Low stakes tournament players waited patiently for FTOPS XIX to finish and now their time to shine has come. MiniFTOPS commences in a matter of days, offering tournaments identical to those in FTOPS XIX but with buy-ins a fraction of the size.
This version of MiniFTOPS differs a lot from previous MiniFTOPS series. Full Tilt’s exclusive multi-entry events make it possible to offer larger prize pools in a number of events. The Main Event is a prime example of this as it features a $75 buy-in and a whopping $1.25 million guaranteed! If you have a habit of busting stacks early, you will be pleased to know that you can register for this event up to 6 times. Due to multi-entries, this tourney is very likely to beat its guarantee by a wide margin.
A brand new event to look forward to is the 2-day NLHE Heads Up tournament on March 12th. Featuring a $100k prize pool, the buy-in of $1,060 is by far the highest of the series and will very well be out of reach to most of the target audience for MiniFTOPS. If you have always dreamed of playing in a high stakes heads-up event, however, Full Tilt should provide qualifiers sometime in March.
If you are one of many that love multi-entries, there are a total of nine MET tournaments in this series to fuel your addiction. First up is a $33 Rush event with a minimum prize pool of $100,000. Rebuy fans will be happy to know that there is $250k guaranteed in the 6 max event on March 9th. Aside from the Main Event, the multi-entry tourney with the most guaranteed is Event 24, a $33 freeze-out with at least $500,000 to play for.
We also cannot forget about the generous bonus prizes. Making a final table guarantees you an exclusive MiniFTOPS jacket, while being lucky enough to win an event earns you the coveted silver jersey. If you run good at the perfect time and top the MiniFTOPS leaderboard, you will receive a prize package featuring buy-ins to FTOPS XX worth $14,000!
Jeffrey Pollack and CBS Uniting for Poker TV?
Former World Series of Poker Commissioner, Jeffrey Pollack was one of the most popular and respected men in the industry. Although he came from a sports management background, rather than years spent on the casino floor, under his stewardship the WSOP went from strength to strength. When he left the poker business in 2009, many felt he would be irreplaceable. And so it has proved, with Harrah’s choosing not to appoint a new commissioner since his departure.
Now it appears that he may be re-entering the poker fray, joining forces with CBS and the newly minted International League of Poker. The tournament series, which boasts NBC Heads-Up Champion Annie Duke as its commissioner, is scheduled to begin in August and run until January. Rumors reported by Variety indicate that Pollock and CBS may be combining to broadcast the tour, but both sides declined to comment.
The International League of Poker promises series of $20k buy in tournaments, designed to appeal to the very best players in the game. In order to be invited to participate, you must be within the top 200 live and online players in the world as determined by the ranking system of their parent company, Federated Sports and Gaming.
The tournament formats will shift throughout the season, offering a selection of different challenges. “We decided to vary the format of our events to showcase and challenge the skill of the best live tournament players in the world,” said veteran Duke. Among the planned variations are a 6-handed and heads-up contests. The Championship event that concludes the series will be a rare multi-format tournament.
Grinders who fancy their chance on the big stage can qualify for the tour by competing in a $1500 Pro-Am event. As an added incentive, the top 27 players at the end of the series will gain entry in a live $1 million freeroll.
All events are to be held at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.
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