UKIPT Isle of Man Begins Next Week -- Last Chance to Qualify!
In less than a week, for the first time ever, PokerStars will host a live tournament right in its own backyard. The PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will host a tournament series on the Isle of Man — the home of PokerStars — from Oct. 30 through Nov. 4, highlighted by a £1,100 Main Event beginning on Oct. 31.
UKIPT Isle of Man promises to be a unique poker festival with big fields and plenty of high-profile players. The series will take place in the gorgeous Villa Marina venue, where players will battle for the inaugural UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event title and a share of the massive £500,000 guaranteed prize pool. The affordable buy-in will give players a chance to rub elbows with some of the best players in the world, including Team PokerStars Pros Daniel Negreanu and Jason Mercier, both of whom will make the trip to the Isle of Man for the historic tournament series.
"I'm very excited," Mercier said about the event. "I recently visited the London headquarters and it was really awesome. The one in Isle of Man is even bigger, so I'm excited to check that out."
Mercier is known for playing some of the biggest buy-in tournaments in the world, but he's looking forward to playing in his first UKIPT with members of the PokerStars staff.
"The tournament is an exception for me - it's rare for me to play such a small buy-in with such a small field - and it's going to be my first UKIPT. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I can win."
How often do you get the chance to rub shoulders with Team PokerStars Pros? Probably not often. If you haven't won your seat to this historic event, you still have some time — but you better hurry!
Players can still find a wide range of UKIPT Isle of Man satellites suitable to their bankroll thanks to the sheer number of satellites PokerStars is running. Those of you who have been collecting Frequent Player Points (FPPs) will be happy to know there are plenty of daily FPP satellites running right up to the start of the UKIPT Isle of Man festival, while those of you out there who prefer to buy in with cash can do so in satellites costing between £0.50 and £215.
The cheapest option to win a UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event seat won't cost you anything at all. PokerStars is hosting a freeroll satellite every evening at 20:00 GMT, and the top 10 finishers from each freeroll will earn a seat to the weekly final.
Those of you who have been playing for real money and have built up your Frequent Player Points (FPPs) will be happy to know there are FPP satellites running daily, too. These hyper-turbo games run at 19:52 GMT and 20:22 GMT, costing 2,500 and 1,620 FPPs respectively.
Should you wish to start a little further up the qualification ladder, there are plenty of options to choose from. With buy-ins ranging from £0.50 to £215, you're sure to find a tournament that fits your needs.
When deciding on UKIPT Isle of Man qualifiers, you'll have the choice of Seat Only and Package options. Seat Only is exactly what it suggests, a seat to the UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event worth £1,100. The Package consists of a £1,100 tournament entry, a hotel for the duration of the UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event, and £175 spending money.
Whether or not you plan to play the Main Event, there is still plenty of action taking place at the UKIPT Isle of Man. The series will feature 12 tournaments in total, with buy-ins ranging from £50 to £2,200. Kicking the six-day festival off is a £150+£15 No Limit Hold’em Six Handed tournament, followed by a £100+£10 rebuy super satellite to the UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event. Here's a look at the full schedule of events:
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Start Time (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct. 30 | No Limit Hold’em Six Handed | £150+£15 | 18:00 |
| Wed, Oct. 30 | No Limit Hold’em Rebuy + Addon Super Satellite | £100+£10 | 20:00 |
| Thurs, Oct. 31 | UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event Day 1A | £1,000+£100 | 12:00 |
| Thurs, Oct. 31 | No Limit Hold’em Rebuy + Addon Super Satellite | £100+£10 | 18:00 |
| Thurs, Oct. 31 | No Limit Hold’em Turbo | £100+£10 | 20:00 |
| Fri, Nov. 1 | UKIPT Isle of Man Main Event Day 1B | £1,000+£100 | 12:00 |
| Fri, Nov. 1 | No Limit Hold’em Rebuy + Addon Super Satellite | £100+£10 | 19:00 |
| Fri, Nov. 1 | No Limit Hold’em Turbo Bounty | £100+£50+£10 | 21:00 |
| Sat, Nov. 2 | No Limit Hold’em High Roller 8-Handed | £2,000+£200 | 12:00 |
| Sat, Nov. 2 | Isle of Man Cup – Single Re-Entry | £300+£30 | 18:00 |
| Sat, Nov. 2 | PokerStars Charity Tournament (Invite Only) | £50 | 21:30 |
| Sun, Nov. 3 | Pot Limit Omaha Double Chance | £150+£15 | 12:00 |
| Sun, Nov. 3 | No Limit Hold’em Super Deepstack EPT Edition | £100+£10 | 16:00 |
PokerNews will be providing live updates from the Main Event, but that's not all. We'll also be going behind the scenes of PokerStars headquarters for the first time, delivering details about the server rooms, security set up, and much more. No media outlet has ever been behind the closed doors at PokerStars HQ, but PokerNews will be exploring the building and the island that PokerStars has called home for eight years!
Want to get in on the action? Download PokerStars via PokerNews links and when you are creating your free PokerStars account make sure you enter the marketing code “POKERNEWS.COM” to ensure you are tracked to PokerNews. Doing so means you are eligible for all future promotions PokerStars and PokerNews run together.
Photo c/o Jim Linwood
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