Atlantic City Hosts A World Poker Tour Championship For The First Time

A one week event is being held at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, and its sponsored by Party Poker.

Tom Balance, Borgata’s president, commented that moving of the championship to Atlantic City represents the growing interest in poker, in the state. He added that this change was even more visible after online gambling became legal in New Jersey, according to US gambling laws.

He said: “With online gaming and the popularity of the Borgata brand, the center of gravity of poker is moving to New Jersey.”

Additionally: “The fact that after such a short time we have had people qualifying online says a great deal about the changing face of poker.”

Potential winner

The winner at the event will take home at least $1.3 million, from a guaranteed $5 million prize pool. One of the players dreaming of this amazing prize is Ken “Teach” Aldridge, poker player from Pleasant Gardens, North Carolina.

He commented for the gambling news: “I enjoy these tournaments and I’m fairly successful in them.” So far it is known that he has won more than $1 million in live tournaments. Ken added: “I’m using poker to travel the world. I just got back from Chile.”

Adam Pliska, president of the WPT, commented that the move to New Jersey was partly introduced, due to the great availability of online poker in the state, so that it can be even further popularized with the tourney.