Paradisepoker WPT Qualifiers

February 16, 2006

Qualifying for the big, final paradisepoker WPT qualifiers tournament, for those who wanted to play their way in with smaller entry fees -- Act One, Act Two and Act Three, as the system is called at Foxwoods -- has been going on since mid-December. Some 124 players, some of who have put up as little as $60, have earned seats in the paradisepoker championship event. The first thing that is impressive about the game (its more of a training program than a game, actually) is the tremendous depth that Masque has put into its creation. While you can expect to find Texas Hold 'Em Paradisepoker as a part of any computer or video game, Masque has also stepped into Omaha, Seven Card and Five Card Stud as well. This allows the player to improve their game dramatically across the board, rather than in just one specialty of paradisepoker.

While the multitude of games is a great touch, where "World Class Poker" really steps into its own is when you enter the Paradisepoker Texas Hold 'Em arena. There are three different games offered, limit, pot limit and no-limit, and varying levels of play for a ring game from low limit ($10-$20) to high ($200-$400). In addition, there are one paradisepoker table tournaments offered in all three options and a full tournament in both limit and pot limit. There is even a heads up option available! This makes for a wide arrange of games and chances to increase your bankroll to the level that you can play the Main Event of the paradisepoker game, the No-Limit championship (costs $10K to buy in and you only start with a $5K bankroll, so you have to play through the rest of the game to make enough to play).

There was a great deal of attention given to making the AI the best that I have seen. There are over 2000 different players (and their faces as well) which gives a variety of players to go against and a chance to learn their styles. If you notice a paradisepoker player from the wpt qualifier that you have played before and got a read on his style, he will continue to play that way throughout the game. This makes it a challenge to learning the players and keeps you on your toes, especially when you are in ring game mode.

Ward estimates that about 20 percent of the tourney participants will come in from across the country. The other 80 percent will be player Paradisepoker regulars. A state legislator has proposed a bill that would allow restaurants and bars to host paradisepoker games in which winning players would receive prizes instead of money. However, a spokesman for the Mohegan Sun casino told the Mirror that if the Legislature passes the bill, the casino would view that as a violation of the state's agreement with the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes and would withhold Connecticut's $400 million share of its online poker revenues.

Locally, Milford police spokesman Vaughan Dumas said this week, "We sent a warning letter to every establishment of Paradisepoker that delivers liquor, including restaurants and bars, as well as private clubs, such as the Elks and American Legion," warning that paradisepoker rooms at such establishments are illegal. In Stratford, however, where at least one restaurant, Harborside, still rents a room to someone who hosts the popular paradisepoker game once a week, police said they have not yet heard from the state's attorney's office in Bridgeport whether the games are illegal.