Poker News

Autumn Midwest: A Harvest of Top Tournament Dollars

As wild Canadian geese fly overhead announcing the return of autumn, poker enthusiasts take flight to compete in a cornucopia of action packed fall poker tournaments. Fall is traditionally the most exciting time of year for Midwestern players, and this season will be no exception. New tournament opportunities and the expansion of annual tournament venues abound, giving players more options, as well as the chance to compete for larger prize pools in 2007.

Canterbury Card Club’s annual Fall Classic has been the premier tournament destination in the Midwest since it’s beginning in 2001. Seven years later, the event remains the largest and most popular venue in the area and continues to grow bigger and better with each passing year.

This year’sexcitement builds at the popular series with the addition of two bonus evening events into the 13-day action packed schedule. Last year the event drew a record 4,303 entries from 22 states and three countries, gaining an impressive increase of 16.2 percent from the 3,702 entries in 2005. Each event averaged 331 players, which was up 16 percent from 285 per event in 2005.

All this new blood created the most important number of all as Canterbury Park paid out a record $1,448,736 in total prize money. Vice president of card club operations Jerry Fuller stated, ‘the Fanball. com Fall Poker Classic is our premium event of the year, offering thirteen days of tournament action, including limit hold’em, no-limit hold’em, 7-card stud, and Omaha/8 events.

The competition culminates with the $200,000 guaranteed Championship Event taking center stage. To refresh your memory, the 2006 champion was noted player Brad Berman of Minnetonka, MN, who took home the top prize of $116,977, his share of the total $389,940 prize pool. This year’s line of events begins at noon on Friday, October 12 with daily events taking place, finishing with the Championship Event on Wednesday, October 24.

In addition, a LIPS event is scheduled for Sunday, October 21 at noon,and ladies take note, you will find Mall of America, one of the country’s top shopping destinations, conveniently located just 25 minutes north of Canterbury Card Club.

Please contact the Canterbury Card Club for additional information, lodging, times, dates and buy-ins. Jimmy Sommerfeld and Jan Phillips are tournament co-directors.

Canterbury Card Club: 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, MN 55379, Phone: 1-866-MNPOKER or (952) 445-6870, e-mail: tournaments@canterburypark. com, website: www.canterburypark.com

Following The Fall Classic, set your sights for Keshena, Wisconsin, where the tournament action continues at the new, first annual Wild Rice Classic, offering a potential prize pool of $86K. This event will take place from November 1-4, with satellites currently underway every Thursday evening. Contact The Forest Edge Poker Room for additional details about this exciting new event at 1.800.343.7778 Ext. 5274.

Additional noteworthy events include a WSOP event at Caesars, IN, October 17-November 2, as well as several Heartland Poker Tour Events taking place in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Indiana.

Check for details, updates, and tournament coverage in future issues, as players across the Midwest compete for bountiful cash harvests throughout the colorful fall poker tournament season.

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