A field of 500 poker players is expected next week to attend the
10th Annual Shooting Star Tournament at Bay 101 in San Jose.
A field of 500 poker players is expected next week to attend the 10th Annual Shooting Star Tournament at Bay 101 in San Jose.
Danny Nguyen of San Jose returns to defend his title Monday morning as No-Limit Hold ‘Em play begins in the five-day event.
The 2005 event drew a record 440 players. Tournament director Matt Savage, the most familiar face in televised poker tournaments in the world, believes that this week’s event will reach the projected 500 figure.
“Amazing,” said Savage of the potential for a 500-player field. Savage has spent the past month in Canada and Australia for meetings and tournaments. “The number of players involved in poker has grown over the past year. It’s becoming more popular worldwide.”
The winner of the tournament will receive a one million dollar check and a seat in the World Poker Tour Championship event in Las Vegas later this year. One feature that draws a strong field of potential millionaires is the bounties portion of the tournament.
Each table will have one player designated as a ‘Star.’ When a Star is eliminated from play, the player who caused the player to be eliminated wins an immediate bounty payout of $5,000. Savage noted that in previous Shooting Star events, players were able to earn several bounties during one tournament.
The Stars are featured poker professionals, although some spots are reserved for players who are more recognized through film careers than in card games. James Woods, Jennifer Tilly and Shannon Elizabeth are planned as Stars. Nguyen, along with World Poker Tour champions Gus Hansen, Doyle Brunson and Antonio Esfandiari, will begin play as Stars.
Based on the large field of play, the tournament staff has divided first-round play into two groups. The first half of the field will begin play at 11:15am on Monday, the second half at the same time Tuesday. Poker continues Wednesday at 12 noon, with play to continue until 36 remain. The fourth day of play, to begin at 12 noon Thursday, will have six tables of six players, with play to continue until six players remain. Those six will be at the Final Table at 5pm Friday March 3 as part of the World Poker Tour televised series on The Travel Channel.
Bay 101 is hosting a World Series of Poker Shooting Star Event Sunday Feb. 26. Entrants posting $2,000 will play for a $110,000 first prize. The event, with 220 players, is sold out. The top three finishers will receive a $10,000 seat at the 2006 World Series of Poker main event in July at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.
