Will the WSOP Paradise Parlay move the needle?
Will GGPoker's latest pledge to award up to $100,000 to players who have success in Vegas and the Bahamas be a success?
I said the war between GG/WSOP and the World Poker Tour would be interesting and of benefit to the poker community and so far I have been right.
The World Poker Tour seemed to have all the momentum and goodwill from the poker community, but last week GGPoker came out swinging. They announced a promotion for players who did well in the Summer WSOP that will see a lot of free money being given out.
Any player who cashes 10 times between the Vegas WSOP and WSOP Paradise, with at least one cash in each destination, will win an extra $5,000. Players who make three final tables between the two, with at least one in each festival, will win an extra $25,000. A player who wins a bracelet in Vegas and one in the Bahamas gets an extra $100,000!
There were 95 bracelets awarded in Las Vegas this year and 251 players on at least seven cashes. I'd say having at least seven cashes is enough to pique the interest of most players, any more than that, and having a bracelet and/or two final tables, makes this a no-brainer.
Will it move the needle?
I'd guesstimate there are probably 300 players who might go to the Bahamas now because of this promotion and will play a full schedule. Having had success in Vegas they should easily be able to afford it and/or get staked for it.
Will that move the needle for GGPoker and mean that they hit their guarantees? Probably not, most events need entries in their thousands, not hundreds, to do so. These events might easily beat their guarantees, but not because of this promotion.
In that respect, I think I'd have rather seen something along the lines of 'qualify on GGPoker, get an extra $5,000 if you cash the Main Event' or a similar type of promotion to get extra numbers.
On the plus side, however, a promotion like this will attract a lot more star power and media attention now. Inevitably the players attracted by this promotion are going to be the better-known, bigger names.
This could also prove beneficial for the World Poker Tour, as if 300 of the best players in the world are more likely to be in the Bahamas, one could argue their preliminary events are going to be softer.
It's a really interesting promotion. I'm not sure if it is going to dramatically change things for either the WSOP or the WPT, but to use a tired cliche, the players are once again benefiting from this healthy rivalry between two of the biggest operators in poker.
| Dates/Events | Buy-In | GTE |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 3 - Mystery Millions | $1,500 | $5,000,000 |
| Dec. 4 - MILLIONAIRE MAKER in Paradise [Final 100 – Final Day] | $1,500 | $5,000,000 |
| Dec. 5 - GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship | $25,000 | $10,000,000 |
| Dec. 5 - Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold'em | $1,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec. 7 - High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | $25,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Dec. 7 - 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em | $3,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec. 8 - Super High Roller No-Limit Hold'em | $50,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Dec. 8 - Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha [ONLINE] | $2,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec. 9 - Ultra High Roller No-Limit Hold'em | $100,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Dec. 9 - Main Event - NLHE Championship | $5,000 | $15,000,000 |
| Dec. 12 - Flip & Go $800 | $800 | |
| Dec. 13 - No-Limit Hold’em FREEZEOUT [ONLINE] | $1,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec. 13 - Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | $10,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec. 13 - The Closer [Turbo Bounty] | $2,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Dec. 14 - High Roller No-Limit Hold'em [6-Handed] | $10,000 | $1,000,000 |
How many players will go to Paradise because of this promotion? Let us know in the comments:
