Once the showdown is complete, players show their cards; the players with the highest and lowest hands split the pot. If no player has a qualifying low hand (8 qualifier), the player with the highest hand wins the entire pot. Big O is a variation on Omaha Hi/Lo in which players are dealt five hole cards instead of four.
The L.A. Poker Classic is routinely the one of the largest and most anticipated series on the tournament calendar, but the 2018 edition promises to be bigger and better than ever as the Commerce Casino celebrates the 25th anniversary of the competition.
Already the longest running tournament series in Los Angeles, this year’s LAPC already has players eagerly anticipating the robust and diverse schedule, the revamped ballroom, new chairs and food menu, and the added prize money put up by the Commerce in an exclusive Player of the Series competition.
“Commerce has really made a commitment to making this the best LAPC we’ve ever had,” said WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage. “From rebuilding the entire tournament area, getting new equipment and chairs, to the huge risks we’re getting to take with these million dollar guarantees. I can’t wait to hear about how players feel about the new atmosphere.”
The massive, yet balanced 64-event schedule includes something for everyone, with 32 no-limit hold’em tournaments and 32 mixed-game tournaments. No two events are the same, with variations on not only buy-in, but structure and format as well.
Celebrity Poker
The action kicks off Jan. 9 with the opening event, a $350 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament that boasts a whopping $1 million guarantee. Players will begin the tournament with 25,000 in chips and will have eight different starting flights to choose from.
Of course, the LAPC is much more than just one event. In fact, players will see games offered such as Omaha eight-or-better, stud, stud eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., triple draw, big O, 2-7 single draw, and even dealer’s choice. On the hold’em side, there’s double stacks, turbos, heads-up, six-max, escalator, and bounties to contend with.
Click here to see the full schedule.
Players of all bankrolls can participate, with mega satellites starting at just $50 and events beginning at $175. Commerce will also host their largest-ever Facebook exclusive tournament, with added prizes and a $50,000 guarantee for just a $120 buy-in. For those with a little more gamble, there’s a $5,250 no-limit hold’em event, three $2,140 events of dealer’s choice, pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold’em, and even a $25,000 high roller event scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26.
Both Savage and Hammer are on a mission to make poker fun again, and that’s apparent in a schedule that includes plenty of unique events that you can’t find at other venues. For example, this year’s LAPC will host events such as all-in-or-fold, two events with an action clock, an event that has a hard stop time of 12 hours, and the second running of The Social Experiment, a popular tournament that doesn’t allow players to use any electronic devices or wear headphones, hoodies, and sunglasses.
This fun-seeking attitude is also reflected in the ongoing cash games, which will also be a part of the anniversary celebration with Rollback The Rates, a set of games running Jan. 8 – March 1 that will feature the games, and perhaps most importantly, the rake of the 90s. Games spread will include hold’em, stud, draw, and lowball.
The highlight of the series, however, is the $10,000 buy-in WPT main event. The L.A. Poker Classic main event is one of the most legendary tournaments on the World Poker Tour, producing winners such as Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Moorman, Michael Mizrachi, Anthony Zinno, Gus Hansen, Alan Goehring, Dietrich Fast, and Phil Ivey. In 2017, Daniel Strelitz topped a field of 521 players to win the $1,001,110 first-place prize. Once again, Commerce is guaranteeing at least $1 million for the 2018 winner.
“The WPT main event is my favorite tournament of the year,” admitted Hammer. “It is poker in its purest form. A true freezeout with an amazing mix of big-name poker pros, celebrities, L.A. business people, and players that were just fortunate enough to win their way in. This year, in addition to the 100 or so that will qualify through satellites; Commerce is awarding 30 seats through live cash game promotions. That means that at any given table, there can be a player who won a $150 mega, or even a $2-$4 limit regular that was in the right place at the right time. I’m looking forward to watching a diverse group of players battle to win this prestigious event.”
Commerce will be running numerous satellites into the main event. Check out the schedule below.
| Date | Time | Buy-In | Guarantee |
| 13-Jan | 8 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 19-Jan | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 20-Jan | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 26-Jan | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 27-Jan | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 2-Feb | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 3-Feb | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 9-Feb | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 10-Feb | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 16-Feb | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 17-Feb | 7 p.m. | $1,100 | 2 Seats |
| 21-Feb | 8 p.m. | $1,100 | 10 Seats |
| 22-Feb | 8 p.m. | $1,100 | 10 Seats |
| 23-Feb | 12 p.m. | $1,100 | 10 Seats |
| 23-Feb | 5 p.m. | $1,100 | 10 Seats |
| 23-Feb | 8 p.m. | $1,100 | 10 Seats |
| 24-Feb | 10 a.m. | $1,100 | 5 Seats |
| 24-Feb | 5 p.m. | $1,100 | 5 Seats |
To sweeten the pot, Commerce has also earmarked an added $60,000 in prizes for the Player of the Series (POTS) competition. That money won’t just go to one red-hot player, however, because this unique POTS will cover four different areas of poker expertise. There’s $10,000 reserved for the overall no-limit hold’em POTS, $10,000 reserved for the mixed games POTS, and even $10,000 for the mega satellite POTS. The overall POTS will take home $20,000!
Cash game players can also get in on the action, with 30 $10,000 seats up for grabs. Commerce will hold a weekly drawing to award five seats. Players just need to make a full house or better to earn an entry into the drawing. Additionally, anyone who wins one of the 64 qualifying events on the LAPC schedule will automatically be entered into a random draw for a $10,000 main event seat into the 2019 WPTLAPC main event.
For more information about the upcoming 25th anniversary L.A. Poker Classic, and to book a hotel room, visit the Commerce Casino website. For the poker rate, email j.hammer@commercecasino.net.
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