The SA Poker Open returns to Montecasino from 28 October to 8 November, with a schedule designed to offer something for a range of bankrolls. For players looking for more accessible ways into the action, the lower-stakes events still offer plenty of action at a more affordable cost.
From the crowd-favourite Mini Main Maxi to the unpredictable Mystery Bounty Turbo, we take a closer into the four most affordable fixtures on the schedule.
Mini Main Maxi
Dates: 31 October – 1 November
Buy-in: R5,000
Starting Stack: 150,000 (300BB)
Max Late Reg Stack: 150,000 (12.5BB)
Levels: 30 minutes
Guarantee: R750,000
The Mini Main Maxi has established itself as a crowd favourite, bringing together recreational players and experienced tournament regulars at one of the most accessible price points of the Series.
Last time around, 247 entries pushed the prize pool all the way to R1,049,750, comfortably clearing its R500,000 guarantee.
Players start particularly deep, with 150,000 chips at opening blinds of 500/500. Late registration closes at approximately 21h45, after which play will resume with blinds at 6,000/12,000, giving a player jumping in 12.5 big blinds.
With an affordable buy-in, a deep starting stack and a R750,000 guarantee, it is easy to see why the Mini Main Maxi continues to draw one of the most varied fields of the Series.
Defending champion: Rosche Diedericks
Mystery Bounty Turbo
Dates: 7–8 November
Buy-in: R2,000
Double Rebuy: R4,000 (50,000)
Add-on: R5,000 (100,000)
Starting Stack: 25,000 (125BB)
Levels: 20 minutes
At Max Late Registration:
Standard Entry: 25,000 (6.25BB)
With Double Rebuy: 75,000 (18.75BB)
With Add-on: 125,000 (31.25BB)
With Double Rebuy + Add-on: 175,000 (43.75BB)
With the smallest buy-in of R2,000, the Mystery Bounty Turbo is one of the most affordable events on the SA Poker Open schedule.
The previous edition generated a R173,650 prize pool alongside another R174,000 in bounties, with the bounties ranging from R500 all the way up top to R30,000.
Players start with 25,000 chips at 100/200, with 20-minute levels keeping the action moving. By the start of Day 2, blinds will be 2,000/4,000, making the original starting stack just over six big blinds. The R4,000 double rebuy is worth 50,000 chips, while the R5,000 add-on provides a much bigger 100,000 stack, worth 25 big blinds at that point.
With the bounty element adding another way to win throughout the tournament, players don’t necessarily need to make the final table for their run to deliver a big result.
Defending champion: Johannes Van Der Hulst
One Day One Life
Date: 8 November
Buy-in: R6,500
One Life: R6,500 (50,000)
Starting Stack: 50,000 (250BB)
Max Late Reg Stack: 50,000 (16.7BB)
Levels: 20 minutes
The One Day One Life brings a different format to the schedule, putting the decision of how to use that second life into the hands of each player. It can be used as a rebuy, saved as an add-on, used to boost an existing stack or not used at all.
The event attracted a 114-player field last series, generating a R629,850 prize pool.
Players begin with 50,000 chips at 100/200, giving them plenty of room to play from the start. Late registration closes at approximately 15h45, when blinds are 1,500/3,000, meaning a new entry still will come in with just under 17 big blinds. Players who save their One Life to use as an add-on at this point will receive another 50,000 chips, also worth just under 17 big blinds.
There is another reason this year’s event stands out. It is the final tournament on the entire SA Poker Open schedule, making it the last opportunity of the Series to get your hands on a title.
Defending champion: Hennie Appel
The Ultimate Tournament
Dates: 2–3 November
Buy-in: R8,000
Starting Stack: 200,000 (400BB)
Max Late Reg Stack: 200,000 (20BB)
Levels: 30 minutes
Guarantee: R500,000
Sitting at the upper end of the lower-stakes selection, The Ultimate Tournament gives players plenty to work with for its R8,000 buy-in.
Last Series, the event attracted 132 entries and generated an R897,600 prize pool.
Players start with a huge 200,000 stack at blinds of 500/500, giving them 400 big blinds to work with from the opening level. Registration remains open until the start of Day 2, when blinds will be 5,000/10,000, giving you 20 big blinds to play with at max late reg.
The combination of a deep starting stack, 30-minute levels and the option to ente late on Day 2 gives players plenty of flexibility in how they approach the event.
Defending champion: Muaaz Gani
Big Opportunities At Accessible Buy-Ins
Lower buy-ins certainly don’t mean smaller opportunities at the SA Poker Open. Last Series, the Mini Main Maxi alone broke the R1 million mark, while the Mystery Bounty Turbo generated almost R350,000 across its prize pool and bounties.
More importantly, each of these events offers something different. Players can choose between a deep Mini Main structure, the added sweat of mystery bounties, the flexibility of the One Life format or the huge starting stack of The Ultimate Tournament.
For players looking to build their SA Poker Open schedule around the more accessible buy-ins, there is still plenty of poker to play and plenty to play for.