Millions of dollars are up for grabs in California poker tournaments in November.
It all starts with the finale of The Bicycle Casino’s Big Poker Oktober, which wraps up during the first week of November with the series-closing Mini Mega Millions. The event has a $1 million guaranteed prize pool and starting flights through Nov. 2.
However, players can buy directly into the two Day 2 flights on Nov. 3 & 4.
From there, The Bike passes the torch a few miles down the road to Commerce Casino for a 17-day series. Other events will occur at Jamul Casino near San Diego and Northern California’s premier tournament venue, Thunder Valley.
Outside these series, Golden State poker players can jump in daily tournaments at over 30 California card rooms statewide.
Daily events are great for those looking to play single-day tournaments, especially as California online poker remains illegal. On the other hand, Californians can win real money on sweepstakes sites like Global Poker.
Keep reading for more information on November’s tournament series and daily poker offerings.
November 2023 California live poker tournaments
Whether you’re in SoCal or NorCal, November’s poker calendar has at least one tournament series for you.
Los Angeles-area residents will descend on Commerce Casino for the 2023 LA Poker Open, which runs over the first three weekends of November.
Meanwhile, the RunGood Poker Series continues its West Coast swing with stops at Jamul Casino outside San Diego and Thunder Valley Casino, located north of Sacramento.
2023 LA Poker Open at Commerce Casino
The Commerce Casino will host the fourth of its annual tournament series from November 3-19, featuring 18 events with $740,000 in guarantees and a $25,000 freeroll event. Highlights include:
- Nov. 3: $25,000 Freeroll at 3 p.m.
- Nov. 5 and 12: $400 NLH $50,000 Guaranteed
- Nov. 6-12: $400 NLH $300,000 Guaranteed
- Nov. 16-19: $1,200 Main Event $250,000 Guaranteed
RGPS Road Trip continues throughout California
After an October stop at Graton Casino, a poker mainstay among Northern California casinos, on the RunGood Poker Series “Road Trip” season, RGPS heads to the San Diego and Sacramento areas in November.
RGPS San Diego runs from November 14-19 at Jamul Casino, one of the top Southern California casinos, with multiple ring events daily. There are 12 RunGood rings up for grabs. The series culminates with a $600 main event carrying a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool. The main event runs from Nov. 17-19.
After Thanksgiving, the RunGood crew will head north on I-5 to Thunder Valley for a smaller seven-event series just outside Sacramento. The $1,100 Main Event ($250,000 guaranteed) kicks off the series with starting flights on Nov. 24-25 and plays to a winner on the 26th. Six additional $300 events run from Nov. 26-29.
October California Tournament Results
A trio of poker festivals took place in California in October. Highlights from those series are as follows.
World Series of Poker Circuit Thunder Valley
- Michael Persky took down the $1,700 Main Event, good for $170,780. The tournament’s 594 entries produced a prize pool just shy of $900,000, nearly double the $500,000 guarantee.
- Fan You bested a field of 1,559 in Event #2: $400 NLH “The Opener” to earn $76,100.
- Michael Peters won the $400 Seniors event for $17,392, outlasting 226 entries for his first career ring. He took third place in the same event during January’s stop.
- Event #8: $400 Monster Stack drew 305 entries, with Rommel Damasco taking down the tournament for $22,140.
- Event #12: $1,125 “Last Call” tallied 115 entries to create a $115,000 prize pool. Mitchell Collins won the lion’s share for $31,820 and a gold ring.
Big Poker Oktober at The Bicycle Casino
- Event #1 ($300,000 Guaranteed Quantum) resulted in an even chop between Steven Spunt and Jared Einsohn, each taking home $121,145. Between the two, they earned nearly two-thirds of the $375,000 prize pool.
- Local legend Paul Chauderson won the 562-entry Event #3 ($400 Deepstack with a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool) to earn $23,210.
- James Lisi won Event #13 ($400 Deepstack with a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool) from a field of 662, earning $25,405 for his victory.
- Stephen Sakai outlasted a field of 270 in Event #19 ($1,100 multi-day with a $200,000 guarantee) to win $62,795.
RunGood Poker Series Graton
- Anne Bui ($87,425) and Joe Nguyen ($87,420) chopped the 837-entry $800 Main Event. The tournament surpassed its $500,000 guarantee by more than $85,000. Poker media member Terrance Reid took third for $46,600.
- David Eckman took down the $400 opening event for $51,900. The tournament drew 913 entries for a $301,290 prize pool, smashing the $200K guarantee.
- Local fan favorite Jasthi Kumar came out on top of the 62-entry $1,100 single-day NLH event to win $21,875. He also took third in August’s WSOP Circuit Main Event at Graton for $80,135.
- David Prociak won two mixed game tournaments ($300 TOE– $3,320; $300 HORSE – $4,640) and took seventh place in a third, the $300 Big O event. RunGood Ambassador Daniel Lowery took down the event for $4,250, outlasting others at the final table like Allen Kessler and Brittney “Starburst” Stout.
