Strip Poker: Venetian Deep Stack Boasts Big Numbers

In this "Strip Poker" series, Card Player covers the Las Vegas poker scene — on The Strip and around the city.

The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza (DSE) is eclipsing numbers from last year in just the first eight events. In comparison, there has been a nearly 23 percent increase in attendants and a 75 percent increase in total prize pool. The huge difference in prize pool numbers is because, so far, there have been three $500 buy-in events and two $1000 buy-in events, whereas last year there was only one $500 buy-in event in the same period.

“It is going amazingly well,” said Kathy Raymond, director of poker room operations for the Venetian. “The player response to this deep-stack tournament is nothing less than I had anticipated. We are giving players what they want. They want deep stacks, good blinds structures, and an affordable price. We are looking forward to the remainder of the series being just as successful. We were really the originators of the deep stack. I know that there are a lot of places getting into the deep stack events now, and we find it as the highest form of flattery.”

The Venetian anticipates a total of 7,000 entrants and combined prize pools of more than $3 million by the end of the 2008 DSE, as compared to last year’s combined prize pools of $1.6 million.

Click here for the schedule of remaining events.

Ten-handed single-table satellites for each event are running the day before and the morning of each event, beginning at 8 a.m. Here are the buy-ins and payouts:

The deep-stack tournament series has been going so well at the Venetian that, due to demand, two more are going to be added this year. There will be a smaller deep-stack event starting in April, a repeat of the larger deep stack event in June, during the World Series of Poker, and another in November. Details will be provided as they become available.

“We think that four deep stack events a year will give players something to look forward to. I thank all the players for showing up. We knew that they would, and we are very glad to have them here,” said Raymond.

Here is a list of the 2008 DSE winners, so far:

• Event No. 1 — Joshua Woosley — $48,000
• Event No. 2 — Paul Lui — $27,000
  
• Event No. 3 — Mike Shannon — $45,000
• Event No. 4 — Michael Vo — $51,000
• Event No. 5 — Gregory Brown — $56,000
• Event No. 6 — John Westra — $59,000
• Event No. 7 — David Lawler — $40,000

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