- New awards ceremony to honour accomplished poker players, poker room employees and media personalities
- Blake Whittington nominated for three awards
- Hosted during Poker Gras, where there will be a $100,000 Guarantee Main Event
There’s a new opportunity for members of the poker community to be honored, in first-ever Gulf Coast Poker Awards. These awards will be handed out to players who have distinguished themselves in various categories over the course of the past year.
There are a number of major categories, the nominees for which are:
Player of the Year
- Blake Whittington
- Hamid Izadi
- Maurice Hawkins
- Michael Lech
- Phillip Hui
- Sean Winter
Breakout Player of the Year
- Blake Whittington
- David Jackson
- Josh Thibodaux
- Philip Hui
- Trace Henderson
- Yousef Saleh
Most Consistent Tournament Player
- Blake Whittington
- Dustin Stewart
- Hamid Izadi
- Jacob Seele
- Kyle Cartwright
- Loni Harwood
Female Player of the Year
- Irene Carey
- Jessica Dawley
- Loni Harwood
- Tara Snow
Cash Game Player of the Year
- Gabe Lentini
- Gui Zheng
- Peter Le
- Sean Winter
- Zhen Cai
As you can see, Blake Whittington has made quite the impression on the poker scene across the Gulf Coast in 2019. This year, the Florida native managed to cash in nearly 50 tournaments with two first-place finishes at the WSOP Tunica.
Another great category will recognize poker room employees. Several tournament directors and dealers are up for nomination, paying tribute to those who work hard to deliver an exciting experience for players.
There is also a category for Content Providers. Bloggers, vloggers and podcasters will be given the opportunity to be recognized for their contribution to the poker world, as well, with nominees like bestbet Jacksonville, Ante Up Pokercast and the LFG Podcast.
Gulf Coast Awards to Take Place at Poker Gras
The awards will be handed out during the Poker Gras tournament at Harrah’s in New Orleans. The tournament runs from November 7th to November 17th and there are plenty of events for players to take part in.
The Poker Gras Main Event has a $600 buy-in and there is a $100,000 guarantee. Last year, the winner of the main event was Mihail Kirasoulis who earned $27,00 for his first-place finish.
Other highlights of Poker Gras include the $300 Monster Opener with a $25,000 guarantee and the $200 Working Man’s Multi-Day with a $10,000 guarantee. Tag team, heads up and bounty tournaments are also on the schedule, so it’s going to be a very busy and exciting week for players on the Gulf Coast.