By
P5s Staff |
Published
Jan 07 2009, 08:18 PM
|
UltimateBet recently announced the launch of UB Poker Leagues. Teams of two will compete in tournaments that run from Saturday to Wednesday of each week. Recognizing that each team will be of a vastly different skill level, Ultimate Bet has divided the field into Low Stakes Leagues, Medium Stakes Leagues, High Stakes Leagues, and leagues that will battle it out during the upcoming Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) tournament series. You think you have what it takes to duke it out against the best that Ultimate Bet has to offer? Looking for a diversion from your regular tournament schedule? Check out UB’s Poker Leagues.
So how much does it cost to enter a team of two? Here’s a look at the breakdown:
Low Stakes League - $20 per team ($10 per player)
Medium Stakes League - $80 per team ($40 per player)
High Stakes League - $400 per team ($200 per player)
UBOC League - $1,000 per team ($500 per player)
UBOC Mini League - $100 per team ($50 per player)
The first place team at the end of the league takes home 50%. The second place team pockets 30%. The third place team will win 20% of the prize pool. If there are fewer than ten teams in the league, then the first place team will take home 75% and the second place team will score 25%. At the time of writing, the Low Stakes League has seven teams entered for a total prize pool of $140. At the end of it, for example, the first place team would win $105 and the second place team would earn $35. Ultimate Bet Poker Leagues do not charge any rake and are considered to be a “free service.” The tournaments as part of the weekly schedule, however, do charge rake.
Scoring is based on the standard TLB formula on Ultimate Bet. Scores for both members of the team will be added together to determine the total score. The number of points given to each person is equal the square root of the prize pool divided by the person’s finish to the two-fifths power. If that sounds like a complicated algebra problem that you haven’t seen since ninth grade, it’s not. Let’s say a player finished third in a $5,000 prize pool tournament. They would receive a little more than 45 points, which is equal to the square root of 5,000 (70.17) divided by three to the two-fifths power (1.55). See, that wasn’t so bad.
The winners of the UBOC League will be treated to a week-long stay in a 6,500 square foot castle next to Schweitzer Mountain in northern Idaho. It juts up against one of the largest freshwater lakes in the United States. In addition, the team will receive a half-hour phone lesson with 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet holder and Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth. The winners of the UBOC Mini League will receive a 30 minute poker lesson over the phone with PocketFiver Annie Duke, one of the most accomplished female poker pros in the world. Those two prizes are in addition to the money won.
Currently, the site boasts eight UBOC League teams registered, creating a total prize pool of $8,000. There are 10 UBOC Mini League teams signed up as well for a pot of $1,000. Registration for leagues is open until 1:00pm ET every Saturday. In addition, players can sign up for future installments of any league at any time. Future expansion planned by Ultimate Bet includes nightly leagues for those who can’t commit to playing five days in a row, sit and go leagues, and the ability of players to find a partner if they can’t locate one on their own.
Here is a look at a sample tournament schedule for a Medium Stakes League:
Evening Tournaments
$15r, $4,000 Guaranteed: 17:00
$44, $5,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack: 18:00
$27.50, $8,000 Guaranteed: 21:20
Wednesday Only
$22, $15,000 Sniper: 20:00
The High Stakes League schedule varies by day, but includes Ultimate Bet’s marquee tournament, the $215 buy-in $200,000 Guaranteed as well as the $530 buy-in $100,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack, also held on Sunday. There are 12 UBOC events in total. The finale, which takes place on Sunday, January 18th, is a $1,050 buy-in tournament with a $1 million guaranteed prize pool. Starting on Friday, January 9th, one UBOC and one UBOC Mini tournament take place daily.
To sign up, grab a partner and head to the UB Leagues section of UltimateBet, click “League Registration,” and select the league you want to play. Sign you and your partner up and start competing against other teams. You’ll also need an UltimateBet account to play, so sign up today.