Poker News

Heavyweight Championship of Poker

As we go to press the ink is drying on the written agreement for Sam’s Town, Las Vegas to host the Heavyweight Championship of Poker. This $100,000 buyin event, the largest entry, scheduled open tournament event in Poker History, is scheduledto be held the first week in April of 2006. Super satellites will be held on April 3 and 4, while the main event will run from April 5th to the 8th, at the Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Tournament Director will be Dick Gatewood, Card Room Manager at Sam’s Town.

This first event, which is planned to be held annually, will be limited to 100 players. The estimated prize pool will be $10 million, with $5,000,000 going to the winner. Approximately 40 players will buy-in directly, while 60 will win their way in through scheduled satellite events. In prior discussions with many of the major players, most of the 40 open slots were already spoken for; however, there are still a few openings, so interested parties should contact HCP officers, Stan Sludikoff, 310-674-3365 or Jerry Reed, 650-327-4810 if they want to play in this inaugural event. Email is recommended as it will time/date your request, since all seats are first come, first served.

Casinos interested in scheduling satellite events may also contact the above parties as there are only 60 seats available to be won at this first event of its kind. All active satellites will be announced in the upcoming issues of Poker Player.

Players who win their way into the main event through satellites will be sharing 32 percent of their winnings if they make it to the final table. Five percent will go to the casino from whence they originally played their satellites, and they will, in effect, be representing that casino and must wear the casino’s logo during the event. The nine players at their final table, where they won the entry to the HCP, will each own 3% of any final table winnings. Smaller casinos can produce winners at the $10,000 level who will play in super satellite events for a seat in the tournament during the first two days preceding the main event. Players who buy-in directly may wear a logo of their choice during this event; however, only one logo will be permitted for each player during the entire event. Televising of the event is currently in negotiation. More on this later.

One exciting feature of this contest is, as it is in the boxing field, that after holding the Heavyweight Championship for three months, the champion MUST take on all challengers, heads up, for $1,000,000, which will be withheld from his prize, not less than once every 30 days, until one month before the next scheduled Heavyweight Championship of Poker tournament. The challenger must put up $1,120,000, with the loser getting a free entry into next year’s event.

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