Two Chances To Bag Big in the 2024 SunBet Poker Tour Pretoria Main Event
The second edition of the Sunbet Poker Tour in the current year is currently taking place at the Time Square Casino Pretoria. Poker pros and aspiring amateurs alike in the close-knit South African poker community will be heading back to the north of Johannesburg for one of the most riveting live poker events of the year, which takes place in cooperation with Monster Jam Poker Tour (MJPT) and South African Hotels, Gaming and Entertainment Group Sun International.
Earlier this year in March 2024, Sugen Singh came out on top of a 418-entry strong field in the very same SPT Time Square Main Event and took the trophy as well as the second-largest cash prize of ZAR 707,675 ($38,214), while "SM" and MAJ" also earned large slices of ZAR5,266,800 ($281,989) in prize money.
Final Table Result SPT Time Square March Edition
| Rank | Winner | Country | Payout (in ZAR) | Payout (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sugen Singh | South Africa | 707,675 | $38,214* |
| 2 | SM | South Africa | 1,000,000 | $54,000* |
| 3 | MAJ | South Africa | 600,000 | $32,400* |
| 4 | Jarred Solomon | South Africa | 323,910 | $17,491 |
| 5 | Danny Dayani | South Africa | 249,120 | $13,452 |
| 6 | David Ng | Mauritius | 206,460 | $11,149 |
| 7 | Norman Cherry | South Africa | 173,280 | $9,357 |
| 8 | Gareth Kalil | South Africa | 140,200 | $7,571 |
| 9 | Gavin Sardini | South Africa | 107,285 | $5,793 |
Singh was among the participants in yesterday's opening flight but didn't make it through in a field of 65 entries, He did, however, earn his next entry at a bargain in the live satellite to take another shot in the the ZAR15,000 (~$790) buy-in for a fraction of the cost.
The marquee tournament on the schedule in Pretoria includes a guarantee of ZAR4,000,000 with the number of starting days having increased from your to five. While the turnout on Day 1a and in the ZAR50,000 High Roller was lower than in the previous edition in Spring, the ZAR5,000 Little Slam set a new attendance record when it ran on the previous weekend.
As has been the case yesterday, all participants start their journey with 40,000 in chips and three of the five available Day 1 flights feature a level duration of 50 minutes each. Two starting days are taking place today with Day 1b kicking off at noon local time while the third flight kicks off at 6pm, the latter of which wraps up ten levels of 40 minutes before bagging and tagging for the night. Action then resumes the following day at 11 a.m. local time at the same time as the last regular heat.
Day 1b will play a total of 15 levels of 50 minutes each or until the top 15% of the field has been reached, whichever comes first. Last night, the top 15% were reached half-way through the final level of the night.
The Day 1 flights at a Glance
| Flight | Start Time | Level Duration | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1a | Aug 7 at 12 p.m. | 50 minutes | 10 players / 65 entries advanced |
| Day 1b | Aug 8 at 12 p.m. | 50 minutes | 15 levels or down to 15% |
| Day 1c | Aug 8 at 6 p.m. | 40 minutes | Play 10 levels |
| Day 1c | Aug 9 at 11 a.m. | 40 minutes | Late reg closes on restart |
| Day 1d | Aug 9 at 11 a.m. | 50 minutes | 15 levels or down to 15% |
| Day 1e | Aug 9 at 8 p.m. | 30/15 minute levels | 15 levels or down to 15% |
Many notable names didn't enter the Main Event yet because they were still busy in the three-day ZAR50,000 High Roller, which bagged up on the money bubble with seven players out of 51 entries remaining. The finalists are already back in their seats on the live-streamed feature table to determine a champion with the restart one hour prior to Day 1b of the Main Event.
The PokerNews live updates will focus on the heat with regular duration for today but general updates about Day 1c and the final chip counts after level ten will be provided later in the night.