Bellagio Continues History of Big-Buy-In EventsFive-Star World Poker Classic Is Most Expensive WPT Series |
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Today (April 11) marks the exact center point of the fourth installment of the Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic, a 19-day poker series that climaxes with the $25,000 event that the World Poker Tour uses to determine its champion.
It's the event that the winners of past WPT events get an entry into and where the preliminary events have steep enough buy-ins to make the Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic the most expensive stop on the WPT.
The cheapest events at the Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic are two $1,570 no-limit tourneys. One kicked off the Classic on April 6; the other started Monday. The first one attracted 450 players, and the second one, 493 players. Experienced tournament player Anthony Reategui won $214,275 by outlasting the field. The second one is set to conclude today. Last year, 469 players played in this event.
To compare the Classic with another WPT event, the cheapest event during the Foxwoods Poker Classic that recently concluded was a $300 shootout tourney. The most expensive tourney besides the $10,000 championship event was a $3,000 no-limit event that attracted 204 players.
The $3,100 no-limit tournament that took place at the Bellagio this weekend attracted 228 players, generated a prize pool of $663,480, and was won by Las Vegas pro Erick Lindgren, who took home $261,555 for his efforts.
This event attracted more than 200 players, even though the $5,150 event was scheduled for the next day. That event attracted 203 players, generated a $984,550 prize pool, and was won by Adeeb Harb, who took home $380,350.
The $25,000 main event starts April 18. From now until the finale, a $2,600, $3,100, $5,150, and three $2,600 events (one for seniors, one supersatellite, and one for everyone) will take place.
To play in all the events at the Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic that everyone 21 and older could enter (not including satellites, the main event, and women's and senior's events) would cost $29,000. To do the same thing at the Foxwoods Poker Classic would cost $8,300, and at the Borgata Winter Poker, $8,900.
But the Bellagio has a history of spreading large-buy-in tournaments. Three years ago, it started its $500 buy-in tournaments on Fridays and Saturdays. Late last year, the Bellagio increased the amount of the buy-ins to $1,060. The tournaments consistently attract around 80 players.
Last year's $25,000 buy-in generated a prize pool of $10,961,000 when 452 players registered. Tuan Le won more than half of his lifetime winnings by winning the event, a $2,856,150 bundle of money so big he would need the help of three men to carry it home.
This year's event should be just as intense and entertaining as the 2005 Classic. CardPlayer.com's traveling road show of tournament reporters is filing tournament reports from the preliminary events and will increase coverage as the main event gets closer. Keep a close watch on CardPlayer.com for all the details.
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