The 3rd annual Cards for the Cure Kansas Poker Championship, benefiting Mid-Kansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, is set for Saturday morning, January 26. The Hyatt Regency Wichita is hosting the event. GEM (Gaming Entertainment Management) will be running it. Walk-up registration opens at 8 am with the tournament set to begin at 10 am. Online pre-registration concluded Thursday, January 24.
According to event organizer Spike Anderson, interested competitors can register as part of a team or as an individual. Registering as part of a team enables qualification for team and individual prizes. Suggested donation per individual is $100. $43,000 in cash and prizes are at stake. The top 2 teams and top 50 players will earn prizes.
For team prizes the top 100 players will earn points, one point per spot. The tournament winner can earn their team 100 points. Anderson stated the point tracking structure is a change from that announced on the tournament website, it was made to facilitate easier tracking. Individuals who finish in the top 100 are not subtracted from the point calculation, making each point earned that much more important to teams that are registered. The winning team will win up to $2,000 in gift cards with the runner-up team winning up to $1,000 in gift cards.
The individual top prize is $10,000. 50th place will pay $200, each additional spot will earn an additional $5 until the top 10 are reached. The top 10 payouts will be as follows:
1st = $10,000................2nd = $5,000
3rd = $3,000..................4th = $2,000
5th = $1,500...................6th = $1,400
7th = $1,300...................8th = $1,200
9th = $1,100...................10th = $1,000
The tournament, a freeze-out style event, will see players start with 10,000 in chips and play 30 minute rounds.. According to GEM's Nevada Raitt, blinds will begin at 50/100 and increase to 100/200, 200/400, and 300/600 when the 12 pm lunch break arrives. The 5th level will see action begin at 500/1,000. Raitt stated that the blind structure is designed to offer a good balance between driving action and offering a substantial amount of play. The design is for the small blind to increase at an approximate 50% rate with the big blind at a 60% rate. The dinner break is scheduled for 6 pm.
Turn-out for the event could challenge that of the 1st event in 2011. That year 890 players competed for the top prize, a seat into a poker tournament of the player's choice valued at up to $10,000. 2012 saw 450 players turn out for a similar top prize. In 2011 the winner chose entry into the World Series of Poker's $10,000 buy-in Main Event. In 2012 the winner chose an entry into a $10,000 buy-in World Poker Tour event. 2013 will be the first year that the top prize will be in cash form. According to Anderson, 595 players have already pre-registered. Walk-up registration is expected to net an additional 300 players. Total capacity is 1,300 competitors. Among those expected to compete is 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event 10th place finisher Brandon Steven, fresh off a 21st place finish at the $25,000 buy-in high roller event at PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, earning him $54,980.
The event will be a player-dealt event with the exception of 4 tables. There will be 4 dealer dealt tables. Seats at those tables are available for an additional donation, anticipated to be $100.
The event will be kicked off by a VIP Party this evening at the Hampton Inn & Suites at the Kansas Star Casino, Mulvane, Kansas. Running 7 - 9 pm this evening, the $20 event will provide opportunity to take pictures with and get autographs from celebrities as well as enjoy complementary food and drinks. Native Lights Casino, Newkirk, Oklahoma, is also supplying $25 match-play coupons
Comments