In what is quickly becoming a potential new gaming Mecca, former World Champion Chris Moneymaker will be the host of a large tournament in the new poker room of a Pennsylvania casino.
Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker Championship Event winner, will be at the Presque Isle Downs and Casino on October 15, hosting a single table poker tournament with a prize pool of $25,000. “This event marks another significant gaming milestone for Erie and for Presque Isle Downs and Casino,” said Fred Buro, the casino’s President and General Manager, following the announcement of the event. “As it’s been since we’ve opened, every effort was made to fill the fifty additional jobs needed to run the poker room with residents of Erie,” said Buro.
To celebrate the opening of the new poker room, there are several festivities planned. A VIP Party will be held prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony at 6PM (Eastern Time). Following that, the tournament will take place and the cards will fly around the remainder of the nine table room. “The time has come to bring Erie poker players an exciting environment where the action never ends,” said Christine Stacy, the new manager of the poker room. Players will find many of the amenities that you see in a Las Vegas casino, including bad beat jackpots, a variety of games and special events year round.
Not just anyone will be able to step up and take on the former World Champion, however. Beginning on October 3, players can win their way into a chance to play Moneymaker by playing an $83 satellite tournament. On October 14, there will be nine single table Shootouts offered for the ninety qualifiers who make it through the satellites (if enough players haven’t filled the ninety seats, players can buy in for $340). The winners of those nine Shootout tables will then take on Moneymaker with a $25,000 prize pool at stake.
Every player at the final table – even Chris – will take home something for their efforts. For the first player out, a $1000 payday awaits them. For the person who is able to wade through the ten player event, a $10,000 prize will be awarded, with second taking down a nice $5000 bankroll boost.
The new poker room at the Presque Isle facility is making its mark in what has become a booming interest in gaming in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recently awarded twelve licenses for new casino properties – with one of the properties, the Valley Forge Casino Resort, set to open in 2012 – in addition to the nine properties that already exist. These casinos are looking to compete with the Atlantic City casinos, including the brand new $2 billion casino resort Revel that tentatively opens in May 2012.
The major players in the poker industry are taking notice of the new casino operations that have sprung up in Pennsylvania. In August, the World Poker Tour announced a three year deal with the Philadelphia area Parx Casino to host one WPT Main Event and three Regional Tour stops. These events may end up on the remaining Season X schedule of the WPT when it is announced later this year.
The World Series of Poker Circuit has also put a foothold into the state. In April of this year, Harrah’s Chester held a WSOPC stop, featuring a ten event schedule that included a $1500 Main Event. Currently the 2011-2012 WSOPC schedule shows the tour returning to Harrah’s Chester in late April 2012, although a full slate of events has yet to be announced.
Pennsylvania is the latest state to turn to opening new casino operations to offset budget shortfalls and tax revenue difficulties. The state has garnered more than $5 billion in revenues since casino gaming was opened in 2006. These large revenues put Pennsylvania on par with even the bastion of gaming, Las Vegas, and the state of Nevada. The proposed new properties, however, may not add much to the bottom line as they may take patrons away from those operations already in existence.
