Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006

• Email
• Print

World Poker Showdown - A friendly poker tournament

By PokerListings.com

The World Poker Showdown is an oasis for poker players at all levels. At a time when other poker events have expanded to become almost exclusively accessible to those with huge bankrolls, this tournament has a little something for everyone; recreational players and those who like playing with higher stakes.

Here, players can buy-in for a couple hundred dollars and get a chance to test their poker skills in a tournament with professional dealers, good structure and loads of dead money. Those looking to wager more, on the other hand, can just sign up for the $2,500 event and possibly take home a sizable first prize.

The people behind World Poker Showdown have realized that poker doesn't have to be a serious (read boring) game played by silent young men hiding behind shades and baseball caps. Instead, poker can be a game where you have a laugh, a drink, and chase gut shot straights.

The players at World Poker Showdown are a mixture of wealthy tourists, young aggressive poker players and casino gamblers taking a shot at the poker tables. The games are usually somewhere between loose and extremely loose and players never hesitate to make large raises or push all of their chips into the pot.

A standard pre-flop raise in the $1/$2 No-Limit Hold'em game is around 10 times the big blind, and players do that with virtually any holding. They just follow the "any two cards" strategy and are having a laugh. This is a friendly poker game and most of the players are here for a good time. However, it is possible to earn quite a lot of money since the games are in the loose-aggressive area.

When I am hitting the poker tables tonight I am going to abandon my standard game, which normally is pretty loose and wild, and instead become a rock. If someone wants to donk away their chips with K-5, please be my guest, there is no reason for me to get fancy. Tonight I am waiting for aces and kings.

Oh, and did I forget to mention? World Poker Showdown is held in St Maarten, which is a little island in the Caribbean. Not too shabby at all ...

/Martin Ostman

World Poker Showdown checklist:
Professional dealers:	Yes
Complimentary drinks:	Yes
Located in a tropical paradise:	Yes
Low rake in cash games:	Yes
Dead money:	Oh Yes

More News

• Bellande: Broke and living like a millionaire
• Voice of Bart bets on poker for charity
• Is there too much of a good thing?
• Odd times for online world
• Monkey dances, sharks and no class - oh my!
• Turks & Caicos: When a guarantee isn't one
• Signs you might be a degenerate gambler
• Jerry Yang and poker - a good fit?