Saracen Casino Resort to Host Inaugural Arkansas Poker Classic
The Oct. 6-11 series brings Gulf Coast Poker Tour to Arkansas with a $600 Main Event and $300,000 guarantee.
Saracen Casino Resort will host the inaugural Arkansas Poker Classic from Oct. 6-11, bringing a six-day Gulf Coast Poker Tour series to the state for the first time. The festival’s $600 Main Event carries a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool, with five starting flights and 40-minute levels throughout.
The Main Event begins Oct. 8. Its starting flights run through Oct. 10, and winners from the Thursday Main Event flights are scheduled to return for the restart on Oct. 11. Organizers expect competitors from Arkansas and the surrounding region.
KATV reported that the opening day features a $30,000-guaranteed Seniors Event and a $20,000-guaranteed Big O tournament. Other guaranteed events include the $50,000 Big Monster Stack, a $20,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship and a $10,000 Ladies Event, alongside a Rookies Event, additional tournaments and qualifiers.
Bill Phillips of Gulf Coast Poker said the series was being offered because of Arkansas’ “deep and thriving poker community.” He said Saracen and Neal Atkinson are expected to provide a spacious playing area, amenities and a new hotel for the event.
Gulf Coast Poker was founded in 2006 by Gene Dudek and Phillips. Its tour had already featured stops in Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas during the year of the report, with Arkansas added to its schedule.
Players must be at least 21, present valid government-issued identification and hold a Saracen Casino Player’s Card in good standing. Tournament schedules, structures and guarantees remain subject to change with notice.
