Planet Poker Tour Returns To Bellagio For Five Diamond Globe Poker Classic Main Occasion
Planet Poker Tour Returns To Bellagio For Five Diamond Globe Poker Classic Major Occasion
The Globe Poker Tour returns to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this month to bring Season XIX to a close with the $10,400 get-in WPT 5 Diamond World Poker Classic Principal Event.
The WPT mainstay tournament will run from December 15-19 with the final table taking spot at the HyperX Esports Arena situated inside the Luxor Hotel & Casino. The final table will be recorded for future WPT programming to be aired on Bally Sports network.
“The Bellagio holds a particular significance for the Globe Poker Tour,” stated Adam Pliska, WPT President and CEO. “The Five Diamond Planet Poker Classic was the 1st World Poker Tour occasion, and it seems fitting to finish our existing season there prior to launching our historic 20th season in January.”
The WPT Five Diamond has been the most consistent tour place in WPT history with the event getting run every season dating back to Season I in 2002 when Gus Hansen defeated John Juanda heads-up to take residence the $556,460 very first-spot prize and his initial of three WPT titles.
Because that time, the tournament has emerged as 1 of the most well-liked poker events of the calendar year. Notable players like Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Chino Rheem, Dan Smith, and Antonio Esfandiari are among these who have walked away with a 5 Diamond Principal Event victory. It is also been one particular of the WPT’s much more lucrative tournaments with 15 of the 18 5 Diamond Principal Events awarding a seven-figure score.
The last time the WPT was at the Bellagio for the occasion was at the end of 2019 when Alex Foxen outlasted the event’s record-higher field of 1,035 runners to win his way into the Champions Club and take residence a $1.69 million very first-location prize. The event didn’t run in 2020 due to postponements brought about by COVID-19.
This also marks an finish of an era for the World Poker Tour. After 20 years, the WPT is adjusting its seasons to coincide with the calendar year. Traditionally, the WPT had started seasons in the spring and allowed them to carry straight through each and every New Year, effectively into the following months. Now, it will be easy to adhere to along with WPT seasons, understanding that the Five Diamond will probably mark the finish of their season and a Player of the Year will be crowned just before year’s finish.
The change kicks in right away and the Season XIX Player of the Year race will be decided this month. Currently, there is a 3-way tie at the best as three-time WPT Champion Brian Altman is playing for back-to-back Player of the Year titles. Altman is matched at the leading of the leaderboard by both Rok Gostisa and Chad Eveslage, and all 3 players are closely followed by recent WPT Seminole Rock ’N’ Roll champion Gediminas Uselis. The tight race adds an additional layer of drama to the occasion as the WPT will be maintaining a spotlight on the race to see who emerges at this year’s POY.
“We are thrilled to be in a position to finish our season with a showcase occasion with one of our longest-running partners,” mentioned Angelica Hael, WPT VP of International Tour Management. “From there, we are prepared to head into Season XX and put an even bigger spotlight on our partners, our champions, and our tour.”
Hunting to get in on the action for the WPT 5 Diamond but unable to play yourself? PocketFives Staking will be supplying shares of some of the players in the field to assist give fans an finish-of-the-year sweat to follow along. Not signed up however? Get to it correct here.
Past Winners of WPT Five Diamond Main Occasion
| Season | Winner | Prize | Runners | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gus Hansen | $556,460 | 146 | $ten,200 |
| two | Paul Phillips | $1,101,908 | 314 | $10,200 |
| 3 | Daniel Negreanu | $1,770,218 | 376 | $15,300 |
| four | Rehne Pedersen | $2,078,185 | 555 | $15,300 |
| five | Joe Hachem | $2,207,575 | 583 | $15,400 |
| 6 | Eugene Katchalov | $2,482,605 | 626 | $15,400 |
| 7 | Chino Rheem | $1,538,730 | 497 | $15,400 |
| 8 | Daniel Alaei | $1,428,430 | 329 | $15,400 |
| 9 | Antonio Esfandiari | $870,124 | 438 | $10,300 |
| ten | James Dempsey | $821,612 | 413 | $10,300 |
| 11 | Ravi Raghavan | $1,268,571 | 503 | $10,300 |
| 12 | Dan Smith | $1,161,135 | 449 | $ten,300 |
| 13 | Moshin Charania | $1,477,890 | 586 | $10,300 |
| 14 | Kevin Eyster | $1,587,382 | 639 | $ten,400 |
| 15 | James Romero | $1,938,118 | 791 | $10,400 |
| 16 | Ryan Tosoc | $1,958,065 | 812 | $ten,400 |
| 17 | Dylan Linde | $1,631,468 | 1001 | $ten,400 |
| 18 | Alex Foxen | $1,694,995 | 1035 | $10,400 |