Card Player Poker Tour Returns To bestbet Jacksonville This April

For the fifth consecutive year, the Card Player Poker Tour will head to the First Coast for a bestbet Jacksonville main event. Running from April 27 – May 8, the largest poker room in Florida will host a 13-event series that boasts $350,000 in guarantees.

The popular tournament series features something for everyone, with buy-ins ranging from $200 to the $1,100 main event. It all kicks off with a $360 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament. The two-day event carries a $100,000 guarantee.

Other tournaments scheduled include a $290 six-hour iron man event, a $350 no-limit hold’em event with $100 bounties, a $240 Omaha eight-or-better, a $200 all-in-or-fold event with $50 bounties and a $240 turbo event.

The series wraps up with the CPPT main event, which has two starting flights this year on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6. Players start with 25,000 in chips for the $200,000 guaranteed event.

In 2016 the title went to Zac Stites, an industrial engineer from Orlando, who won $61,136. The event drew a starting field of 289 players, which created a total prize pool of $280,330, which easily surpassed the $200,000 guarantee.

Originally opening its doors in 1934 under the banner of Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, bestbet currently operates two of the state’s most successful poker rooms at its Orange Park and Jacksonville locations under the direction of Director of Poker Operations Jesse Hollander and Vice President of Poker Operations Deborah Giardina.

Jacksonville now has a thriving tournament scene thanks to bestbet’s ability to host some of the most popular poker tours operating today such as the World Poker Tour, WPT Deep Stacks, Mid-States Poker Tour and of course, the CPPT.

Experienced players are used to the warm-up tournaments that lead up to any main event, but come to bestbet for any of their series and you’ll find a unique and well-rounded variety of tournaments that will test the skills of players age 18 to 80 plus. Some of the highlights of the series include high-value, multi-day no-limit hold’em tournaments, with prize pools regularly crossing the six-figure mark. Under the watchful eyes of Tournament Director Johnny Pham, the daily tournament schedule at bestbet has become one of the most consistent in the state, featuring a variety of no-limit hold’em and Omaha tournaments.

The property is also known for second-to-none cash games that make the pulse of the room pound on a daily basis. The most popular of these are the $2-$5 no-limit hold’em and $2-$2 no-limit hold’em, which are always running and available from 10 a.m. until close (and 24 hours on weekends). Other games spread include Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, Big O, stud eight-or-better, stud and limit hold’em. Also offfered are Three Card Poker, Two Card Poker, One Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and Pai Gow Poker. Both locations offer a lush, private room for higher-limit players looking to start a game.

For beginners, the Orange Park location offers a monthly ‘Poker 101’ course that teaches new players the basics of poker and wraps up with a tournament allowing them to gain valuable experience on the felt. Training tables are always available, so if you have any curious friends or relatives who’ve always wanted to learn the art of poker, there’s no reason not make your trip to bestbet one for everyone (18 and up).

As a way of giving back to the players, bestbet also offers many daily promotions that benefit both cash and tournament players. On any given day, an average of more than $10,000 is going out to the players. There’s also huge payday possibilities with the bad beat jackpot, which recently paid out just over $600,000.

When you’re not at the table, you can stay connected with all of the action in the poker room thanks to the bestbet poker show, which broadcasts every Wednesday night from 6-7 p.m. on 1010XL AM and 92.5 FM with Allie McDeal, The Boss and FNA. Or watch Twitch at twitch.tv/bestbetlive. The folks at bestbet Jacksonville even have your grumbling stomach covered with some of the best sushi in town.

When you need a break from the tables, Jacksonville has all you need and more to make the most of your getaway. Rising up from the banks of the cool blue waters of the St. Johns River, the steadily growing city of Jacksonville is a hidden gem where Mother Nature mingles with the metropolitan. Just 10 minutes away from majestic beaches that run along the East Coast, with the backdrop of local bars and restaurants over your shoulder. If you’re feeling more active while still wanting to appreciate Jacksonville’s unique blend of the outside world, you can set up a tee-time at any of Jacksonville’s 52 golf courses, the most well-known of which is TPC at Sawgrass. The world-famous course features one of the most easily recognizable holes in all of golf; the ‘Island Green’ taunts players from its quiet spot from the lake on No. 17 and defines the course as a whole.

If you’re looking for a quiet afternoon or a night out with friends, the historic Riverside and San Marco districts have everything you’re looking for to make a day on the town memorable. Memorial Park offers a beautiful view of the St. Johns, which if you’re here for poker, will be the least stressful river you’ll see all weekend. With over one hundred bars and restaurants and some of the most historic and gorgeous views in the city, Riverside is a perfect sample of everything that Jacksonville has to offer.

For more information about the upcoming CPPT stop at bestbet Jacksonville, visit www.CardPlayerPokerTour.com. ♠