By Sean Chaffin
The WPT has plenty of cash on the line all week long. For ClubWPT members, that means the largest single-day cash tournament in the site’s history. The High Stakes Home Game Showdown offers players a $25,000 guarantee and is set for Aug. 20 at 8 pm (ET).
The event is open to all eligible ClubWPT Diamond members and brings plenty of bang for the membership buck, with the winner scoring $5,000. The tournament also promises plenty of fun, and that’s something 56-year-old Diamond member Adam Martel enjoys about the site.
“I tried [ClubWPT] when it was fairly new years ago, but then just got busy with life,” says Martel, who lives in Foothill Ranch, California. “But I re-joined in March 2020 just as casinos and card rooms were shutting down due to the pandemic. It’s been a great outlet to get my poker fix in when I couldn’t play live for a while – one low monthly cost to play when and how often I want, while making a little cash. Not life-changing, but definitely worth it.
“The play is different from live play, but the challenge is still to analyze the style of play of your tablemates and strategize how best to be profitable.”
Taking a Shot at Big Money
Martel will be hoping some of his own strategy decisions pay off when he takes a seat on Friday in the tournament. The event should bring in plenty of regulars looking for a nice score on the WPT’s sweepstakes online poker site.
“The $25,000 High Stakes Showdown is a great idea and I’m excited to play,” Martel says. “Bigger prize pool and more up top than ever before. If they are going to hold more of these type of events, it makes my Diamond membership even more valuable. I’m all for it.”
The Diamond membership allows players to compete for even bigger prizes with one major event daily. There are also more qualifying opportunities for live WPT event packages and players also receive membership to LearnWPT’s Insider Access Plan as well as numerous other perks.
In the High Stakes Home Game Showdown, players start with 7,500 chips and play 10-minute levels. The top 250 players get paid in the event with some nice payouts on top – the event runner-up even takes home $2,000. Martel hopes to bring his A-game and be among those running deep. What’s his strategy for such a big event?
“Just ease into it, assess my tablemates, and hopefully make some profitable plays – and of course get lucky,” he says. “It definitely takes some luck in these large fields and comparatively fast structure.”
Win or lose, just some time playing his favorite game is a meaningful part of Martel’s ClubWPT experience. He became a Diamond member in November 2020 after already joining the “stream team.” This is a label given to ClubWPT regulars who interact with WPT talents like Vince Van Patten, Lynn Gilmartin, Tony Dunst, and Matt Savage as they stream some of the bigger ClubWPT tournaments on Twitch.
“It’s been such great fun and I’ve built some great relationships with other members because of it,” he says. “Again it was a great outlet, especially when the world was shut down. The Diamond level has comparatively smaller fields and larger prize pools than the VIP membership. And in general, there is better play, still not exactly like even a daily live tournament at your local card room, but closer.
“I can’t stress the community and fun culture they’ve created here. It’s one of the few positive things to come out of this pandemic time period for me.”
WPT Also Streaming ‘High Stakes Home Game’ With Some of Poker’s Best
ClubWPT isn’t the only spot fans can check out some high stakes action. The Diamond event is being run in conjunction with the High Stakes Home Game. This is a series of cash games running this week, Aug. 16-18, with some of the biggest names in poker.
These cash games will be played from a private residence and streamed exclusively on the WPT Twitch channel. Here’s a look at what’s on tap beginning Monday and the players taking a seat in the action.
Ladies Night High Stakes Home Game
$25/$50 No Limit Hold’em, Aug. 16 (11 am – 6 pm, ET)
- Alexandra Botez
- Nemo (@akaNemsko)
- Xuan Liu
- Kelly Minkin
- Ebony Kenney
- Jamie Kerstetter
- Maria Konnikova
- Alternates: Ashley Sleeth, Lexy Gavin
High Stakes Home Game
$200/$400 No Limit Hold’em, Aug. 17 and 18 (11 am to 6 pm)
- Tom Dwan
- Dan Smith
- Bruno Furth
- Landon Tice
- Jake Daniels
- Jesse Sylvia
- Kristen Bicknell (Aug. 18)
- Alternates: Scott Seiver, Matt Berkey
Some big bucks are up for grabs all week and it should be an interesting few days on the WPT. Stay tuned to see who are the big winners.
For more on ClubWPT Diamond and VIP membership, click here.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer based in Texas and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.