World Poker Tour

Ever dreamed of playing in the World Poker Tour (WPT)? As a poker player of any skill level, who hasn't?

The World Poker Tour was started in 2002, with the total prize pool at $1,416,200.00. The 2013 WPT has a prize pool of $3,660,500.00

Each season, a Player of The Year (POY) is established, awarding the WPT Player of The Year, based on a points system. WPT Player of the Year points are awarded based on the total prizepool of the tournament. In the event of a tie in a given Season, the player who earns the most money in such Season will win WPT Player of the Year for such Season.

In many ways, the World Poker Tour is the Superbowl of the poker community.

So - what if you did want to enter the WPT? Here's what you need to know:

It is not necessary to be a poker professional, but candidates do need to be at least 21 years of ages in some of the locales. Players must also pay an entrance fee, which may vary by location. Because some of these fees coupled with the buy-in can be substantial, only serious players typically play at these events. Finally, players must first win a series of satellite tournaments in order to qualify for the main events. The entrance fee and buy-in for the satellite events are much less than the official tour games. Once at the table, the standard poker rules apply and players may be disqualified for infractions such as profanity, cheating and other inappropriate behaviors.

Let's talk winnings...

First, the winner will have their tournament entrance fee refunded. These fees are often in the hundreds of dollars, which does not include the buy-in for the tournament. They also typically have their hotel stay and related charges such as dining and airfare reimbursed as well. This applies to the main events and not the satellite tournaments. The prizes for the tournaments range from $100,000 to well over $4 million. Many of the individuals that play at this level are pros at the game and this is their singular source of income. Some of the higher level players also become sought after guest speakers and commentators at poker events around the world.



2013 World Poker Tour at the Bellagio in Las Vegas

Dates	May 19 - 26, 2012
Final Table Date	May 26, 2012
Buy-In	$25,000 + $500
Number of Entrants	152
Prize Pool	$3,660,500

 

Do you follow the World Poker Tour? If so, how long have you been following it for?

Online Poker or Regular Poker?

Did you know that poker was one of the first games that was widely available online? About 10 million Americans play poker online each year via about 550 gaming sites. The top sites as of 2012 were: PokerStars, PartyPoker and iPoker

What's more difficult: online poker or regular poker? Many people find that online poker is much more difficult than the face-to-face game because players are not given the opportunity to read the body language of their competitors. Gathering these subtle cues are important to the game of poker and those that sit behind a computer as they play the game are at a clear disadvantage.

Can you make money playing online poker?
Like any other casino game, it is actually possible to make money via playing poker online. The secret is to be cautious about providing your financial information online while also know when to walk away from gaming prior to it being an addictive activity.
First, make sure that the casino site that you are using is reputable. One of the things that you can look for is overall popularity of the site. The ones that have a lot of continual traffic tend to be well-respected and legitimate. Also, make sure that you can start your gaming with only a small initial investment. You should check to see that the site is recognized by the Poker Players Alliance, which maintains a listing of trustworthy sites.
It is important to investigate whether online poker is legal in the area in which you live. Some jurisdictions have laws that forbid online poker and you may face stiff fines for participating in this activity.

The largest online poker prize of all time was just over $2 million. More typical prizes are in the range of a few hundred dollars.

Looking for an alternative to online and regular poker? Check out our electronic poker games on our website - perfect for the car, on the train, or anywhere else you can't get a poker game going or don't have an internet connection!


Have you ever played online poker? Do you like online or regular poker better?

Top Winners in WPT

Have you ever wondered who is the top winner in the World Poker Tour?
We have your answer here! But before we give you the answer... take a guess at the amount he has won over his WPT career.




The top earner is Carlos Mortensen, from Henderson, Nevada.
He has earned over $10,000,000 (yes, 10 million dollars!) over the course of his professional poker playing career, $5,766,252 of which has been earned in WPT games.
Carlos Mortensen first started playing poker in 1997, and entered the WPT scene in 2001. He has 16 first place finishes.

Other top 5 earners in the WPT series:
2- Daniel Negreanu
3- Michael Mizrachi
4- Tuan Le
5- Gus Hansen
view the full list of top 100 WPT winners here.

What's the largest pot you've ever won at a poker game?

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