Phil Ivey is going to drop down in stakes to play in the Wynn Las Vegas poker room on Dec. 17. No, he isn’t trying to rebuild his bankroll. The WPT Global ambassador, along with many others from the World Poker Tour (WPT) crew, will compete in a Christmas Meet-Up Game (MUG) starting at 9 a.m.
The Poker Hall of Famer will be joined by numerous other prominent members of the poker community, including Jamie Kerstetter, Matt Savage, Tony Dunst, Jesse Sylvia, Xuan Liu, and numerous content creators and vloggers such as Jaman Burton, Frankie C, and Mariano Grandoli.
Who Wants to Play Poker with the G.O.A.T.?
Ivey, fresh off winning his 11th World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet this past summer, is widely considered the greatest poker player of all time. Poker fans will have a rare opportunity to compete against the G.O.A.T. during the WPT World Championship festival in $1-$2 and $2-$5 no-limit hold’em games.
All poker players are eligible to compete but it’s first-come, first-served. It would be wise to arrive early to get on the list as the MUGs typically attract a large crowd and seats fill up fast.
Ivey isn’t the only star of this show. World Poker Tour’s broadcast team of Dunst, Vince Van Patten, and Lynn Gilmartin will all be in attendance, along with various WPT Global ambassadors such as Brad Owen (come get some Bradley Dollars) Ethan “Rampage” Yau, who made his livestream high-stakes poker return last week on Hustler Casino Live.
The action will take place from 9 a.m.-noon next Tuesday, a huge day for poker at Wynn as it coincides with Day 2 of the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship, potentially bubble-bursting day.
The WPT World Championship festival began Dec. 3, and the first major event — $1,100 WPT Prime Championship — kicked off with Day 1a on Sunday. Day 1c began Tuesday morning, and there will be one additional starting flight (Wednesday) in the $5 million guaranteed tournament.