Canadian poker fans are probably rejoicing as it became known earlier this week that poker star and proud Canadian Daniel Negreanu will participate in the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl, presented by Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and Poker Central.
This year’s edition of the prestigious high roller tournament is set to take place on May 27-30. There will be 48 spots available in the event. As in previous years, its buy-in fee is US$300,000. The prize pool this year will likely exceed US$14 million. If that mark is met, the winner will receive US$5 million in prize money.
Negreanu will have to compete against the likes of Igor Kurganov, Phil Hellmuth, reigning champion Christoph Vogelsang, and former champion Brian Rast for the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl title and the first-place prize. The first 30 players that would participate in the event were revealed a few days ago. Their names were drawn from a list of 61 players who have paid the US$30,000 non-refundable deposit in a live lottery brought to poker fans by PokerGO.
The remaining 18 seats will be filled by 16 players whom Aria will select at a later date and by two players who will qualify into the tournament through a US$10,000 satellite.
Negreanu’s Performance in 2018
While we are less than three months into 2018, it can be said that the Canadian poker celebrity, now residing in Las Vegas, has been faring quite well since the beginning of the year. The player has scooped more than US$1 million in prize money from various tournaments he has played in over the past two and a half months.
Just days after the beginning of the year, Negreanu finished fourth in the PCA US$100,000 Super High Roller for US$521,140. He has scooped two more six-figure payouts this year. Early in February, the player finished third in the US Poker Open US$25,000 No-Limit Hold’em, good for US$165,000. A few days later, Negreanu finished third in the US Poker Open US$50,000 Main Event for US$264,000. He has not cashed in March.
Boosted by the player’s recent in-the-money finishes, his poker bankroll currently amounts to more than US$36.5 million.
Aria’s Super High Roller Bowl through the Years
The inaugural edition of the tournament was held in the summer of 2015. Its buy-in was US$500,000. A total of 43 players entered the event to generate a prize pool of USUS$21.5 million. US poker pro Brian Rast topped the event’s field for a first-place prize of US$7.525 million.
The 2016 Super High Roller Bowl drew 49 entries who paid a buy-in fee of US$300,000. The prize pool totaled US$15 million that year. Germany’s Rainer Kempe took down the major high roller tournament for US$5 million.
A German won the 2017 edition of the event, as well. Christoph Vogesang emerged victorious over a field of 56 runners to collect US$6 million in prize money. The event’s buy-in amounted to US$300,000 last year and a prize of US$16.8 million was generated.
No Canadians have cashed from the Aria Super High Roller Bowl since the tournament’s inception back in 2015, but we hope that will change in a few months.
