Tropical tournament underway in St. Maarten

The World Poker Showdown (WPS) is making a stop on the sunny beaches of Costa Rica from Nov. 4-18 this year.

The St. Maarten Poker Showdown is currently underway, with the main event scheduled for Nov. 16. The intention of the tropical tournament, says company founder Herb Van Dyke, is to take a different approach to international competition.

The company offers poker enthusiasts maximum play for their buy-ins in a relaxed and fun environment. The final events feature $2,500 buy-ins, however the tournament also offers $200 to $1,000 buy-ins, cash games and live satellites prior to the three-day championship.

The recent WPS Costa Rica Poker Showdown main event included 87 players and a $210,975 prize pot.

The World Poker Showdown is also advertising a Caribbean poker cruise, scheduled to begin touring Florida, Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands this spring. The cruise, which runs April 22-29, 2007 out of Port Canaveral, Florida, features daily No-Limit Hold'em games and a final table main event at the end of the trip.