The last stage of 2023 of the popular WPT Prime circuit before the grand final in Las Vegas will be played in the city of Madrid from September 23 to October 2. The festival will feature 14 events with the WPT Prime Main Event, taking place from September 28 to October 2 and awarding the Perpetual Trophy to the winner. Longtime contributor Mike Patrick will be on hand in person to cover the festival for Cardplayer Lifestyle.
David Luzago invites you to WPT Prime Madrid
For those who don’t know David Luzago, he is one of the most important people in the poker industry in Spain. He is the voice of the program “En La Mente de un Pro” that you can see on YouTube and hosts “Marca Poker”, the only poker radio program in Spanish. He is also Poker Manager of the luxurious Casino Gran Vía, which will be the headquarters of the WPT Prime Madrid in a few days. We contacted him to tell us a little about the festival.
David Luzago and Matt Savage during 2022 WPT Prime Madrid
When asked what he would tell the players to invite them to the festival, David said “I would tell them not to miss the opportunity to play one of the few World Poker Tour events in Europe, since it has a very competitive calendar within reach of all budgets and the possibilities of taking home a beautiful WPT trophy are many.”
Last year’s edition had 621 entries and distributed €589K in prizes. We asked David if he thinks those numbers are going to grow this year, to which he replied: “The WPT Prime comes with a clear increasing trend, with 1,359 entries in Taiwan and 1,644 in Liechtenstein. Expectations are high and we hope to surpass last year’s numbers.”
Matt Savage, David Luzago and 2022 WPT Prime champion Oleksii Koiev
Recently, on his radio show, David mentioned that there will be a tribute to Doyle Brunson 🤠. “The idea is to honor the Godfather of Poker. The last tournament of the festival will bear his name and there will be dealers wearing clothing reminiscent of the great Poker Hall of Famer. There will also be a promotion where players who win a hand while holding 10-2 will get a ticket for a drawing with big prizes to play in WPT Prime events.”
WPT Prime events have been having very good numbers in 2023. According to David, what makes it such a popular and attractive circuit for poker players is “being able to enjoy the magic and atmosphere generated in a World Poker Tour event at a lower price and with large prize pools in your city.”
Players from Spain will have several ways to qualify, both live and online. As per David, “Those who wish to qualify from the comfort of their home can do so online at Winamax.es and during the festival there will be five live satellites in Gran Via on September 27, 28 and 29 featuring buy-ins of only €200. A super satellite will also be played before the festival begins.”
Thank you @Winamax for running satellites to win seats to @WPTPrime Madrid.
If you’ve never been to Madrid it’s a must, the city is really affordable, safe, and the people are beautiful inside and out!
For more info visit completely revamped @WPT website:https://t.co/N54gEuV2zo https://t.co/RIsx5l2c39— Matt Savage (@SavagePoker) September 2, 2023
The WPT Prime Madrid Festival
These will be the 14 events of the festival:
| Event | Day | Time | Buy-In | Stack | Levels |
| #1 The Opener | September 23 | 4 PM | €220 | 30K | 30 min. |
| #2 NLH Survivor | September 23 | 7:30 PM | €115 | 20K | 20 |
| #3 NLH Bounty | September 24 | 4 PM | €220 | 30K | 30 |
| #4 NLH Rápido | September 24 | 7:30 PM | €150 | 20K | 15 |
| #5 Pot Limit Omaha | September 25 | 4 PM | €250 | 20K | 30 |
| #6 NLH 20/20/20 | September 25 | 7:30 PM | €150 | 20K | 20 |
| #7 Gran Stack | September 26-28 | 4 PM | €330 | 40K | 30/40 |
| #8 Pot Limit Omaha | September 26 | 7:30 PM | €220 | 20K | 20 |
| #9 WPT Prime | Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 | 3 PM | €1,100 | 30K | 40/60 |
| #10 Ladies Event | October 1st | 3 PM | €100 | 20K | 30 |
| #11 Bounty Confidential | October 1st | 4 PM | €1,100 | 30K | 30/40 |
| #12 Seniors | October 2 | 3 PM | €220 | 20K | 30 |
| #13 High Roller | October 2 | 4 PM | €3,200 | 50K | 30 |
| #14 The Closer | October 2 | 4 PM | €150 | 20K | 20 |
You can see the complete schedule and structures of all the tournaments at this link.
WPT Prime Madrid Main Event
Schedule:
- Day 1A: Thursday, September 28 at 3 PM (play till field is in the money)
- Day 1B: Friday, September 29 at 3 PM (play till field is in the money)
- Day 1C: Saturday, September 30 at 3 PM (play till field is in the money)
- Day 1D Turbo: Saturday, September 30 at 8 PM (play till field is in the money)
- Day 2: Sunday, October 1st at 3 PM (until final table)
- Day 3: Monday, October 2 at 3 PM (final table)
Structure:
- Buy-In: €1,100
- Re-entry: unlimited during late registration
- Starting Stack: 30,000 chips
- Blind Levels: 40 minutes during Day 1 and 60 minutes during Day 2 and 3
- Ante Format: Big Blind Ante
- Action Clock: Will be put in place at the start of Day 2
- Late registration: Registration closes at the start of level 7
- Payouts: 12,5%
The Venue
Casino Gran Vía is a unique space in the heart of Madrid, perfect for enjoying the best cuisine and cocktails, its spectacular architectural wealth and the most exclusive leisure.
The Casino Gran Vía mansion, built in 1924, was the headquarters of the Commercial and Industrial Circle of Madrid at the beginning of the 20th Century. Enjoy spectacular views of Gran Vía and highlight its spectacular architectural beauty.
What to See and Do in Madrid?
Madrid is the capital of Spain and is home to more than 3 million people, making it the second-most populated city in the European Union. Some of the places that you can visit in Madrid are:
- Prado Museum 🖼️
- Royal Palace 👑
- Santiago Bernabeu Stadium ⚽️
- Reina Sofia National Museum of Art Center 🎨
- Warner Bros. Park 🎢
- Zoo Aquarium 🦈
- Atletico Madrid Stadium ⚽️
- Bullring Arena 🐂
Don’t miss this festival in one of the most fascinating cities in Europe!
Adios Madrid and España! Need to thank @DavidLuzago, Dealers, Staff, and especially the Players for making our time in your beautiful city so memorable. @MaryannSavage and I made lifelong friends in our short stay. Hope to return again for another @WPT Festival in near future. pic.twitter.com/ZQ02bFQcId
— Matt Savage (@SavagePoker) September 20, 2022
