blonde poker forum

see  stars are starting a new tour this time its just UK and ireland with the first one in galway and and event at DTD in may

with stars weight behind it and obviously alotof online seats i cant see it failing

but is there enough room for another UK tour

http://www.pokerstars.com/ukipt/

There's a big buzz about it in Ireland. 

Grand Final is obviously the EPT I take it?

no but will be part of the ept festival i think

I know of another tour being planned too, as online rooms move into bricks and mortar

Will be interesting to see when the market gets saturated, although I don't think for a minute the Stars one will be anything other than a big sell out

This year's EPT was those dates and that buy-in.

there was a romour they wanted to buy the GUKPT tour to start off with an established tour

could be then i thought it was going to be a support event of the ept

I am a bit disappointed when i first heard about this i thought it was going to be 2k-3k events all over the land, 500 events happen every weekend.

you'd get no runners for these though

lol behave, hordes of Scandies and shit loads of qualifiers!

I think this will great looking forward to the irish events.

There is a £1000 event in your gaffe Flushy :D

Campbell must have had the day off when that was negotiated  ;)

UKIPT Scotland  TBC TBC TBC........

I see that they have picked up on the local tradition of minimum publicity.


(It would be great to see a big event in the Glasgow Alea - upstairs and downstairs they could get in 200 I think)

These will be great value events no doubt, tons of online qualifiers. Bit suprised at the buy-ins, especially the DTD one being 500 squid. Hopefully we can use FFPs or W$ to buy into them.

thry need 200 to make the GTD
but i think it will be 2 start days so that will solve that problem

Yes 2 start days 300+

Altho I wonder what UK casinos think about Kremsers dealers.  They might be ok for the tourney, but I doubt they would allow them to deal cash games.

Swweeeettttt

Yeah, shame about the buy-ins though

Why is that ?

Just thinking that the tourney would be a private event, but cash games would involve the casino's own money, so I doubt that they would want non-employees having anything to do with it.

 

balla mc. taste for the big time have we?

PLEASE. can we just have one "tour" that everyone attends plz.

This looks great, off to start climbing the STEPS.

Never been to Ireland, really fancy Galway in December.

The more I think about it, the better I think this tour will be, simply because of the online qualifiers that will come with it. Hello Italian players, welcome to DTD, make yourselves comfortable. I still think and hope that the GUKPT will still be the premier poker tour in the UK, it still has the added value of the champ of champs too. This tour is probably not the best news for the Gala tour, but overall its good for UK poker as it seems that the £100-£500 level is the one that will get the most bums on seats.

Also, if this tour is anything like some of the other local pokerstars tours, I wouldn't be surprised to see a 'High Roller' side event on some of the stops, most notably DTD.

How can it fail? It has stars behind it, hopefully get a few of the "team pokerstars" attending as well.

I like the buyin levels for these. Might try and play the DTD one.

Would be nice to see a tour come to Leeds though. Alea could easily sit the required number of players.

This looks great!

[ x ] gg gala tour

[   ]  gutted for gala

Agreed.  The Gala tour was dead after this year anyway.

SPT is going to Alea Glasgow, to answer someone who wanted a tour to go there

There's a real issue of management commitment to poker at Alea Leeds, as I found when I wanted to take the SPT there.


I think the UK Live tour scene looks incredibly healthy

For the recreational players you have the up to £100 buy ins of SPT, APAT, DTD 20-20 and the likes of Virgin and PKR events

Up to £500 you have festival side events, DTD monthlies, Gala, now the Stars Tour

£1000 GUKPTs, some Stars events

EPT once a year at £5k


Stars have a huge headstart in their captive player base for sat qualifiers and marketing monies, GUKPT and DTD are entrenched, the one that must be vulnerable is the Gala Tour, again

gl me trying to find a spare-ish date for a 2010 blonde bash!

As was said around the time of the last bash, clashing with the big buy in events is no biggie imo. Just not clashing with the smaller buyin tours like sky and apat, dtd should be the aim.

As those are the event that the regular attendees at blonde bashes actually do attend in numbers.

