After two successful series in New Jersey, the World Poker Tour and partypoker US Network are raising the stakes. On Wednesday, the companies announced the first-ever WPT Main Tour online event to be played in the Garden State.
The $3,500 buy-in WPT Online Poker Open Main Event runs Dec. 27–29 and comes with a $1 million guarantee. Partypoker players will now have an opportunity to join the WPT Champions Club and take home a huge payout.
“WPT and partypoker US Network continue to expand our relationship,” partypoker US Network director of poker Ray Stefanelli told USPoker. “The opportunity to conduct the first-ever WPT Main Tour online event in the US reinforces our partnership.”
WPT puts New Jersey in online poker spotlight with even bigger event
At a time when online poker is surging around the world, the US market is also seeing considerable growth. The new WPT/partypoker event only adds to that and should be a popular event in the Garden State.
The tour ran its first New Jersey event in June. The first Online Poker Open featured a $400 buy-in with NJ grinder David Coleman taking the title for $56,586. The event attracted 868 entries for a $317,540 prize pool.
WPT and partypoker followed that up with the Online Borgata in September. The series featured a $1,060 Main Event, which brought 440 entries and a $432,700 prize pool.
Champions Club member Tony Sinishtaj took down the event, scoring $77,350. The win came after his mother dreamed he’d have a big score at the tables.
The tour is now upping the ante with a full-scale WPT Main Tour event. Stefanelli is excited to see a Main Tour event heading to the NJ platform and the prestige that goes with it. Along with joining the Champions Club, that includes:
- a $15,000 seat into the WPT Tournament of Champions (presented by Baccarat Crystal)
- his or her name added to the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup
- points toward the Hublot Player of the Year race
- a Hublot Big Bang E Titanium watch
“WPT Online and the partypoker US Network are pushing online poker in New Jersey and the United States to another peak with the WPT Online Poker Open Main Tour event,” WPT Vice President of Global Tour Management Angelica Hael said in a news release. “Following back-to-back record-setting events, this $1 million guarantee will push our partnership to new heights.”
New Jersey adds to the expanding WPT/partypoker partnership
The WPT and partypoker are no strangers to co-hosting major events. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the companies partnered on several live tournament series around the world.
Those efforts shifted online during the pandemic and they also recently announced even more partypoker events in 2021. The New Jersey Main Tour event now adds another interesting move online.
Numerous satellites are planned for the Online Poker Open. Those qualifiers start at just $5 and players can expect plenty of promotion as in a live WPT event.
The final table will be live-streamed on Dec. 29. Players can expect more side events in the series, but a full schedule hasn’t been released yet.
The new event comes as New Jersey has placed new restrictions on residents because of COVID-19. After the state’s online poker revenue flatlined a bit in October, this tournament should help December revenue numbers. The online poker market still remains at huge highs compared to 2019.
“partypoker US Network welcomes the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup back to New Jersey for the WPT Online Poker Open,” Stefanelli said.
“This event promises the opportunity for players of all bankrolls to compete for the most coveted prize in poker. Come December, we look forward to welcoming players from across the US to New Jersey for a chance to compete for their share of the $1 million guarantee.”
Playing on partypoker US Network in NJ
Those looking to take a shot at a WPT online title will have to be located within NJ. The state remains one of only a few legalized online poker states, along with Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Delaware.
With so much on the line, many players may be looking to head to the Garden State. Those traveling for the Online Poker Open can create an account and deposit from anywhere in the US.
Along with partypoker NJ, the network also includes the BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM skins. Players can compete on any of these. The latest WPT event should make for a nice way to close out the year for Garden State grinders.
“The WPT Online Poker Open brings the most prestigious prize in poker to New Jersey and the partypoker US Network,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said. “WPT’s continued pivot toward online will continue with another landmark for regulated online poker in the United States.”
★★★ Those looking to play the WPT Online Poker Open should check out the USPoker reviews of partypoker US Network, BorgataPoker.com, and BetMGM. You’ll find plenty of information and exclusive bonus offers. ★★★
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