Do you have an appetite for NFTs? Have you always wanted to play under the bright lights of the PokerGO Studio? If you answered yes to both questions, then we have the perfect poker event for you.
Taking center stage in Las Vegas this May is the 2024 NFT Poker Championship, a $50,000 GTD poker tournament that will celebrate the two communities and combine them both under one roof.
In addition to the card-playing fun, attendees can put their networking hats on and mingle with some of poker’s top superstars at the community meet and greet.
The Who, What, Where, When
The brainchild of Bryan Kahanu, Creative and Marketing Advisor to PokerGO, the objective of the NFT Poker Championship “is to provide the poker dream to the average fan. Meet the pros, party with like-minded people, and battle on the felt with some of the most skilled competition in the world.”
Kahanu, better known as @TheB52Bomber on “X” (Twitter) and Discord, has also drafted in the big guns to make the event bigger and better than before.
NFT enthusiast and poker powerhouse Jonathan Little and his poker training site PokerCoaching.com are working in collaboration with the festivities. In addition to Little, planned notable attendees include WSOP Main Event champ Ryan Riess, Game of Gold star David Williams, and artists such as Gabe Weis, Pop Wonder, and Wooden Cyclops!
The NFT Poker Championship shuffles up and deals on Tuesday, May 14, inside the PokerGO studio at 12 p.m. PT. The action will also be broadcast to over 500,000 PokerGO YouTube viewers on a live-streamed feature table!
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How to Play
If you want to get involved in this truly unique event, then you need to book your seat at the table by 11:59 p.m. PT on May 10, 2024.
Entry to the NFT Poker Championship is set at $1,099, but those who are PokerGO Genesis or Deck of Degeneracy NFT Holders can hop into the tournament at a discounted rate of $999.
Each purchased ticket is valid for one tournament entry and allows an additional guest for the NFT Poker Community Meet and Greet. For those wanting a truly unforgettable experience, VIP tickets are also available, which gets you into the tourney and allows you one entry and three guest passes for the meet and greet.
But be quick. The 127-player cap means limited tickets are available, and dozens have already been snapped up. Tickets can be purchased here and additional info can be found at www.nftpokerevents.com.
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What Happened Last Time?
Following the opening-day meet and greet, 134 players tried their luck in the inaugural PokerGO NFT Invitational, a $25,000 freeroll, which took place in December 2022.
Kristopher Dearie topped the field and bagged the $5,000 up top after overcoming Darik Conley in heads-up play. Twenty-three players took a slice of the prize pool, which saw the likes of Riess, Dylan Linde, and Robbi Jade Lew (also planned to attend this year) make the paid places.
With the guarantee already doubled for this year’s edition, players can expect a juicier first-place prize to cap off this “remarkable event for poker culture.”
Kahuna labelled it as the “most rewarding” contribution of his venture so far, saying that “the stories and moments shared will be cherished for a lifetime. It was the best poker experience of my life! So, I wanted to do it again!”
2022 PokerGO NFT Invitational Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kristopher Dearie | United States | $5,000 |
| 2nd | Darik Conley | United States | $3,750 |
| 3rd | Devon Sampson | Canada | $2,750 |
| 4th | Wayne Strutt | United Kingdom | $2,000 |
| 5th | Brenden Deics | Canada | $1,625 |
| 6th | Joseph Hilleli | United States | $1,375 |
| 7th | Donnie Peters | United States | $1,200 |
Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.