By
Dan |
Published
Jul 27 2007, 01:00 PM
Now that the World Series of Poker has wrapped up from the Mecca of gambling, another major poker tournament is just around the corner. Bringing out some of the best online poker players anywhere, the
UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic will kick off September 29 from the Radisson Aruba Resort and Casino. The sixth tournament to be hosted by UltimateBet in the sunny Caribbean, the 2007 Aruba Poker Classic will not only occur a week later than normal, but will feature master tournament director Matt Savage. PocketFivers will be faced with the task of topping last year’s Aruba Poker Classic, which featured Cliff “
johnnybax” Josephy finishing second to young Devon Miller.
The Aruba Poker Classic has historically been dominated by the “young guns” of poker. In 2002, unknown Finnish poker dealer Juha Helppi emerged victorious. In 2003, newcomer Erick Lindgren defeated a final table that included Barry Shulman to take home $500,000. 2004 saw Eric Brenes overcome some of poker’s greatest players including Layne Flack, Mike Matusow, and John Juanda for a million dollars. In 2005, poker pro Freddy Deeb outlasted a final table comprised of two online poker stars: Devin Porter and Josh Schlein. Last year, Josephy walked away with $446,975 when Miller dominated final table play.
According to a press release issued by UltimateBet, the site is expecting around 750 entrants into the $5,500 buy in tournament. The tournament has been pushed back a week and will run from September 29th until October 6th. In addition, the arrival of Savage ups the ante for the live tournament. “We're injecting the hottest poker tourney of the year with even more energy and excitement,” stated UltimateBet spokesperson George MacLean. ”With the top tournament director signed on to help us give away an estimated $2.5 million in prize money, online poker players have an unprecedented number of reasons to drop their jaws.”
If you’re looking for a tournament with a lot at stake, then look no further than the Aruba 50 Seat Guaranteed Tournament on Sunday, August 5th at 5:00pm ET. This $530 buy in event will pay out at least 50 Aruba packages worth $8,500. This includes the $5,000 tournament buy in plus $3,000 for travel and accommodations. Not too shabby. If the $530 is a tad much for you, UB offers a bevy of satellites into the event. Here is a full list of tournament times each day (all times are Eastern):
00:45 $50 buy-in, 2 seats guaranteed
13:40 $10 buy-in Turbo Rebuy, 3 seats guaranteed
15:20 $15 buy-in Turbo Rebuy
20:20 $15 buy-in Turbo Rebuy
21:20 $10 buy-in with Rebuys
22:30 $50 5 seats guaranteed (Friday, Saturday and Sundays only)
23:40 $10 buy-in Turbo Rebuy
Check out UltimateBet for a complete satellite schedule for the $50 Guaranteed tournament as well as other Aruba qualifiers. Don’t miss your chance to qualify for a week on the beach this fall. Make your plans for the 2007 UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic, starting September 29th from the Radisson Aruba Resort and Casino. Visit UltimateBet for more details.