Six More Qualify for PPC Aruba World Championship; Over 30 Stops Planned for Season 3
The PPC Poker Tour, which hosts US and destination poker events, is just weeks away from its season-ending PPC Aruba Championship, a $2,200 buy-in, $200,000 guarantee Main Event, from Oct 15-21, 2014 at the Radisson Aruba Resort, and the PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand to bring you all the action.
When last we checked, 60 players had already qualified for the headlining event, meaning there was already $120,000 in the prize pool before the series even started. Now, after a successful event at the PPC Tampa Downs Fall Classic, six more players have won packages to the championship. That included John Ott, who topped a field of 585 players to win the PPC Tampa Downs Fall Classic for over $85,000 and a PPC Aruba package. The victory made Ott the PPC’s second two-time champ alongside Pam Buzzetto.
"The PPC Poker Tour will send its most players to Aruba this year by far," said PPC Commissioner Sandy Swartzbaugh. "It's crazy to think 80-90 players will have won PPC Aruba Main Event packages from our stops before we land in Aruba. Launching the $200,000 Main Event with over $150,000 in prize pool is very exciting. Mix in the allure of Aruba and we are looking forward to our biggest field yet. This year will be one crazy 'poker-cation.'"
The PPC Aruba Championship will also mark the end of the Season 2 PPC Player of the Year race, which is currently being led by Parry Shaw of Tampa, Florida. Here’s a look at the current POY standings:
| Place | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parry Shaw | 3,200 |
| 2 | John Ott | 3,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Lobato | 2,900 |
| 4 | Nicholas Mann | 2,500 |
| 5 | Ralph Marzan | 2,400 |
| 6 | Tim Shortell | 2,350 |
| 7 | Alex Outhred | 2,250 |
| 8 | Anthony Brammer | 2,050 |
| 9 | Dawn Luckhurst | 1,950 |
| 10 | William Fitzgerald | 1,900 |
In 2013, Germany’s [Removed:65] took down the title and a $59,139 first-place prize. 2012. This year, World Poker Tour Player of the Year Joe Serock, who won the 2012 PPC Aruba Championship and finished third in 2013, will be in attendance, and will also host a Gusto VIP Party on Oct. 15.
Others who will be in attendance include PPC pros Joe Ebanks, Alex Outhred, Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon, and Ronnie Bardah.
In addition to the Main Event, which will be covered live by PokerNews for the second year in a row, the PPC Aruba will feature a $5,300 buy-in High Roller NLHE/PLO Mix, which was recently made a seven-max event at the suggestion of Serock and poker pro Jesse Chinni. In addition Senior Poker Tour, and LIPS Tour events will be held, as will smaller $65 buy-in nightly turbo tournaments every night at 10 p.m.
*The PPC has arranged special hotel rates at the host Radisson Aruba, Rui Palace Resort (all-inclusive), and The Mill Resort Aruba. Contact PPC travel agent Bridget Stein at (561) 883-3523 or [email protected] to make reservations.
After the PPC Championship concludes, the tour will turn its attention to Season 3, which will host over 30 Main Events including new stops in Nevada and Wisconsin. However, before that happens, the PPC will kick things off with the first of five events at the Silks Poker Room at Tampa Bay Downs from Oct. 22-26, 2014 featuring a $225 buy-in, $50,000 guarantee Main Event.
Don’t forget to hashtag "#PPCAruba" at PPC tour stops and use "#ArubaHunting" on Twitter if you’re trying to win your way in. For more information, visit PPCPokerTour.com and follow all the action on the PPC Poker Tour Blog.
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