Summer poker tournament schedule features notable events

Summer poker in Las Vegas will be busier than ever.

Along with the World Series of Poker’s return to its customary place on the schedule after running in the fall of 2021, several casinos are staging their own signature events.

That includes the first-ever $3,500 buy-in BetMGM Poker Championship, which starts June 23 at Aria and features a $1 million guaranteed prize pool.

“The first-ever BetMGM Poker Championship descends on Las Vegas during one of the most exciting times of the poker season,” said Luke Staudenmaier, director of poker of BetMGM, in a news release. “Aria is a legendary poker brand, and we’re thrilled that the championship has become an integral part of this year’s Poker Classic.”

The BetMGM Poker Championship is part of the Aria Poker Classic, with daily tournaments running June 1 through July 17. The series includes nearly 50 events in several poker variants with more than $3.5 million in total guaranteed prize pools.

Here are other scheduled events:

Venetian DeepStack

The property’s DeepStack Championship Poker Series kicked off May 2 and runs through July 31 with more than $22 million in guaranteed tournament prize pools.

The highlight is the $5,000 buy-in World Poker Tour Venetian Las Vegas No-limit Hold’em main event July 12 with a $4 million guaranteed prize pool.

Two Mid-States Poker Tour events also will be held during the series. The $1,600 buy-in runs June 6 through 10 and has a $2 million guarantee, and the $1,100 buy-in tournament goes June 12 through 16 and comes with a $1.5 million guarantee.

Wynn Summer Classic

The well-heeled series opens Tuesday and has nearly 30 events with $16.5 million in guarantees before wrapping up July 20.

The schedule includes seven tournaments with at least $1 million in the prize pool and is highlighted by the $3,500 buy-in No-limit Hold’em Championship that starts June 24 and has a $3.5 million guarantee.

MGM Grand

The Grand Summer Series started May 15 and runs through July 17 showcasing more than $9 million in guarantees.

The $2,500 buy-in Grand Finale main event begins July 1 and features a $2 million guaranteed prize pool. There’s also a $1,700 buy-in Big Show Main Event (June 23) and Grand Mystery Bounty (July 7) that each come with $1 million prize pools.

Golden Nugget

The Grand Poker Series (Tuesday through July 3) has 81 events with more than $3 million in guaranteed prize money.

The main event, an $1,100 buy-in No-limit Hold’em tournament, begins June 24 and has a $1 million guaranteed prize pool.

The series culminates with the $600 No-limit Hold’em Championship starting June 30.

The Orleans

The Orleans Summer Open begins Tuesday and concludes July 10 with more than $3.5 million in guarantees.

The $1,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em Championship starts June 16 and serves as the main event. It features a $750,000 guaranteed prize pool.

South Point

The Summer Poker Round Up kicks off Monday and consists of a weekly $240 buy-in No-limit Hold’em event, with starting flights Monday through Wednesday and a $75,000 guaranteed prize pool.

The property also hosts the $450 buy-in Ladies International Poker Series National Championship starting June 30 with a $40,000 guarantee.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.