Agreed.

If I was a Gala Tour marketing man I think the most worrying thing would be that people were still calling it the Gala Tour.

Isn't it the Coral British Masters Poker Tour or something similar?

The only link to Gala is that it happens to be held there.

How much advertising has there been for it this year? I've certainly not seen much.

Coral/Gala all the same company, innit.

a shed load of brands and rebranding in that company. Three seperate online poker rooms I think too

Got to confuse their customers, especially if they don't market spend to change perceptions

But if you google Gala Tour it just brings up last years tour.

It looks for all intents and purposes like they don't run it any more.

I wish either Matt or Longy would change their avatars, I keep getting their posts mixed up :D

Apart from the yellow, they aren't very similar.

Matt will have to change his, as my man crush on Grant Holt is not a phase.

A little birdie tells me that the Scottish leg will be the new G Casino in Dundee.

The reason for the TBC is that it around the same time as the GUKPT summer tour being held in the same venue......

Don't shoot the messenger! ;pokergods;

Looks interesting, but like people have stressed, there are so many tours now! GUKPT, Coral BMPT, SPT, Pokerstars UKIPT, Virgin, PKR. I'm pretty sure I also read somewhere about a Paradise poker tour being set up, not to mention the London EPT Stop, Unibet Open and the many festivals the Vic has to offer. I, for one, am not too bothered about the fact there are so many, as long as it doesn't affect the numbers of the already existing tours. Obviously, this year has seen a drop in numbers for many events, but I just hope that is down to an 'economic downturn' and not because supply is much much bigger than demand.

I just hope a well established tour doesn't go bust because of the transition many online sites are making into the online scene. But good luck stars!

Definitely a good point about there being lots of tours. But Stars = #1 therefore I hope it succeeds even if it is at the cost of the other tours except the GUKPT...

Happy?

spt virgin and apat all go for a much lower level of player
never heard of pkr tour so not sure where that sits
corals and poker stars will sit just below the gukpt
which is just below the ept

so i think the pokerstars and corals tour will be competing head on
if there isnt enough players for both to suceed i can see only 1 winner that will be pokerstars

If the stars tour does put another tour out of business, to an extent I think thats a sign that the other tours/events should have spent much more time on their online operation. It amazes me how many big events have little or no online qualifiers, even the ones sponsored by the online poker rooms, when they are the foundation of a good poker event. Dont get me wrong, there isnt a tour on the planet who can compete with stars for online qualification, but its still something I think is greatly overlooked. I think the GUKPT have a decent amount of satellites to their events and DTD likewise, but thats about it.

Each event charges a registration fee of 10% and then Pokerstars claim they are going to remove 9% of the prize fund for floor staff and dealers - for a start is this not what the 10% registration fee is for and surely seeing as how the prizepool belongs to the players it is up to them how much they leave as a tip depending on how good the service is

i know this is what they do in america but this isn't the american poker tour

maybe i'm just a little narked with pokerstars at the moment after they stole £200 from my bank account yesterday

pretty sick that players are being charged 19%...but the event in galway is 2000 euros and they just take 9% out the whole prizepool..no reg fee!

Er, if you read the page you'll see only the Galway leg (the one with no reg fee) has a % taken out. the others there's a reg fee and no extra taken out for costs.

apologies - my mistake

must just be me they are robbing then :(

I think you are underestimating PokerStars here ~ this will become THE Tour.

Corals will go and GUKPT will continue but start to struggle and maybe go under too eventually if Stars decide to enlarge it.


You heard it here first ;)

The CMBPT has it was known as this year was AWOP's tour

just sent them this:

Hi,

I see you have the package for the UKIPT-Galway tournament at $4590 which inlcludes:

Tournament Entry
Hotel
$500 Spending Money

I don't see how this adds up. The tourney is €2000 buyin and 4 nights at the Radisson Galway for Dec 11th-15th is €420. So that's €2420 and the current exchange rate is 1.48USD to the EUR.

€2420 = $3581.60

add on the $500 spending money and thats $4081.60.

