The wait is over for tournament players in the UK because Partypoker Live is heading back out on the road after two years of limited activity.
Although Partypoker’s live tournament bandwagon made fleeting appearances in parts of Europe last year, most recently in North Cyprus, there’s been a lack of activity in the UK since 2020. That will change on Jan. 20 when Day 1A of the Grand Prix UK gets underway at Dusk Till Dawn.
DTD gets Partypoker started in 2022
For clarity, there will be four online starting flights taking place between Jan. 16 and 18 to give players maximum flexibility. However, the sound riffling of chips will return in earnest on Jan. 20 with the first of three live starting flights.
The £150 ($200) tournament will have a £100,000 ($135,000) guarantee and everyone who makes Day 2 will get a return on their investment. Those who make the Jan. 23 final table will win the lion’s share of a six-figure prize pool.
The tournament will take place at Nottingham’s Dusk Till Dawn because England has the fewest COVID restrictions of all the UK’s devolved nations. However, in the interests of safety and easing back into the groove slowly, each live starting flight will have a cap of between 153 and 180 players. This is to ensure everyone attending can provide a COVID pass or proof of a negative test in a timely manner.
The caps also mean Dusk Till Dawn can continue offering cash games alongside the tournament.
Live poker remains buoyant as players learn to live with COVID
The Grand Prix UK will kick off Partypoker Live’s 2022 season and its head of events, Dan Rose, said his team is looking forward to returning after such a long hiatus. He also urged players to register early to avoid disappointment.
Live poker is thriving in England right now and, even though facemasks became mandatory at all tables just before Christmas, players are still happy to ante up.
CASH GAME UPDATE:
1 x £5/£10 NLH
6 x £1/£2 NLH
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Regular tweets from London’s Hippodrome Casino show that upwards of six cash game tables are running during the week. That’s a strong number, with or without COVID restrictions in place. Similarly, the GUKPT has also been attracting strong numbers since poker rooms in England reopened in July 2021.
Partypoker’s tournament team has watched things play out from the rail over the last few months. Now, with Omicron infections not translating into a significant rise in deaths or hospitalizations, they believe the time is right to restart operations.
While an air of caution is still required, more than 90% of the population over 12 in the UK has received at least one dose of vaccine, and 82% have received two, which is helping life return to some semblance of normality. For poker players, that means the return of another live tour courtesy of Partypoker.
