2012 World Poker Tour Coming to Tampa, Florida in March: Hopes to Repeat Past State Success

The Silks Poker Room at Tampa Bay Downs will play host to the 2012 World Poker Tour Regional Series.  A WPT event held late last year in Jacksonville was the biggest poker tournament on record for the state of Florida and organizers hope to duplicate this success.

“By adding house-funded prizes, we hope to increase the number of players in our daily tournaments.,” director of poker operations Patrick Murphy told Ante Up Magazine.  “Tournament business is what drives traffic. We want to reward our customers with something a little extra.”

Another incentive for players attending this WPT event, the five highest hands in each weekday tournament will lead to tournament buy-in credits starting at $500 and decreasing to $100. 

Florida is becoming a hotbed for poker players after restrictions were lifted last year on high stakes play.  Individuals from all over the Southeast US have traveled to the Florida tournaments while those across the US find Floridian cities like Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando among the most accessible to travel in and out of by air. 

The WPT Tampa 2012 Event Schedule and Buy-ins Appear Below: 
3/16 Noon Mega Satellite $160+$15 10K
7:30p Mega Satellite $160+$15 10K
3/17 Noon NLHE $825+$75 30K
3/18 Noon NLHE $240+$35 25K
3/19 7:30p 6-Max $150+$20 17K
3/20 Noon NLHE/PLO $330+$35 20K
3/21 Noon Seniors $180+$20 15K
7:30p PLO $330+$35 20K
3/22 Noon NLHE Turbo* $180+$20 10K
7:30p NLHE Turbo* $180+$20 10K
3/23 Noon Main (1A) $1,650+$150 30K
3/24 Noon Main (1B) $1,650+$150 30K
3/25 Noon NLHE $500+$20 25K
* Daily double event, call for details

- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com