So why is the package $508.40 or 12.5% more expensive than it's true value?

regards,
Daleroxxu

too true, bluesq should have teamed up w stars when they had the chance, despite a great chain of casas, stars will be too powerful to compete with imo

with the higher buy ins and casino backing them the gukpt will be regard as the event to win

I'm not so sure, if they really wanted to, Stars could probably become the dominant tour on the UK circuit. But the GUKPT really is the prestige tour and also regarded as the 'pros tour' so it will take a lot of beating, especially as there are Grosvenor casinos all over the UK. I think that if it got really competitive than the GUKPT would find a way to compete, even if that meant having to partner with someone like Full Tilt (you heard it here first lol).

stars wanted the gukpt tour but grosvenor wouldnt sell is what i heard

There's got to be a bit of mutual backscratching going on, especially with there being two, possibly three, Grosvenor casinos being used for the new tour.

yep and stars using the grosvenor licence to run the ept at the metropole

Good point actually. No doubt they have a great relationship what with the EPT and everything and not closing a deal probably ended amicably for them, they probably have organised their schedules to avoid clashing with each other.

Not sure the GUKPT can ever be described as the prestige tour. Last 2 events had only 132 and 120 entrants. Stars could blitz this if they really wanted.

The last two events have had the WSOPE, EPT, EPO, Ladbrokes Irish Festival, Irish Winter Festival and International Poker Open occur either the same time or very close to them plus a lot of other smaller festival events. Plus just look at some of the names that have won a GUKPT main event (and side event for that matter) - its an event all the UK pros want to win.

Yep, stars could probably blitz any tour on the planet, even the wsop, but that doesn't mean that the GUKPT isnt a prestigious tour.

Meh at prestige unless it is going to get you a sponsorship deal, a bunch of pros playing each other with little dead money seems like pretty dumb idea to me. Then again thats poker for you, when peoples egos and inflated views of their own ability get in the way of reality.

The Virgin Festival will be no more so thats one less tour off the schedule!

why what happened?

the virgin tour wouldnt have been competing with players with teh stars tour
and was on a par with the apat events

Joe Legge moved onto Betfair so I can't see any festival being organised without him tbh.  Just mentioned virgin becuase it was mentioned earlier in this thread, not becuase it was in direct compettion.

Might get a betfair festival then?

they already have a little one in london:

http://wsope.betfair.com/

At the end of the day the lower buy ins are getting the biggest fields.

Last weekend was very busy but Bristol got 150 main event runners, DTD sold out both 20/20 comps.

Stars will sell these out most punters can afford them.

pretty bad value imo - just incase anyone was thinking of buying a package through the site with cash or FPPs you'd be about $500 better off buying in direct and booking hotel yourself.

How many nights at the hotel does that $1,020 cover?

four

Why are they paying €166 a night then. when you can just ring up and get €105?

Went to the hotel's website to compare.  Checking in on Dec 11 and out in Dec. 15 = €650

650.00 EUR = 963.734 USD 

It's not that far off the Stars quote.  Welcome to Ireland folks.

Though it seems if there's only one of you in the room the cost is €570 - so if you win a package you're paying for two people even if there's only one of you going.

I'm sure that they said they were going to look at this and revise if us$/€ rates got too far out of line (for ept anyway) - don't whether they did, but don't see why this should be any different.

Structure is out..........http://www.ukipt.com/tournaments/structure/

Damn good, too good, 30,000 chips on a 60/75 min clock. I'm just gonna have to bust all BR management rules now and play two or three of these.

WOW whatan awesome structure

FML, I want to play this, especially as Coventry leg is on my bday.

amazing

This looks more like a 5 day structure than a 3 day one. Assuming 9 levels on day 1a and 1b, then 7 levels on day 2, 300 players equals 9m chips in play and they will be on 6k-12k going into final day. Looks set for chip count finishes.

Sorry, i meant 3k-6k going into final day.

