Sponsored freerolls are a great way for aspiring poker professionals to advance to the biggest tournaments in the world. Just ask Ken Kafieh, a 36 year old programmer from Toronto, Canada, who won an $18,500 seat to the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Five Diamond main event.
Kafieh won the top spot through an online freeroll hosted by online poker guide, PokerListings.com and the major online poker room, PokerRoom.com last week, competing against 55 other players.
“I knew I had a good shot since there were only 56 entrants, Kafieh says. “I had been winning a lot of Sit N’Gos and more recently made a couple of final tables in some bigger, over 1 000 contestant tournaments.”
The determining moment of the tournament came when play was three-handed. Ken sat with pocket aces and knocked out his biggest rival, who held pocket tens. From then on, it was smooth sailing for the Torontonian.
Ken only began playing poker about ten months ago but already plays for at least three hours a day. He intends to make poker his living, a goal he hopes to further when he arrives in Las Vegas on December 12 to compete against the world’s best in the WPT Bellagio Five Diamond main event, which will run until December 16.
The $18,500 WPT Bellagio Five Diamond prize package awarded to Kafieh includes the $15,300 main event buy-in and $3,200 for travel and accommodation.
Having established himself as a winning online poker player, Kafieh mujst now make the transition to live gaming so successfully done by players like Chris Moneymaker. He is well aware that he will be facing some of the toughest and most skilled poker players on the planet.
“I expect the players there will outclass anyone else I have faced up until now, by far. They won’t just be throwing their chips at me. The truth is, I am intimidated, and I am aware that will hurt me. But I promise to stick to my game, and keep thinking about the other players. I think I have a chance to make it into the money.”