Once upon a time, the WPT Rolling Thunder was the chill finale to the California Swing, a month-long trek across the state that began in Los Angeles with the L.A. Poker Classic and finished in San Francisco with the Bay 101 Shooting Stars.
Such treasure hunts are a thing of the past. The last time this event was organized was in 2018, in fact. When the new WPT Thunder Valley begins in 2019, it will no longer be the last stop on the World Poker Tour but rather the beginning of the 2023 season.
Not even at the height of the California Swing’s popularity have so many people been spotted at the casino in Southern California. There were a record 590 registrants, 125 more than in 2014, and the total prize pool of $361,660 was the greatest ever awarded by Thunder Valley Resort.
Tony Dunst, the host, is a member of the circuit’s staff and the odds-on favorite to win. He has an unrivaled record of APPT victories in the Australian Millions and WSOP, and his 71 blinds at the final table do little to help his opponent.
He will be surrounded by players from the area, all of whom have names and surnames that are typical among native Spanish speakers. Alejandro Jáuregui, the chipleader, Albert Tapia, and Vctor Paredes are all from California.
Tony’s FT opponents who have the greatest experience and are the top players also have the smallest stacks. Jeremy Joseph and Scott Eskenazi each weigh approximately 20 kg.
10.450 million for Alejandro Jauregui
7-125,000 for Tony Dunst.
4,500,000.00 Albert Tapia
Paredes, Victor 3,125,000
2.150,000 for Scott Eskanazi
2.05 million for Jeremy Joseph