Can you buy in to these or do you have to qualify via pokerstars

You can buy in, you can also buy in online via pokerstars usings FFPs or W$

If you are PlatinumStar or higher.

does anyone know if they will credit you the $$ instead of putting you up in the hotel?
 i only live 45 mins from galway (not that im likely to bother trying to qualifiy but you never know)

thanks
moon

The only online sat I could find for Galway was a $11 3 x turbo rebuy 90mins a bit incred as after 60mins everyone was short a double rebuy got you 6K in chips and the blinds were at 2K.  It generated a couple of seats I think but you had to be a master of luck just to get to the add on.

Am I looking through stars' wonderful lobby all wrong? please tell be there's a $100 rb somewhere that I can't find.

There's $109 feeders to a £530 qualifier mate.

Check your filters you low stakes numpty.

You see thats why I need a forum - so people can help me navigate the filters (I have switched off) and to remind me of the levels I play at ;-)

Thanks Matt will look later just as soon as I get out of this gay village

should do, they've done it in the past with londoners who won london ept seats

Star have their satellites a bit all over the place - far too many bingo turbo sats and not enough bigger buy in ones.

There's a $530 on Saturday night and a $215 on Sunday night but no decent ones during the week.

Structure page has changed to T B C.


Knew it was too good.

Well they probably realised that the £500 tourneys at coventry and the over 300 cap would sell out in a flash with that kind of structure...

Well I hope they change from that boring structure tbh.

Yeh why only 300 cap at Coventry, I believe they have a great big room capable of 600+.

If you looked closesly at the structure they previously had up, you would see that it was the same as the one used for the EPT main events, which are 5 day events. These are 3 day events. There is no way this structure could result in a conclusion in 3 days other than a 20-30 person chip count. They have now realised this, hence they have removed it from the site.

DTD's leg would have been fun, 600 cap

if it filled there would have been 18 million chips in play lol with a 60 min clock xD good times.

[  ] good times
[X] slow death

good times if it was about 9 days long :P

although people would still manage to lose 30k chips in the first level

any ideas where the scottish leg is yet? glasgow one time plz

Yeah its glasgow

good shit! where did you hear that?

I didn't, I just wanted to get your hopes up.

thx  :)

i heard there are 2 possible venues for the scottish leg

first is broadways in birmngham
2nd is a cruise ship round the orkneys boarding in inverness

Lol @ ironside...

The Scottish leg looks like being in the new G Casino in Dundee. The delay was due to the GUKPT slot for Scotland being organised in the same casino in the same month.

I was hoping it was the Alea Glasgow..but i'll try to satt in anyway

not so

not in the casino or the delay not due to the other event?

Structure now up at http://www.ukipt.com/tournaments/structure/

Seems to be the same as DTD are running next month.

zomg EPT structures for £500....

FML I've just realised I am going to be in Vegas when the Manchester leg is on  ;)

Yep same as most EPT's... DTD took the idea from there...

Neither. The intention is to have it in Edinburgh, but as yet the venue is not confirmed, but it is not going to be in a casino.

grovenor liecence and dealers?

hope it is in edinburgh or glasgow coz thats the most easily accesible venues for me :P

go for glasgow :)

according to http://www.irishpokerchampionship.com/Structure/IPCGalway/2000MainEvent/tabid/105/Default.aspx leg1 will be 20,000 on 60 mins can anyone confirm which structure will be used for galway?

Will it make a difference on whether you play or not?

Galway Structure from an Irish site posted by organisers, so deffo:

Excellent news - looking forward to seeing poker in different surroundings. There are several great venues in Edinburgh that could host this.

not in the slightest but was just wondering how many chips i had to get through before i can get on the guinness lol

Fair enough, i tend to make those decisions on the day but i know some people like a couple of weeks to work it out, they 3b dwell a lot as well.

lol i was only asking which structure was in play flushy since two sources differ. it doesn't bother me too much really but i do like to 3b alot and don't like the dwellers :P

Marriot pls.

Or Sheraton/EICC.

Corn Exchange please

prices square gardens with a big canopy over it!!!! :P

Now that's a great suggestion.