The 2010 Five Star World Poker Classic at the Bellagio schedule was released back in December 2009 right after the Five Diamond World Poker Classic finished up. The preliminaries in December saw lower turnout than expected to tournament officials decided to make all the preliminary events no limit hold’em tournaments with re-buys for the 2010 series.
Jack McClelland the tournament director at the Bellagio commented: ‘The four re-buy tournaments in December had gone very well and the players seemed to like them so we thought we would try that format. We always try to listen to the paleyrs. In December the players liked the re-buys real well so we thought let’s go with it. A few people said I don’t know if I like that, but I wasn’t expecting the turnout to be like this.”
The first tournament of the 2010 Five Star World Poker Classic was held on March 30th and twenty six players competed. The players purchased thirty seven re-buys and the total prize pool was just over $60,000.
Because of the low turnout in March, The Bellagio announced just yesterday that they are going to adjust the tournament series schedule yet again. McClelland was expecting 100 to 150 players in the tournament so because of the low turnout they decided to change the series again. McClelland also stated that he does not like to change a tournament ‘in the middle of the stream’ but it seemed necessary.
The changes include a reduction in the number of re-buy events as well as a reduction in some of the tournament buy-in amounts. Seven $1,000 no limit hold’em events with re-buys are now on the preliminary schedule as well as five $1,000 no limit hold’em events, four $500 no limit hold’em events and two $1,000 pot limit Omaha events with re-buys.
“The players still like the re-buy tournaments but with the bad economy they can’t afford to purchase multiple re-buys as much,” said McClelland. “We decided to modify the schedule and leave the re-buys in for those who like them, and we also went back to more traditional single buy-in $500 and $1,000 tournaments.”
Below is the revised schedule for the Five Star
World Poker Classic:
Tuesday, Mar. 30: Event No. 1 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)
Wednesday, Mar. 31: Event No. 2 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)
Thursday, Apr. 1: Event No. 3 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)
Friday, Apr. 2: Event No. 4 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)
Saturday, Apr. 3: Event No. 5 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em)
Sunday, Apr. 4: Event No. 6 ($500 no-limit hold’em)
Monday, Apr. 5: Event No. 7 ($500 no-limit hold’em)
Tuesday, Apr. 6: Event No. 8 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em)
Wednesday, Apr.7: Event No. 9 ($500 no-limit hold’em)
Thursday, Apr. 8: Event No. 10 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em)
Friday, Apr. 9: Event No. 11 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)
Saturday, Apr. 10: Event No. 12 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em)
Sunday, Apr. 11: Event No. 13 ($1,000 pot-limit Omaha with re-buys)
Monday, Apr. 12: Event No. 14 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em)
Tuesday, Apr. 13: Event No. 15 ($1,000 pot-limit Omaha with re-buys)
Wednesday, Apr. 14: Event No. 16 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)
Thursday, Apr. 15: Event No. 17 ($500 no-limit hold’em)
Friday, Apr. 16: Event No. 18 ($5,000 no-limit hold’em)
Sunday, Apr. 18: Event No. 19 ($25,000 WPT Championship)
Thursday, Apr. 22: Event No. 20 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys)