May is the beginning of the peak season for live tournaments as rooms expand their offerings to warm up for the World Series of Poker. Let’s see what’s on tap. TourneyTracks.com presents the PocketFives Live Tournament Preview for May 2013. Note that this article is geared toward poker players in North America.

East

The Playground Poker Club located just outside of Montreal, Quebec is hosting the PartyPoker World Poker Tour Canadian Spring Championship. The series features 11 events with buy-ins ranging from $150 CAD to $5,300 CAD and runs until May 10. The Championship event starts May 3 and will be live streamed. You can also stop by the Casino de Montreal, which is hosting a one-day $2,500 CAD event.

The World Series of Poker Circuit is continuing at Harrah’s Chester, Pennsylvania until May 6, with the Main Event starting on May 4. In addition to the standard events, there are a few WSOP Main Event step satellites available.

Starting on the heels of the WSOPC, the Parx Casino just outside of Philadelphia is hosting another Big Stax series, which has nine events with buy-ins from $225 to $1,600. Five of the events are multi-day events, so there should be lots of play.

The Delaware Park Casino in Wilmington is hosting the Delaware Park Poker Classic from May 7 to May 29. There will be 28 events with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $2,500 and there will be over $1 million in guaranteed prize money. Five of the events will be multi-day events. There are a variety of poker formats offered, so there should be something for everyone.

Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut is hosting the Mega Stack Challenge from May 11 to May 19. The series features 10 events with buy-ins ranging from $230 to $1,200 and $825,000 guaranteed. Foxwoods always draws large fields, although you may need a compass to find your way around this massive casino.

West

The Commerce Casino near Los Angeles, California (pictured) is hosting the California State Poker Championship from May 1 to May 19. The series features 18 tournaments offered in a variety of formats with buy-ins ranging from $125 to $2,080. The Commerce and Matt Savage always put on great events, and this one should be no exception.

In nearby Bell Gardens, California, the Bicycle Casino is hosting a CardPlayer Poker Tour stop from May 23 to June 3. The series will have nine events with buy-ins ranging from $125 to $1,100. This will give the L.A. area a major tournament series almost the entire month.

The Colorado State Poker Championship is being hosted by the Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk from May 10 to May 27. There will be 28 events with buy-ins from $100 to $1,000.

The Heartland Poker Tour stops at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico from May 17 to May 27. In addition to multiple satellites and qualifiers for the Main Event, there will be two $100 events available. The televised Main Event will have a $1,650 buy-in, as usual.

The Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada is hosting the Spring Pot of Gold Poker Tournament from May 9 to May 19. The series has 28 events with buy-ins ranging from $130 to $1,100. Most events are $230 or less, so it won’t take a huge bankroll to play lots of tournaments.

The rest of the tournament action in the West is happening in Las Vegas starting with Season XI of the World Poker Tour finishing up at the Bellagio from May 18 to May 24. The series consists of 16 tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $1,080 to $100,000. The $25,500 WPT Championship will be televised. Additionally, the final table of the $100,000 Super High Roller event will be televised. So, if you have a big bankroll, there will be plenty of high-stakes action available.

Caesars Palace is holding a WSOP Warm-Up series from April 26 to May 12. This will feature 33 events with buy-ins ranging from $130 to $560. Then, from May 24 to July 14, Caesars Palace hosts its Mega Stack series as an alternative for the WSOP crowd. There will be 103 events with buy-ins ranging from $130 to $1,080.

The Venetian also is bringing back its Deep Stack Extravaganza from May 23 to July 21. With 215 events over 60 days and buy-ins ranging from $200 to $5,000, there should be something for everyone. These events always draw large fields and can be a good alternative to the WSOP.

If you prefer a smaller scale, the Orleans is hosting the Orleans Open from May 18 to May 26. There will be nine events with buy-ins from $225 to $540. Similarly, Binion’s is hosting the Binion’s Poker Classic from May 25 to July 7, which features 47 events with buy-ins ranging from $125 to $1,000. There are events in several poker disciplines, so you can try something new without breaking your budget at the place where it all began.

The 44th annual World Series of Poker returns to the Rio from May 29 through July 15. This series is a spectacle like no other. Thousands of poker players will converge on the Rio to play in the 62 bracelet events offered. There will be a $111,111 One Drop High Roller Event as well as a $1,111 Little One for One Drop. Event #6 will be a $1,500 “Millionaire Maker,” which will make the prize pool top-heavy by guaranteeing $1 million for first place.

The WSOP also has a $5,000 Open Face Chinese Poker non-bracelet event. Don’t forget the daily deep stack tournaments, which draw lots of amateur players who want the WSOP experience without the WSOP price. These feature soft fields and good prize pools for your buy-in.

Central

The Heartland Poker Tour stops at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan from May 1 to May 20. In addition to the usual batch of satellites and qualifiers for the $1,650 Main Event, there will be two events for $220 and $550.

The Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio is hosting its first Hollywood Poker Open Regional event from May 6 to May 19. There will be satellites running until the beginning of the $1,000 Main Event on May 13.

The Mid-States Poker Tour stops at Northern Lights Casino in Walker, Minnesota from May 11 to May 19. The $1,100 event will be live streamed and you can spend the day on the lake afterward.

The Ante Up Poker Tour stops at the beautiful Downstream Casino for the Four States Poker Championship from May 17 to May 26. The series will feature 16 events with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $1,000. As always, the winner of the Main Event will get their picture on the cover of Ante Up Magazine.

South

The beautiful Radisson Aruba will host the PPC South America Poker Classic from May 4 to May 9. The series will consist of six tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $120 to $1,000. There will be satellites for the Main Event and PPC Aruba October running throughout the series.

The Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida is hosting the Seminole Hard Rock Deep Stack Poker Series from May 9 to May 20. The series offers 10 events with buy-ins ranging from $150 to $1,650. The Championship event features a $300,000 guarantee.

For smaller bankrolls, the Seminole Coconut Creek in Coconut Creek, Florida hosts the WPT Regional Summer Slam from May 14 to May 26. The series has 11 events with buy-ins ranging from $65 to $350. The $350 event features a $250,000 guarantee, so there could be some large prizes despite the small buy-ins.

Along the Gulf Coast, the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, Mississippi is hosting the Delta Gold Poker Classic from May 3 to May 13. There will be 16 events with buy-ins ranging from $135 to $810. Three of the events are Omaha 8 or Better.

Harrah’s New Orleans will host a World Series of Poker Circuit Event from May 9 to May 20. There will be six non-ring events in addition to the standard 12 ring events with buy-ins ranging from $250 to $1,675. Harrah’s New Orleans will also host the WSOP National Championship from May 22 to May 24. The event is a freeroll for the top 100 WSOP Circuit qualifiers. The top 100 WSOP points-earners in 2011 and 2012 bracelet events can also buy in for $10,000.

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