They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the poker tournament prize pools.
Take, for example, the upcoming series at Champions Club in Houston — the Fall Poker Open — which features a $1 million guaranteed Main Event, along with 14 other juicy tournaments. Action begins at the Texas poker club Oct. 16, and it concludes Oct. 28.
Fall Poker Open Series Highlights
Champions Club, co-owned by 17-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion and Poker Hall of Famer Phil Hellmuth, is one of the top cardrooms in the Lone Star State. The club has hosted numerous big events the past few years, and the upcoming Fall Poker Open will only add to that resume.
The series begins with a $400 Monster Stack tournament on the 16th, which features a $100,000 guaranteed minimum prize pool. A $450 Mystery Bounty tournament kicks off the following day, and that one promises at least $250,000 in the pot, including bounties.
Pot-Limit Omaha action takes place on Oct. 17 with a $300 turbo tournament. There will be at least $15,000 in the prize pool for the first of two PLO events during the Fall Poker Open. The second one, a $400 non-turbo event on Oct. 24, also has a $15,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Non-hold’em players will also enjoy the $500 H.O.R.S.E. tournament ($15,000 guaranteed) running Oct. 21 and the $250 Triple Draw ($5,000 guaranteed) on Oct. 23. There are also Seniors ($250 buy-in) and Women’s ($140 buy-in) events scheduled for the final two days of the series.
But the biggest highlight of the Fall Poker Open at Champions Club is the $1,500 buy-in Main Event, a $1 million guaranteed tournament. Play begins at noon on Oct. 23 with the first of seven starting flights. The Day 2 restart is scheduled for 3 p.m. on the 27th. There will be multiple turbo Day 1 starting flights, including Day 1g at 8 a.m. on Oct. 27, hours before Day 2 begins.
The entire series will pay out at least $1,485,000 in prize money. But players can expect that figure to only be a starting point as tournament poker in Texas, especially at cardrooms such as Champions Club, tend to smash guarantees regularly.
Players traveling to Houston to compete in the Fall Poker Open can get an exclusive discounted hotel room rate of $99 plus tax by calling 281-688-5756 and using code FP024.
Phil Hellmuth Hosts Champions Club Grand Opening
Full Series Schedule
| EVENT # | DATE | TOURNAMENT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16-Oct | $400 Monster Stack ($100k GTD) |
| 2 | 17-Oct | $450 Mystery Bounty ($250k GTD) |
| 3 | 17-Oct | $300 Turbo PLO ($15k GTD) |
| 4 | 20-Oct | $250 Turbo NLH ($10k GTD) |
| 5 | 21-Oct | $300 Turbo Monster Stack ($20k GTD) |
| 6 | 21-Oct | $500 H.O.R.S.E. ($15k GTD) |
| 7 | 22-Oct | $300 Black Chip PKO Bounty ($15k GTD) |
| 8 | 22-Oct | $250 Double Board Bomb Pot PLO ($5k GTD) |
| 9 | 23-Oct | $1,500 Main Event ($1m GTD) |
| 10 | 23-Oct | $250 Triple Draw ($5k GTD) |
| 11 | 24-Oct | $400 PLO ($15k GTD) |
| 12 | 27-Oct | $250 Turbo NLH ($10k GTD) |
| 13 | 27-Oct | $140 Women’s NLH ($5k GTD) |
| 14 | 28-Oct | $250 Seniors NLH ($15k GTD) |
| 15 | 28-Oct | $250 Big Bet Mix ($5k GTD) |