“I’ve Never Seen Trophy This Big for a 1k!” Jamie Nixon on WPT Prime Cyprus

“For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer…”

It’s a year and five days since Jamie Nixon married his wife Ellie, and the pair are marking their first wedding anniversary here at WPT Prime Cyprus.

The pair, like many, are enjoying the mix of Mediterranean sunshine and exciting WPT action at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino and are balancing the holiday vibe with action at the tables.

Balancing Playing with Holiday

“It’s very easy to get trapped in the bubble of just playing poker when you’re at an event,” said Nixon. “But you can turn it into a holiday, especially when you’re in a crazy place like Cyprus. Sometimes you end up going to these places which you never would have dreamed of, all because of poker.”

While playing at other tours, Nixon says, you have to manage your schedule to ensure time away from poker to be able to enjoy your trip. Here at WPT Prime Cyprus, there is additional time built into the schedule, with four starting flights across three days giving added flexibility.

“Usually, you only get a day off if you bag the first starting flight! I’m definitely one of those people who post a picture online after bagging and say that I’ve won a day off. It’s nice not to have to win to do that, and to be able to plan that in and do something with your life other than just play.”

However, that hasn’t stopped the pair from playing in the WPT Prime Cyprus Main Event and also getting in on the satellite action. Six hours prior to our interview, Ellie (pictured) was in action playing and winning a seat in a satellite.

“That’s what’s really good about here,” said Nixon. “There are tournaments throughout the day. There’s a tournament at midday, one at 8 p.m. and then another at 11 p.m.

“No matter what your schedule is, you can fit things in around that. You can go out in the morning if you want to play the Main Event. You can go out during the day if you just want to play the satellites. It’s great to be able to do all that.”

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Importance of 1k Tournaments

Having played during the WPT World Championship and when the WPT visited Nottingham in his home country of the United Kingdom, Nixon is no stranger to WPT. He says that a price point like WPT Prime is perfect for a travelling poker player, especially here at the all-inclusive Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino.

“At stops like this, everything’s here. You don’t have to do much planning while you’re here — I don’t think I’ve spent a penny since I got here on anything but poker.

“It’s all about the price point, especially if it’s around the 1k mark like this. Because if you’re playing a 1k, you don’t want your expenses to be 5k, right? So something like this where you can come, and it’s going to cost you a certain amount is perfect. I’d say it’s great.”

Nixon’s Hendon Mob is littered with 1k and sub-1k tournament cashes, and he says that a lot of tours put less focus on that price point.

“The WPT has given it a good structure, just like Grosvenor and the GUKPT”

“I think a lot of 1k tournaments can be looked down on a little bit now, and some tours see it as a small buy-in, but this [price point] is where a lot of big-name players started out, and it’s great to come to a stop like this and see so much excitement surrounding it. I mean, the trophy is massive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 1k trophy this big!

“But tournaments like this give players a chance to show their talent. The WPT has given it a good structure, just like Grosvenor and the GUKPT. It’s really good when you get these 40-minute or one-hour clocks. They’re perfect for people at that price point.”

“So it’s great that tournaments like these are available, and WPT Prime events are running all the time is great. I’m impressed.”

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Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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