The ARIA hosted major high roller action over the weekend with several $10,000 High Roller events on the schedule. The events took place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, providing $770,000 in total prizes to those skilled enough to make it long enough to cash out.

Breakdown of Events

The biggest prize of the weekend went to Dan Smith. He was able to compete in the largest event of the series, with a total of 34 competitors. The prize pool generated was $340,000. After defeating Alex Foxen in the heads-up round, Smith was able to walk away with a massive $136,000 first-place prize.

The second-largest win went to Christopher Brewer. In this poker event, there were only 21 players. The total prize pool was $210,000 and it would be spread among three players. Brewer defeated Ali Imsirovic in heads-up play to claim $113,400 in prize money and the title win.

At the last event, there were 22 entries as well. The tournament had a $220,000 prize pool and the top four would earn a payout. In this event, the final two players were Cary Katz and Sean Winter. The two players decided to cut a deal and ended up basically splitting the prize pool. Katz finished in first place and won $82,800 while Winter won $80,000 for the second-place finish.

More Events This Year?

In the past, the high roller events of the ARIA were a top choice among high stakes pros in Las Vegas. The last time the events were held was in December and then stopped for some time due to COVID-19. The high roller events this month were a welcome sight to players who have missed live poker, both amateur and pros alike.

Because the events were so successful, it would not be surprising to see them continue this year as the months move forward. Poker is starting to take place more readily now, even though the pandemic is still an issue. We expect that the ARIA will decide to host more high roller events in the near future.