More sleaze? Yes please
Last month, the ClubWPT Gold ‘Gold Rush’ promotion created one of the biggest stories of the year as controversy surrounded the comeback of Jesse Yaginuma against James Carroll in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Milllionaire Maker. Daniel Negreanu hypocritically lambasted World Poker Tour (WPT) as having conjured the ‘sleaziest’ promotion in his 30+ year poker career.
The majority of players strongly disagreed, believing it to be a good thing when an operator adds value to poker tournaments. Undeterred, ClubWPT Gold launched their Event #81 last longer promotion, adding a $50,000 prize to the ClubWPT Gold player who goes the farthest in the WSOP Main Event whilst wearing a gold patch.
a €100,000 ($116,984) carrot to the 30 players who qualify
Well, at the end of the month, it is WPT Global’s turn to bring the sleaze as they dangle a €100,000 ($116,984) carrot to the 30 players who qualify for the Summer In Dublin Main Event via a €720 ($842) package freeroll on its site. Will the event, which is part of the Irish Poker Tour (IPT), generate controversy? If one of those lucky 30 players makes the final table, it is certainly a possibility.
Masters predict massive turnout
Irish Poker Tour (IPT) CEO Fintan Gavin has slapped a guarantee of €250,000 ($292,464) on the festival, the bulk of which will be the Main Event but I actually expect this one to defy expectations and exceed the quarter of a million mark on its own by the end of late registration. Two weeks ago, IPT ambassador Tanya Masters stopped by ‘The Chip Race’ podcast to big-up the poker extravaganza that will be taking place in Dublin’s Green Isle Hotel from July 23rd to 27th.
Masters touted the festival as a “cannot-miss” stop on the IPT with its recreational-friendly price-point of €300 ($351) for the Main Event with side event buy-ins ranging from €150 ($176) to €400 ($468). She emphasised how the IPT also prides itself on its friendly atmosphere:
“The buzz is always amazing at IPT events and I know everyone can’t wait for ‘Summer In Dublin,’ especially since IPT announced the guaranteed first prize of €50,000 ($58,519) and WPT Global announced the freerolls and the €100,000 promotion. I predict a massive turnout.”
IPT Tour Tournament Director Donald MacAonghusa also believes that they will attract a big field and he underscored the grassroots nature of the operation which pulls players from all corners of the country. Speaking to VSO News, he said: “Bringing poker to the people has long been the watchword of the Irish Poker Tour; WPT Global have adopted this attitude and taken it to a new level”. The money added promotion has certainly captured the imaginations of the Irish poker community who have been shoring up in droves for the nightly freerolls on WPT Global.
Only the beginning
The price of live poker has gone up year on year for a long time. Operator costs have skyrocketed post-pandemic so it is understandable that a certain amount of that has to be passed on to the customer. The problem, however, is that rising rake and registration fees are a deterrent for players, particularly sharper ones who read the fine print.
Gavin was blown away when he first heard
The only way to square that circle is for online operators to inject value back into the live experience and by adding 30 packages and a potential €100,000 bonus, WPT Global have done just that. Gavin was blown away when he first heard what the site wanted to do:
“I thought it was mad but I loved it. It’s an outlandish promotion. These WPT Global guys just want to give money away.”
WPT Global Marketing Manager for Ireland Cameron Soane insisted that there is method behind the madness:
“WPT Global are only too happy to inject some extra incentive into this Irish Poker Tour event. Poker in Ireland is a very special thing, steeped in history, and so the Irish market is very important to us.”
Soane also teased some follow up promotions:
“This is only the beginning – the first of many promotions we have lined up for Ireland, and I want nothing more than us having to sweat that final table in Dublin. €100k is truly life-changing money, and we wish our qualifiers the best of luck in their hunt for it.”
‘Summer In Dublin’ will be the thirteenth stop on the IPT in 2025, unlucky for some but very, very lucky indeed for the eventual winner, when you consider the turbo-charged first prize and the possible €100,000 WPT Global bonus if the champion is a freeroll qualifier.
This post’s author David Lappin is a WPT Global ambassador.
