By Sean Chaffin
The city of Tampa has been home to plenty of champions of late with the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl and Lightning taking the Stanley Cup. Now with the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup coming to town, another winner will be awarded in western Florida.
For several years, the state has been one of the biggest stops on the WPT schedule, with several Main Tour events in Hollywood and Jacksonville. The tour is now adding another nice event in the Sunshine State. The new WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa becomes the first live WPT Main Tour event tournament in Season XIX and is set for June 18-22 with a $3,500 buy-in and $2 million guarantee.
#WPTTampa hits @SHRTPoker on June 18 ?
You won’t want to miss this first-ever WPT Main Tour event at @SHRTampa ?️
?https://t.co/IxRyhYUr4m pic.twitter.com/F9boGZc7Bm
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) May 27, 2021
This marks the first WPT Main Tour event at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa and players should make for a great poker escape to start the summer. Players who enjoy events at the Seminole Hard Rock in South Florida may want to mark their calendars for a trip to Tampa as well.
The casino is one of the largest and most successful in the world with a AAA Four Diamond hotel offering a stay in style. The resort hosts excellent dining options as well like Council Oak Steaks & Seafood and Cipresso for tasty Italian fare. The Rez Grill also offers comfort food favorites from chick and waffles to fine steaks.
And no summer trip to Florida would be complete without a trip to the pool. Hard Rock Tampa offers a brilliant oasis for relaxation with views of the casino towers, plenty of lounge chairs to take it easy, and even private cabanas to hang out with friends. Those looking to venture to the beach won’t be disappointed. The Tampa area offers numerous great places to relax on Florida’s sandy shores. Beaches and cards can make for a great combination.
The casino also features a thriving poker scene, boasting a state-of-the-art poker room featuring 46 tables. The property has hosted a run of WPTDeepStacks events since June 2016. Those winners included Jeff Trudeau (2019), Quentin Jones (2018), Rex Clinkscales (2017), and Anthony Astarita (2016). The WPT Main Tour now hopes to build on that poker legacy.
Season XVIII WPTDeepStacks Tampa Champion Jeff Trudeau
Beyond the championship event, players will find a packed schedule of side events running June 9-22. The series kicks off with a $500 Double Stack event featuring seven starting flights and a $1 million guarantee. Another highlight for those with lower bankrolls includes the $300 Deepstack on June 21 with $50,000 guaranteed. A few other events that stand out include:
Event 12 – $1,100 NLHE (June 16)
Event 13 – $2,200 NLHE (June 17)
Event 15 – $1,700 NLHE (June 20)
Event 21 – $5,000 NLHE (June 22)
The series also offers some tournaments with games beyond No Limit Hold’em and include HORSE, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and more.
Summer is here and for may that means hitting the pool and relaxing with friends. A trip to Tampa adds some poker to that mix and it should be a great week of poker.
For more information on the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, click here. For a schedule of the complete series, click here.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.