Run it Up: Resorts Rumble Aims to Expand US Poker
7 years ago
06 May
Next week will see a host of pros from the PokerStars team heading to New Jersey’s Atlantic City Resorts casino for the state’s first live event, with Twitch TV favorite Jason Somerville heading the all-star cast.
The Run It Up: Resorts Rumble event on Saturday May 14th is being promoted as the ‘official welcome party’ for PokerStars in New Jersey and will feature a Meet and Greet breakfast session, various poker tournaments, a VIP Live event in the evening, and a host of other entertainments along the way.
It’ll be a day full of activity,” claims PokerStars’ Stephen Bartley. “There's online poker to be played, some great giveaways, and a chance to meet some of the best poker players in the game.”
Eric Hollreiser, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Amaya, added:
We're very proud of PokerStars' initial success in New Jersey and looking forward to seeing our fans in person as we celebrate at Resorts. Bringing JCarver and his band of merry poker fans to New Jersey will create even more excitement and interest in the New Jersey online gaming market."
Jason ‘JCarver’ Somerville is the main player in the Twitch TV stakes, and his hugely entertaining online exploits have attracted over 10 million viewers in total. He is also at the forefront of attempts to have poker regulated nationwide.
"I'm incredibly excited to host our first one-day Run it Up festival on the East Coast with two great partners in PokerStars and Resorts," said Somerville, now a Team PokerStars Pro and host of Run it Up.
It's been so much fun playing and streaming on PokerStars New Jersey this month, and I can't wait to hang out with all of our awesome Run it Up fans in person. It'll totally be worth putting on pants!"
On the regulation aspect, he stated:
I feel uniquely positioned to help drive regulation in the states with around 100,000 unique American fans tuning into Run it Up in any given month. My fans constantly ask why they can’t join me for a $1 stud tournament, but can buy lotto tickets or bet on horse races online. I want to harness that energy to try to help regulation progress across the USA.”
As well as Somerville, the event will feature 2003 Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker, poker and chess pro Jennifer Shahade, the world’s leading female money winner Vanessa Selbst, as well as Barry Greenstein, and Liv Boeree.
Some of the other attractions listed on the PS blog include:
- Battleship stations so you can play heads-up against your favorite PokerStars celebrities.
- Q&A sessions with PokerStars Team Pros.
- Tables where people can sit and play their favorite poker games online on PokerStars NJ while chatting (i.e. trash-talking) with their table-mates live. We call it "onlive" poker.
- Play chess against grandmaster Jen Shahade, who will also be doing a chess "simul", where she plays games against multiple opponents simultaneously.
Shahade, last year’s OFC High Roller champion and also a renowned chess commentator, recently posted on Facebook:
Before the 1st New Jersey Championship of Online poker, we celebrate in AC with a battleship style live tourney, a chess simul with me, and after-party. Let me know if you'd like to come!”
Her brother, chess international master Greg Shahade, will likely be a favorite for anything happening on the 64 squares, but the main focus will be on enjoying the day’s poker-related fun.
The PokerStars Run It Up Resorts Rumble is a $30 buy-in NLHE event on PokerStarsNJ.com, but is only open to those on-site at the Resorts Casino Hotel.
The reason for this according to the Stars site is because:
We're going to play the final table online, but live around a physical table. If you're not in the room, you will be disqualified from the tournament!”
There will actually be NO live poker played at the event – all games being played ‘ONLIVE’, which the organisers describe as:
You are playing online poker, at a brick and mortar venue, with all of your friends and poker buddies sitting around you,” adding, “Please have your own device for playing the onlive tournaments and cash games. We will have power strips available but please bring your own power cord or phone/tablet and charger.”
As well as the RunItUp Resorts Rumble, there will also be a New Jersey-wide $10 buy-in tournament for those who want to “celebrate all across the state” on the PokerStarsNJ site, with the emphasis on enjoyment and partying. Saturday evening will feature a signature PokerStars VIP Club Live event - including beachside drinks, food, and entertainment at The Landshark Bar & Grille Restaurant.
For those thinking or planning to go to the event, tickets are available for $10 with the money raised going to Autism Speaks. “That entitles you to a wristband grants you access to all the daytime activities and the VIP Club Live party in the evening. However you get there, you're in for a great day,” according to the hosts.
RunItUp Resorts Rumble: Hour by hour:
- 9:00am - Registration opens
- 9:45am - Breakfast is served
- 10:00am - Breakfast and meet and greet with the pros
- 10:30am - Opening speech from Jason Somerville
- 11:00am - Run It Up Resorts Rumble - $30 tournament played onlive at Resorts.
- 11:00am - Onlive cash games kick off. Find a physical table, get everybody at that table playing the same online cash game on PokerStars NJ - and you have onlive poker!
- 11:30am - Online tournament for all of NJ to celebrate the event. $10 buy-in
- 12:00pm - Liv Boeree hosts some silly competition for people who have busted from the tournament(s). Players can win PokerStars NJ giveaways.
- 1:45pm - Lunch. Turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, tossed salad, Mac 'n Cheese, and frozen yogurt. $10 per person.
- 2:00pm - Q&A with Liv Boeree.
- 3:00pm - Final table of the RIU Resorts Rumble, played onlive around a table. Celebrity hosts, or failing that, Lee Jones to host.
- 4:00pm - Q&A session. Chris Moneymaker, Vanessa Selbst, Barry Greenstein, and/or others.
- 5:00pm - Jason Somerville Q&A session.
- 7:30pm - VIP Club Live party kicks off at Landshark Bar and Grill.
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