Borgata Winter Open Officially Removed From WPT ScheduleOther Season VII Dates Changed |
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The rumors have been circulating for months that the Borgata Winter Open would not be participating in the second half of the World Poker Tour's Season VII schedule. In a recent press update from the WPT, it has been confirmed that the popular $10,000 tournament will indeed not be taking place, at least under the parameters of the tour.
The Borgata typically occupies two stops on the tour, one in September and the other in January. This year's September tournament, the Borgata Poker Open, boasted a $5 million guarantee, but the slumping economy and competion at other venues resulted in a less-than-stellar field of 516, a drop from 2007's field of 560. Because of the smaller turnout, the Borgata was forced to put up a $50,000 overlay to cover its guarantee. While the Borgata still out-performed others on tour in terms of player satisfaction and player attendance, the decision was made to drop it from the tour, for unknown reasons.
Last year's Winter Open drew a field of 507 and was won by Gavin Griffin, who took home more than $1.4 million. Despite the shrinking fields, the Borgata has consistently been one of the highest draws on the WPT, competing with Foxwoods, Bellagio, the Bicycle Casino, and Commerce Casino for top honors.
The hiatus has been confirmed for 2009, but it is still unknown whether either of the tournaments will return to the WPT for Season VIII.
The Borgata Winter Open will still go on as planned, though the buy-ins have been reduced and some date changes have been made. The new series will culminate with a $3,000+$200 buy-in deep-stacked main event. The blind levels will be 75-minutes long, and each player will start with an astounding 50,000 in chips. The event will run from January 25-29. The guarantee for this event is still being worked out, but tournament director Tab Duchateau has thrown around numbers ranging from $1 million-$2 million. Details about the entire series and its preliminary events will be posted on CardPlayer.com shortly.
In addition to pulling the Borgata from its schedule, the WPT has also announced a few date changes to the rest of the Season VII schedule. Those changes are reflected below:
Southern Poker Championship at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi
Jan. 14-17
Los Angeles Poker Classic (LAPC) at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, California
Feb. 21-26
WPT Celebrity Invitational at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, California
Feb. 28-March 2
Bay 101 Shooting Star at Bay 101 Casino in San Jose, California
March 16-20
Foxwoods Poker Classic at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut
April 4-9
WPT World Championship at Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada
April 18-25
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