WPT Deepstacks in Immokalee, Florida

After hosting two great Card Player Cruises trips on the beautiful Oasis of the Seas, Jan Fisher and I rented a car and drove to the Seminole Casino Hotel in Immokalee, Florida. We were amazed to see that the small casino we first visited in 2008 has grown into a huge, lavish, full-service casino.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by our longtime friend, Poker Room Manager Rick O’Connell, who had invited Scotty Nguyen, Jan, and me to host the WPT Deepstacks event scheduled to take place Sept. 11-20. We got checked into our well-appointed room and then took a tour of the property. The facility has been recently renovated and is beautiful throughout. A hotel was added, as well as a fitness center, a nice pool area, and four restaurants.

The poker tournament is being held in the casino’s convention center. There are huge TV screens throughout the area, which allowed us to watch the tennis finals of the US Open while playing poker. There are at least three tournaments a day to fit everyone’s needs and desires – bounty events, survivor tournaments, PLO, Omaha/8, a senior’s event, and lots of no-limit tournaments. Many of them have guaranteed prize pools. There will be at least eight satellites to win entries into the $100,000 guaranteed main event.

I’ve played three tournaments so far. I was one of the early bustouts in the Omaha/8 and senior’s tournaments, but redeemed myself in the Sunday afternoon bounty tournament. When we got down to five players, Jan Fisher was the chip leader and I was in second place. We made a 5-way deal with Jan and I each getting the equivalent of second-place money, but it would have been fun to play heads-up for the bragging rights.

I’m a real tourist; I love traveling and sightseeing. Over the next eight days, I’ll be touring nearby Fort Myers, Naples, and playing lots of poker. Come join me for some good poker action if you are anywhere near Immokalee.

Linda Johnson
Card Player Cruises