World Poker Tour released an announcement revealing the first ever WPT500 tournament on the territory of California is to be held in Los Angeles between May 21 and May 31, 2017. The event, which boasts a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million, is to take place at the premier card-room at The Gardens Casino in the City of Angels and will feature a total of 14 starting flights, with a $565 buy-in.
The tournament is scheduled as part of the Gardens Poker Festival that will take place between May 15 and May 31, 2017. The Gardens Casino will be home to several WPT500 Los Angeles satellites, with players competing for 40 seats up for grabs. Participants in the festival will be allowed to join in for as little as $65.
It was announced that the first four starting flights will run May 21 through May 24, with each flight kicking off at 11 a.m. local time. The remaining ten starting flights are to have a more dynamic structure and will take place, two per day, from May 25 to May 29, with the first one starting at 11 a.m. and the second kicking off at 5 p.m. local time. Each flight will play down to 8% of its player field, with survivors qualifying for the final table action on Day 2 of the tournament. The final table action will start May 31 and will be streamed globally in real time.
The Action Clock, courtesy of Protection Poker, is to be implemented once the field drops to 54 players on the second day of the tournament. World Poker Tour also revealed participants will be allowed re-entries through the first eight levels of the tournament. The World Poker Tour has decided on utilizing the “best stack forward” format for the event. Participants will be able to play multiple Day 1s to try and accumulate bigger chip stacks for the second day of play. Those, who succeed in qualifying with several chip stacks for Day 2, will be required to join in with their largest stack, forfeiting remaining chip stacks.
Ron Sarabi, General Manager of The Gardens Casino, expressed his excitement about welcoming the WPT500 Los Angeles to The Gardens Casino for the first time. Sarabi referred to the forthcoming tournament as a “must-attend” for all poker players.
Angeli Hael, Vice President of the Global Tour Management of the World Poker Tour returned Sarabi’s compliment, stating that The Gardens Casino is a suitable host for the event thanks to its world-class card room and luxury onsite amenities.
The World Poker Tour is among the premier names in the world of professional tournament poker, which runs since 2002 and is broadcast in over 150 countries on the global scale. Its 15th season is to air in the United States on FOX Sports Regional Networks.
