The World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions (WPT TOC) just got a little more compelling for the players involved, after Monster Headphones added a Corvette to the prizepool.
The inaugural WPT TOC will get underway on April 22, but with a $15,000 entry fee for former WPT champions, and current champions lining up for free, many have been concerned that there is a lack of value.
While those with a free seat can’t be unhappy about the decision to create a semi-exclusive tournament, the decision to part with $15,000 isn’t one many former champions were thrilled about when the tournament was first announced.
Prizes Worthy of a Champion
Fortunately, the WPT has worked hard to address the concerns of those who will have to pay for the privilege in taking part in the first WPT TOC by adding $100,000 to the prizepool, as well as a plethora of prizes.
In fact, soon after the rumblings of discontent began to be heard online, WPT President and CEO Adam Pliska announced that the following items would be added to the mix:
A special Hublot watch
An Aurae Solid Gold MasterCard
A pair of gold Monster 24K Headphones
A custom premium poker table from BBO Poker Tables
A seat in Tiger’s Poker Night Presented by World Poker Tour
A round of golf at the Shadow Creek Golf Course with Matt Savage and two friends
With the tide of discontent slowly turning to approval, the WPT then announced the addition of a shiny new Corvette to the prize offerings.
Thanks to the tour’s longtime headphone sponsor Monster, the eventual TOC champion will now be able to drive off into the sunset with the trophy and prize money in their sexy news sports car.
Punching the Clock
There are currently 19 current regional champions of World Poker Tour Main Tour Events eligible for those free flights, as well as complimentary accommodations, and before the event kicks off, and one more Circuit winner who will be added to that tally.
While players appear to be happy with the newly enhanced prizepool, the introduction of a 30-second Action Clock has caused issues with some players.
Each time a hand is dealt, the dealer will start the Action Clock (located on the table) and players will have 30 seconds to make a decision each time the action is on them.
Although this innovation is designed to speed up the action and make the event more viewer-friendly, some players, including Jordan Cristos, have criticized the idea, and vowed to play in such a way as to highlight what they see as the absurdity of it all.
