explore the property include nightly theme parties, live entertainment, and outdoor movies.

The resort also features the Kids Club, designed for children ages 4 to 12, with supervised indoor and outdoor activities.

For more information or to book, call 888-999-4880 or visit www.cardplayerpokertour.com or www.cardplayercruises.com. ♠