Bay 101 is a casino unlike every other casino on the tour. With no slot machines the poker cash games and other games (California BJ, Baccarat, and Pai Gow Poker) are the only way they make income and having a tournament unfortunately is just not feasible on the weekend. I have tried to convince them for years the marketing alone is worth the loss but seeing the bottom line costs it is tough to justify not to mention sending a bunch players over to the neighboring casino and running the risk of losing them for a while.

Also, as anyone who's been there knows, is being on weekdays certainly does not keep any of the locals from coming out to watch. I usually burn 3 or 4 vacation days from work.

It seems like virtually every European WPT event conflicts with a major event in the US. And they even overlap with WPTs in the US. The last two European WPTs, Malta and Amneville, overlapped with Borgata and Foxwoods respectively. Obviously Americans aren't a big part of the market for European WPTs but I and I'm sure quite a few others would fly over for some of them if not for the conflicts. And since it is in theory one big WPT at the very least they shouldn't have two events going on at the same time in different places.

Boo! Guess my saved vacation days can be re-allocated now!

Looking forward to the event in season XI.

Any update on what Hollywood Lawrenceburg will do without a WPT event? Will they make the Hollywood Poker Open like their other regional series with a 1600 ME?

I do think Hollywood would of done better with a 3500 - 5k event. With a 10k event they just priced out most of the local players and they put it in competition with another big national event. I'd say they triple the field w a 5k easily.

Really doubt it. A other WPT events where they lowered the buy-in, the overall prize pool has gone down.

Agreed. Some venues that don't have the benefit of 20 million people within 4 hours driving distance don't see a large benefit in dropping the buy-in. While you may get 15-20% more players, the prize pool goes down and you become less attratcive to players that are traveling long distances.
Also, for players traveling for the main event only, the percentage of travel costs relative to the buy-in increases, which is a mild deterrent....

Is it written anywhere which, if any of these events are re-entry. I'm interested in the euro ones primarily.

Yes, it is on the website WPT.com

I'm not sure where on the site it specifically says that Matt, perhaps I missed it?

Because I believe Prague is re-entry and I didn't see this written on the Prague page.

You are correct. It is a re-entry but it doesn't say that on the tournament page on the WPT website. Only if you click the "BUY IN NOW" button does it say it's a re-entry. It really needs to be displayed (prominently) on the main page.

Thanks guys, sending it in now

Huge difference between Vegas/California and the midwest though. They used to have a 3k ME for their regional events here and when they dropped it to 1600 it increased by more than TEN times. It would be a lot easier to run reasonable satellites to a 5k than a 10k and it would be one of the softest 5ks around.

There's plenty of poker players in the midwest and plenty of good size cities within a reasonable drive. 10k was just too steep. I played the 10k event last year (probably only wpt event I'll ever play) and I do believe most players were from the midwest, although many pros flew in as well.

Call it 5 hours and include Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit along with the obvious Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Louisville, Columbus and you break 20m. Go out a little further you got St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Nashville etc.

The difference in 4 hours and five is pretty big. There's reason that many casino stage their marketing on a 250-300 mile radius for drive-in business, I have no idea about the science behind it, but I am sure that there is data to support it. my point was the 3 hour driving distance from Borgata. Whats the number there? Call it four or five hours from Borgata, and whats the number?

Lets compare apples to apples, and oranges to oranges....

You make some great points Boiler. However, I think the fact that they had trouble drawing for a 3k and had to lower the buy in is pretty telling that a WPT event will struggle.

WPT needs to come back to aruba, imho

$1.3 million is a pretty weak prize pool for an allegedly official WPT event. As highlandfox said, have two a year at Hard Rock Hollywood which is a great poker market instead of Jacksonville.

+1

+1

I agree, I miss Aruba!

Why do yo say that, according to the people I have talked to it has been a great event despite heavy competition?

The prize pool is the second smallest that I can remember for a WPT in the US (the smallest being the WPT Indiana debacle this year at the same time as NAPT Mohegan). Hard Rock Hollywood in its first WPT event drew more players as a $10K non re-entry than Jacksonville did as a $3500 re-entry. HR Hollywood has a fantastic on site hotel, Jacksonville does not. HR Hollywood has a bunch of good on location restaurants, Jacksonville has no nearby good restaurants as far as I can tell. Hollywood is within driving distance of an enormous metropolitan area, Jacksonville is not.

Most of the venue decisions made by the WPT in the last few years, with the one exception of adding HR Hollywood, have been bad from a player's perspective. I know why they're being made, but I think the brand is being significantly diminished.

Interesting points Todd, everything I have heard/read has been positive from the JaxWPT event this past week.

Honestly I couldn't care less about having to book an offsite hotel, eat at average restaurants or have a smaller player pool as long as the event is well managed and has great structures which is what appears to be the case in Jax from what I've read from numerous other players.

2 per year at hard rock seminole a way better choice than coming back to jville .