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Fargo, ND - With a handful of stops left in 2013, Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) is preparing for a busy 2014. So far, two dozen stops fill the calendar with additional casinos still being considered. The tenth season of the nationally-televised tour will kick-off in January aboard a Card Player Cruise. A week later, HPT heads to California with return visits to Thunder Valley Casino Resort and Club One Casino. One of HPT’s most popular stops, Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour in Black Hawk, Colorado will take place in early February.
“We wanted a big start for our milestone year, so we looked to some of our biggest success stories of 2013 to lead the way,” said HPT Director of Operations Jen Mastrud.
By popular demand, HPT will head back to the warm waters of the Caribbean with Card Player Cruises, sailing away on January 12, 2014 for a seven-day cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. The schedule for “HPT on the High Seas” includes an HPT Main Event, qualifying events, multiple side tournaments, and cash games, along with plenty of sun, sand, and surf. The cruise will depart from Port Canaveral, located near Orlando, Florida.
HPT will then travel cross-country for more sun in California. The tour expanded to the West Coast in 2013 with the popular Gold Rush Series. The stops in the series produced some of the biggest events in HPT history. Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento accommodated about twice as many players as originally projected. “They delivered everything one would expect from a first-class property and more,” said Mastrud. For the return visit on January 17-26, Thunder Valley will add tournament tables to accommodate even more players. The Poker Room is offering a full schedule of satellites and qualifying events beginning Monday, January 13 to get players into the nationally-televised Main Event.
Club One Casino in the heart of Fresno became a fan favorite with attention to detail and customer service. “They won over players like we've never seen before,” said Mastrud, “Many players have told us they won’t miss the next visit to Club One Casino.” After a week off for the Super Bowl, HPT will name a new champion at Club One Casino on February 10. The event officially kicks off January 31, but satellite opportunities will begin much sooner.
HPT will head from Fresno directly to another fan favorite, Black Hawk, Colorado. The Rocky Mountains set the stage for HPT’s most popular event each year with prize pools topping a million dollars. Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour will host HPT for the 16th time February 7 -16.
More events will be announced in the coming weeks as HPT and host properties finalize regulatory approval. Fans can expect to see HPT move into new markets and revisit longstanding events next year. Details will be posted as they become available at HPTpoker.com.
