Two local residents are going all-in on bringing a Las Vegas-style poker tournament to Rye, with a unique reward — a chance to compete as Rye’s representative at the prestigious World Series of Poker Main Event this summer in Las Vegas.
Daniel Klazkin and A.J. LeGaye, both 40-year-old Rye residents for the last five years, have organized a WSOP satellite tournament exclusively for Rye residents, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 6 p.m. at the STEER for Student Athletes Building at 304 Midland Ave. in Port Chester.
The winner will receive a seat at the WSOP tournament table in July, as well as airfare and accommodations totaling about $12,000, but the jackpot doesn’t end there — everyone who participates earns a stake in the payout.
“In terms of the specifics of the distribution, the winner will get 70 percent equity, while the remainder gets distributed to the rest of the players, with each player getting at least 1 percent equity,” said Klazkin, a lawyer, who was inspired to create the tournament after learning of a similar one in Chappaqua. “So, when the main event occurs, if the Rye winner goes on to win the WSOP, a player who finished last in our qualifier and has 1 percent equity, should receive about $100k.”
Last year, the WSOP Main Event winner received $10 million. If the Rye representative were to win, they would get $7 million (70 percent of the winnings), with the remaining $3 million distributed to the others playing in the qualifier based on their standings.
The tournament has already attracted 34 Rye residents, who have paid $500 each for a buy-in for the one-day tournament. (Players will have the opportunity to re-buy another $500 for another starting stack should they get knocked out within the first six levels of the tournament. The group aims to have a winner by midnight that night.)
Klazkin and LeGaye, who works in sales, aim to reach 50 participants — enough to fund two seats at the WSOP Main Event, at $10,000 apiece. There are now enough player buy-ins that one seat has already been secured. Beyond this inaugural event, Klazkin and LeGaye hope to continue engaging the community and maintain a Rye presence at the Vegas event each year, as well as at additional smaller tournaments.
“Nothing would make me happier than the winner of this qualifier to go on to the Final Table at the Main Event of the WSOP,” Klazkin said. “We’d get a huge group of the players to get to Vegas to support the Rye representative and make T-shirts. Again, this is all about community and supporting our friends.”
Klazkin himself has had a long-burning desire to play in the WSOP Main Event. He plays with a group in Chappaqua/Armonk, which hosts a league with a series of tournaments. Klazkin and Legaye, who each regularly host their own poker games, were eager to establish a more structured tournament format for the Rye community.
Contributed photos
The competition welcomes seasoned sharks as well as recreational contenders of all ages and different genders.
“Of the 34 people already registered, all are men,” Klazkin said. “We would love to change that. Our tournament is open to all people, men, women, young and old. You just have to be 21 years old.” That is the minimum legal age for gambling in Nevada.
“The players in this qualifier are casual,” said Klazkin. “Some think of poker as a game of luck, while others are more sophisticated and have studied that game and played a lot. Most of the folks playing are on the super casual side who just want to have fun.”
\If Rye’s representatives make it deeper into the WSOP tournament, Klazkin will maintain close correspondence with them and provide updates on their performance.
\Klazkin and LeGaye do not profit from the event — the expenses for the winner’s trip come from the $500 entry fee and are built into the tournament structure. All money goes to the winner or winners and operational costs.
“I think one of the best parts of living in Rye is our sense of community,” Klazkin explained. He and LeGaye, who both have families of five, met through mutual friends and both play in the Rye Recreation men’s softball league.
“There are so many groups and outlets for folks to find that sense of community and get to know one another,” Klazkin said. “I have met so many of my friends through various groups and activities that I participate in, including a cycling group, open-water swimming, tennis clinics, schools. I think our poker group is another opportunity for locals to meet like-minded neighbors and have fun.”
Interested Rye residents can contact Klazkin and LeGaye directly at RyeWSOP@gmail.com.
