Picking the pros for the annual WSOP Fantasy Poker Draft.
We’ve all heard of fantasy football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. Fantasy sports drafts have been going on for decades, and most sports fans are familiar with the way it works. But did you know there’s an annual fantasy poker draft held prior to the start of the World Series of Poker?
| It takes place each year at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, just a hop and a skip south of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino where the WSOP is played. It’s no rinky-dink set-up, either. The fantasy poker draft is actually organized by Canada’s most decorated poker pro, Daniel Negreanu.If you know poker at all, you surely recognize that name. Daniel Negreanu—aka Kid Poker—has 6 WSOP bracelets and 2 WPT titles under his belt. He’s also the current all time money earner in the sport, with $32.8 million and counting. Negreanu has been organizing the fantasy poker draft since 2011. He took over the esteemed role from fellow poker pro Howard Lederer, who held the first rendition at his house in 2010. Why did Daniel take over, you ask? As Negreanu so graciously put it:
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$25k Fantasy Poker Draft Not for Everyone
This fantasy poker draft isn’t for everyone. In fact, it’s largely enjoyed by the same professional poker players who are participating in the WSOP. The simple reason for that – it costs $25,000 to enter. For average Joe’s like most of us, if we had $25k to spare, we’d spend it to enter the WSOP Main Event, not on fantasy draft picks.
If you happen to be among the higher wealth brackets and want to join in on the next fantasy poker draft, here’s all you need to know. If not, skip down to the less expensive $1.5k Fantasy Draft and ODB Fantasy Draft options below.
$25k Fantasy Poker Draft Rules & Info
– Location: Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
– Buy-in: $25,000
– Date/Time: TBA (usually one day before WSOP Event #1)
– Website: www.25kfantasy.com
Each player begins with a bankroll of $200, and must complete a roster of 8 players. Participants will take turns nominating a poker pro to put on the auction block. Order of play is chosen by random draw. All participants will then bid on the selected pro until one wins the auction. Play proceeds until all drafters have a roster of 8.
Every cent contributed in buy-ins goes to the prize pool. There is no rake. Daniel Negreanu himself absorbs the cost for organizing and hosting the event.
$1.5k Fantasy Poker Draft
You can surely guess the details of this fantasy poker draft. It’s a perfect mirror of the $25k version above, but at a fraction of the cost. The buy-in is set at $1,500. All other rules are the same.
The $1.5k version is still a bit pricey for regular folks, attracting only 16 participants in 2017. For an even less expensive way to get in on the action, there’s always the ODB Fantasy Poker Draft.
ODB Fantasy Poker Draft
The ODB Fantasy Poker Draft is the brain child of another famous poker pro, David Baker. This version costs $500 to enter, and uses a point-value system (not auction). Best of all, you won’t have to travel to Las Vegas to join in, since this one takes place online. And as you may have guessed, it attracts a lot more participants – 212 of them this year.
Participants receive a $200 bankroll and will draft 8 players based on a point-value system. For example, in the 2017 ODB Fantasy, Daniel Negreanu was worth 100 points. Selecting him would leave only 100 points left to pick another 7 players, so choose wisely!
There’s also a ‘Bonus Player‘ selection that can you can purchase for an extra $25 fee, at no additional point cost. Choosing this option will give participants a total of 9 players.
