Card Player Poker Tour comes to Ocean’s 11 Casino

Everyone at Card Player is pleased to announce that this April, Ocean’s 11 Casino joins our popular Card Player Poker Tour. The San Diego Classic, held Apr. 21 to Apr. 24, is Card Player Poker Tour’s first event in San Diego and proves once and for all there are indeed great major tournament events in California outside of Los Angeles. Casino Manager Zaven Esmaili, a veteran of Los Angeles gambling establishments for 30 years, puts its best: “We are excited to partner with our friends at Card Player to bring another great tour event to San Diego. Los Angeles clubs may have more tables but we have more fun!” Known as San Diego’s home for poker for nearly 20 years, Ocean’s 11 Casino continues to stay miles ahead of the competition. As Ricky Bobby says, “If you’re not first, you’re last.”

San Diego Classic

Already known for hosting the juiciest tournament action in San Diego County and surrounding areas, the San Diego Classic proves again that they are San Diego’s home for live players and tournament players.

The San Diego Classic offers players three qualifying sessions daily on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to reach Sunday’s final tournament day. With a modest buy-in of $200, and the opportunity to re-enter once during each qualifying session, players have multiple chances to reach the final day. As an added twist, Ocean’s 11 has partnered with Quantum Reload to give players who do not have the time to play qualifying sessions, or simply want to skip them, the chance to enter the final day by offering a Day 2 $1,350 buy-in. All Quantum Reload entries receive 100,000 chips. Day 2 blinds start at 1,000 – 2,000.

“Don’t let the $100,000 prize pool estimate fool you. We expect to surpass $100,000 well before the Quantum Reload entries join the party”, says Esmaili. “Our World Poker Tour Deepstack-San Diego multiple-day final event held in October always surpasses its $200,000 guarantee, with a $504,000 prize pool in 2014 and a $379,000 prize pool last year. Our single-day annual classic likewise never disappoints, with our Labor Day prize pool of $68,200, and Memorial Day prize pool of $69,000 blowing past our $50,000 estimates.” We encourage all players to check the Card Player website, the Ocean’s 11 website, or simply call the casino during the event to keep track of the growing prize pool.

Weekly Tournament Action

The weekly tournament slate draws players from San Diego County and as far away as 100 miles on weekends. The $10,000 guarantee Deepstack tournaments every Saturday and Sunday with 10,000 in starting chips and 25-minute levels, are the jewel of their weekly series. With a low $75 buy-in, and $50 optional add-on, the Deepstack series draws an average of 120 to 160 players each day with prize pools of $12,000 to $16,000. But it does not end there.

Ocean’s 11 also offers a $20,000 guarantee Deepstack tournament on the first Saturday of each month with a $200 buy-in. Again, Ocean’s 11 never disappoints, with average prize pools just shy of $30,000!

Daily players have something to look forward to with $2,500 guaranteed $20 buy-in tournaments Monday through Friday mornings at 10 a.m., and Monday through Thursday nights at 7 p.m.

Finally, Ocean’s 11 is the only casino in the area offering a monthly $5,000 freeroll on the last Saturday of the month based solely on tournament play. Players qualify by earning points for each tournament they enter during the month. The more tournaments you play, the more starting chips you receive.

Technological Advances

Ocean’s 11 has always stood atop the technology game offering cellular phone and tablet charging stations at every seat at every table, and great WiFi service throughout the property. Now, they have stepped up their game even higher!

“The days of staff members walking the entire room scanning each player by hand are over,” shouts Zaven Esmaili.

In March, Ocean’s 11 added the most technologically-advanced poker table display available. The Poker Atlas Table Captain System created by Poker Atlas and its president WSOP bracelet winner Jon Friedberg, is the crown jewel in table game management boasting High-Def touchscreens at every table. Casino Administrator, Rachel Kinney says, “Our players love the tabletop screens that allow them to keep track of their play and ensure they are getting credit for all time at the table.” Esmaili adds, “Players deserve the most accurate player-tracking system and we are excited to bring it to them.” Live and tournament players alike enjoy the many features, including real-time tournament clocks displayed on live poker tables and players’ mobile phones, live waiting lists (with player names) on the Poker Atlas website, and text message notifications when seats are available.

Finally, watch for the Ocean’s 11 mobile app coming soon, which will allow players to access all features and more from their cellular device.

Poker Room

Ocean’s 11’s success is not by accident. You don’t earn the reputation as San Diego’s home for poker for nearly 20 years without doing things right. Haig Kelegian, “The King of Clubs,” says it perfectly. “It is not enough to be the largest poker room in the region. We have to offer the best action and the best service day in and day out.” With nearly 40 poker tables, Ocean’s 11 succeeds by offering a wide variety of games for both the recreational player looking for fun, low-stakes action, to the seasoned player looking for bigger stakes and bigger pots.

As always, the food is second to none. Food & Beverage Manager Tanya Mendoza notes, “We know what our regular players want and we make sure they get it every day. We work hard to keep our floor prices far below the competition, and to offer a variety of American and International dishes.”

The jackpots continue to be unmatched by anyone in the region. Only Ocean’s offers a $20,000 seed in all its hold’em and Omaha games. Whether the game is $1-$2 no-limit Hold’em, $40-$80 limit Hold’em, or $8-$16 Omaha, players at every game play for the same jackpot!

In addition to its famous $500,000 Racing For Dollars cash redemption program running every day of the year, Ocean’s 11 continues to offer an unmatched cash drawings slate, including $5,000 cash every Thursday, Friday, and Sunday and $3,000 cash every Monday and Wednesday. Also, don’t miss the player favorite Steak & Lobster dinner promotion every Tuesday!

Table Games

Today’s gambling establishments cannot live and die just on poker. Ocean’s 11 is no exception, and to prove it they just opened their new expanded table games room. With nearly 20 tables of exciting Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker, and Three Card Poker action, table game players now have a room to call their own. “It’s already become a party every night,” says Esmaili. With a full room of players, a new sound system, great seating, and television screens throughout, it is no wonder crowds are rushing to take their seat.

Again, Ocean’s 11 never sits still. In the next few months, watch for exciting new bonus games and the addition of a Progressive Jackpot to the blackjack games!

As if that wasn’t enough, Ocean’s 11 is excited to announce it is building a new bar and lounge in its new table games room named after owner Haig Kelegian. “We expect that Haig’s Bar will add to the room’s excitement for those players and friends that want to be in the same room to eat and drink, or as an alternative to the popular Sports Lounge & Racebook.”

The staff at Ocean’s 11 looks forward to seeing everyone at the Card Player Poker Tour San Diego Classic April 21-24. As they say, come find out why everyone says, “I Play at Ocean’s.” ♠