Prestige, Coverage, Bigness

Tom Marchese is no stranger to ARIA High Roller success. Last year, Marchese was one of the most successful players in ARIA’s biggest events but the veteran professional knows that the Super High Roller Bowl is a beast of it’s own. Not only are the stakes higher, and the highest in the world with a $300,000 buy-in, but the atmosphere is also different. While ARIA High Rollers are played in the quiet confines of Las Vegas’ preeminent poker room, the lights and cameras come out for the Super High Roller Bowl. 

“The Super High Roller Bowl has a lot of prestige,” Marchese said when we caught up with him on a ARIA $50K Super High Roller break, adding, “The big thing about it is the television coverage. Being on network TV and having the coverage be so well done really adds a lot to the event.”

The television coverage does make the Super High Roller Bowl one of a kind and gives poker fans everywhere unmatched access to the biggest event of the year. That might excite followers of the game but the players love the bigness. The prize pool, which will weigh-in at $15,000,000 this summer, is what has made the event so popular in the High Roller community and it shows, as 54 players signed up for 35 open seats earlier this week. 

“You see when so many players put down their deposit three months in advance, that this is really something that everyone strongly wants to get into and wants to get a chance to play.” Marchese said, while making it clear that he was happy to get a chance this year. Marchese’s name was picked in yesterday’s live lottery, which means he’ll have a chance to continue his stellar ARIA High Roller run on an even bigger stage this summer.

After a banner year, which is hard to fathom when you look at Marchese’s career resume that includes nearly $16,000,000 in tournament winnings, the Poker Central Ambassador has already been anointed a favorite to keep this year’s Super High Roller Bowl in house. That might be too much pressure for some players to handle but not Marchese and even though it will be lights, camera, action in May, Marchese will likely make it look easy, just like he’s done for the last year in ARIA High Roller events.