Fallsview Casino Niagara has just announced the schedule for the upcoming Poker Classic, a Canadian Poker Tour event.

There will be three main tournaments running from January 8th - 14th and over 2.3 Million dollars worth of prize money given away. The tournament information looks like this:

Main Tournament Information
January 8 grand prize $80,000*
January 10 grand prize $200,000*
January 12 grand prize $400,000*
Buy In - $1,000
January 8 Day 1 start 12 pm
January 9 Day 2 start 12 pm
January 10 Day 3 start 4 pm**
Buy In - $2,500
January 10 Day 1 start 12 pm
January 11 Day 2 start 12 pm
January 12 Day 3 start 4 pm**
Buy In - $5,000
January 12 Day 1 start 12 pm
January 13 Day 2 start 12 pm
January 14 Day 3 start 12 pm

**start time may be delayed**

Each tournament has been given a guaranteed grand prize of $80 000, $200 000 and $400 000 respectively.

The Casino has said they will be hosting step-structure satellites for the events. In previous years the old Casino Niagara has typically run step 1 satellites as well, however you may want to check in advance before pursuing that alternative.

This should be a very entertaining event, and an even better excuse to visit Niagara.

Stay tuned to the blog for possible upcoming online qualifiers!

Harli, a 26 year old Torontonian and an 888 regular is tearing apart the competition. If you've ever been deep in a tournament on 888, you've surely come across Harli at some point or another at the final table.

Harli has always been a consistent winner, however this past month of October the young Canadian raised his game. With online tournament winnings over $85 000 that I know of (likely much more), Harli seems to have found his stride and elevated his game to the next level. Now that Harli has stepped up his game, look for him to go deep in the Daily Challenges on 888 as he is always a threat to win.

Congratulations Harli, long may it continue!

For a limited time, if you are thinking about making your first cash deposit at Pacific Poker, now is the time to do it.

Starting August 15th and running until April, if you make your first deposit at 888, you can climb your way to Gold Status for only 1/5th of the points.

That's a phenomenal time saving deal. In 20% less time than it would normally take you to earn Silver, you could already have Gold status and be reaping all the benefits to go along with it. Gold AND Silver freerolls as well as Gold quality Frequent Player Points.

All you have to do is...

For GOLD Status – make your first deposit and generate at least 300 Status Points (normally 1,500!) from August 15 – 31

For SILVER Status – make your first deposit and generate at least 100 Status Points (normally 500!) from August 15 – 31

Upgrades will be granted on September 1st!

With the new Reward Scheme available to all players on 888, it pays to pay attention.

Besides the monthly freerolls per status, there are also weekly Silver status freerolls. Make sure you are taking full advantage of all the freerolls available. The VIP 10k freeroll is a fantastic tournament and should be the aspiration of every regular player on 888.

As well, frequently there are restricted tournaments that you may be able to enter that you hadn't heard about. Make sure you are paying close attention to the restricted section of the tournaments to find a tourney for you.

The Mega Stack Tournament at the Hard Rock in Vegas is taking place this weekend. Luckily for you, the CPT championship aren't until the August 22nd weekend. Even better still, there are Qualifiers running at 888 right now!

A $200 qualifier can earn you a $4500 package to the main event tournament.

The main event is the largest tournament ever held at the Hard Rock as the starting stack is a massive 50 000 chips.

The next CPT qualifier on 888 is August 16th, but take advantage of the many step satellites from now until then to get in for as little as $3! You could be walking home a CPT champion for three dollars!

So I didn't get much time to play this week, and I sit here writing this having busted out of the Saturday $50 000 challenge in minutes.

The reason why? I spent the last two nights at concerts in Toronto. First was Coldplay at the Skydome (I refuse to use Roger's Centre). Second was Rise Against and Rancid at the Molson Ampitheatre at Ontario Place.

Both put on fantastic shows.

No, this is certainly not a Brag post. This is just a friendly reminder that no matter the reason why you play poker, you need to make sure the end result is "fun."

If you're playing recreationally, winning may not be your focus, but you better be enjoying the game.

If you play for a living, make sure you take some time (and some winnings) to spend on luxury or entertainment. Like a concert.

I know first hand that paying your bills with Poker income can bring you to stress levels you probably didn't know you had. That's why it's even more important to make sure that you get some enjoyment out of the game from time to time. Make sure it doesn't start to feel too much like work ;)

There are a number of reasons why you might want to try a new variation of poker. Perhaps you play recreationally and are starting to get bored with your regular Hold Em tournaments. Or maybe you play semi-professionally, but all of the regular players at your limits are starting to get to know your playing patterns.

Whatever the reason, there are a few things to keep in mind when venturing out into the wilderness of poker:

Make Sure you know the Rules

- It seems obvious. It is obvious. But better than learning the game through trial and error, pick up a book and learn the basic rules ahead of time so you don't lose some money trying to figure it out.

Know the Reason Why You're Playing a new Game

- Whether you are playing for fun or trying to turn a steady profit; it is important to recognize ahead of time what your goals are and what steps you need to take to obtain them.

If you're a first timer playing Razz after only playing Fixed Limit Hold Em, perhaps expecting an immediate profit would be unwise.

Budget Your Bankroll Accordingly

- Different styles of poker require different bankroll management techniques. One particular game may require you to have $2000 in your bank, while a different variation of the same stakes will require $4000 for healthy management.

- As well, if you're venturing into strange waters, don't expect that since you are a regular 1/2 NLHE player that you should immediately translate into a regular 1/2 PLO player. These are completely different games.

Work your way up the stakes ladder through a proper win rate analysis. Once you are winning consistently at a level, then move up stakes, not when you can afford it.

Keep an Open Mind

- Be willing to try all kinds of different games. Every game has it's pros and cons. Some games may appear easier to beat than others, sometimes that may even be true. Perhaps you are better equiped to play stud hi/lo than you are to play 5 card draw. Take into consideration that perhaps you just ran well during an omaha session and that it does not accurately reflect how easy the game is.

- Remember where ever you go, there will always be someone who has been playing that game for years, looking to take advantage of the newbie who is out of his depth. Be careful where you swim.

Sorry for my delay. I have been away in Myrtle Beach for a week long Baseball tournament with my boys.

Upon my arrival I have seen that none other than our WPC winner Jack Hinchey has won his first 888 Challenge Series tournament taking down the Friday 15k event on July 10th.

As well he has offered up a great tournament to all members actively participating in forum games to win a chance to play in all 7 events.

Good on ya Jack!