One of the premier poker tournaments in the Caribbean kicks off in about a month. The Punta Cana Poker Classic gets underway on October 25 at the Melia Caribe in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

There is plenty of poker action for those in attendance. The series features 15 events over the six-day series, highlighted by the $1,650 No Limit Hold’em Main Event. The four-day Main Event carries a $500,000 guaranteed prizepool and kicks off on Wednesday, October 26 with the first of two starting days.

Since its inception in 2010, the event has only grown and this year is expected to be the biggest yet.

“Back in 2010, the guaranteed prizepool was only $100,000 for the Main Event we barely had enough players to cover,” said Phil Nagy, Punta Cana Poker Classic President. “Last year, our prizepool exceeded $860,000 and we expect it to be even bigger this year.”

Last year, Luis Yepez bested a field of 567 in the Main Event to take home $185,615.

For players who are unfortunate enough to bust out early from their tournaments and want to take a break from the table, Punta Cana is the perfect place to relax and enjoy some fun in the sun. The Melia Caribe is an all-inclusive resort with private beaches, a golf course, and nightclubs that players will be able to take advantage of for no extra charge.

“We’ve reserved an entire private win of the Melia Caribe Tropical just for our players where they can enjoy private beaches, restaurants, and nightclubs,” said Nagy. “Our players literally can leave their wallet at home after check-in and enjoy around-the-clock top-notch food and beverages.”

Outside of the Main Event, and the fun atmosphere in the Dominican Republic, there are plenty of side events and satellites running. There is a Caribbean Poker Tour $900 No Limit Hold’em Main Event and a $3,200 No Limit Hold’em High Roller event that are two of the bigger attractions outside of the PCPC Main Event.

Players can satellite into the High Roller for as little as $350 and the CPT Main Event for as little as $110. There are also plenty of satellites for the PCPC Main Event for $220. There is a $220 No Limit Hold’em Hyper Turbo satellite to the Main Event after the welcome party for players on Tuesday, October 25 to kick off the series.

Players have been satelliting into this Main Event for several months online on the Winning Poker Network and with plenty of live satellites on-site, it’s only going to make the prizepool bigger than it ever has.

“We’ve qualified a minimum of seven players with a $4,900 package ever week for months now through our $55 buy-in Beast and Sit & Crush satellites,” said Nagy. “We’ll continue to run these up until the week before the Main Event. So far, we’ve got 80 players qualified and we are expecting to hit over 120 in packages alone. With the bigger Main Event field, our side events should grow as well.”

This is the first year that the PCPC will be held at the Melia Caribe. For the first several years, the event was held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, but management decided that this venue would be an improvement.

Along with the new venue, the PCPC is also offering a new way for players to blow off some steam after a bustout. It’s variation on everybody’s favorite carnival game, the dunk tank.

“Our dealers are world class and flown in from around the world,” said Nagy. “But if things don’t go your way at the tables, we’re going to set up a dunk tank where you can dunk the dealer who dealt you a bad beat. This event is packed full of extras and fun additions.”

With increasing popularity and growth in all field sizes, Nagy believes that this is going to be one of the more prominent tournaments series around.

“PCPC players are guaranteed to have a good time no matter what. The vibe is just different,” said Nagy. “Our growth in regards to attendance speaks for itself. We draw new players from around the world each year, and the ones who’ve come back before make it a point to come back year after year. It’s that good.”

For more information visit PuntaCanaPokerClassic.com.