- Another local fan favorite, John Koo, bookended the series with victories. He won Events #1 ($7,420) and #1 ($2,715).
California daily poker tournaments in October
Daily poker tournaments run at more than 30 poker rooms across California. These tournaments are a perfect option for locals looking to play single-day events.
We’ve separated the rooms into four regions for you to see what’s available in your area. Always call ahead to confirm the status of a tournament, as rooms may cancel events ahead of time.
Southern California
Agua Caliente Casino (Rancho Mirage)
- Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. $100 NLH with $50 rebuys and $20 add-on
- Tuesday and Thursday: 6:30 p.m. $120 NLH with $50 rebuys and $20 add-on
- Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. $150 NLH with $60 rebuys and $20 add-on
Bicycle Casino (Bell Gardens)
Daily tournaments are currently suspended.
Commerce Casino (Commerce)
- Monday through Thursday: 4 p.m. $125 NLH with two optional $100 add-ons
- Friday: 4 p.m. $200 NLH
- Saturday and Sunday: 1 p.m. $250 NLH
The Gardens Casino (Hawaiian Gardens)
- Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 a.m. $130 NLH
- Friday, Saturday: 11 a.m. $250 NLH
Sit-n-Go tournaments also run Wednesday through Sunday at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and on-demand between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Hollywood Park Casino (Inglewood)
- Monday and Tuesday: 10 a.m. $250 NLH; 6 p.m. $100 NLH + $100 add-on
- Wednesday: 11 a.m. $125 Big O; 6 p.m. $200 NLH
- Thursday: 6 p.m. $200 NLH
- Friday: 10 a.m. $200 NLH Bounty
- Saturday: $100 NLH
Hustler Casino (Gardena)
Daily tournaments are currently suspended.
Jamul Casino (Jamul)
- Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. $60 NLH; 6 p.m. $60 NLH ($40 on Thursday; $125 on Friday)
- Saturday: 10 a.m. $40 NLH; 4 p.m. $100 NLH ($125 second Saturday of the month)
- Sunday: 10 a.m. $80 NLH; $6 p.m. $125 NLH Bounty
Lucky Lady Casino (Gardena)
- Monday through Friday 12:30 p.m. $80 NLH + $50 add-on; 7 p.m. buy-in varies from $130 to $200
- Saturday: 3 p.m. $150 NLH
- Sunday: 1 p.m. $150 NLH
Ocean’s Eleven Casino (Oceanside)
- Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. $100 NLH; 7 p.m. $100 NLH (no Friday night tournament)
- Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. $300 NLH
Sycuan Casino (El Cajon)
- Tuesday: 6 p.m. $70 NLH
- Wednesday: 6 p.m. $110 NLH
Central Coast and Central Valley
Aviator Casino (Delano)
- Wednesday: 6 p.m. $30 NLH
Garlic City Casino (Gilroy)
- Wednesday: 11 a.m. $40 NLH; 7 p.m. $160 NLH
- Third Sunday of the month: 11 a.m. $160 NLH
Golden West Casino (Bakersfield)
- Wednesday: 6 p.m. $80 NLH
- Saturday: 12:15 p.m. $90 NLH
Oceanview Casino (Santa Cruz)
- Tuesday: 5 p.m. $140 NLH ($200 first Tuesday of the month)
- Saturday: 3:30 p.m. $140 NLH
- Sunday: 3:30 p.m. $210 NLH
Outlaws Card Parlour (Atascadero)
- Wednesday: 6 p.m. $20 NLH
- First Saturday of the month: 5 p.m. $75 NLH
- Sunday: 6 p.m. $40 NLH
Parkwest Casino Manteca (Manteca)
- Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. $59 NLH
- Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. $120 NLH
Stars Casino (Tracy)
- Tuesday and Wednesday: 12 p.m. $80 NLH
Turlock Poker Room (Turlock)
- Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. $45 NLH Bounty
- Monday: 10 a.m. $35 NLH; 6 p.m. $50 NLH
- Wednesday: 10 a.m. $35 NLH; 6 p.m. $65 NLH
- Friday: 10 a.m. $35 NLH
- Saturday: 10 a.m. $50 NLH
Wanaaha Casino (Bishop)
- Saturday: 6 p.m. $40 NLH
Bay Area
19th Hole Casino (Antioch)
- Monday, Wednesday: 5:30 p.m. $20 NLH
- Tuesday, Thursday: 5:30 p.m. $25 NLH
- Saturday and Sunday: 12 p.m. Freeroll NLH ($400 prize pool based on 40 players)
Bay 101 Casino (San Jose)
- Sunday through Thursday: 9:15 a.m. $200 NLH
Graton Resort & Casino (Rohnert Park)
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 a.m. $135 NLH
- Tuesday, Thursday: 6 p.m $165 NLH
- Sunday: 10 a.m. $250 NLH
Livermore Casino (Livermore)
- Sunday: 10 a.m. $195 NLH
Lucky Chances (Colma)
- Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. $180 NLH
- Friday: 9:30 a.m. $240 NLH
- Sunday: 9:30 a.m. $300 NLH
Pete’s 881 Club (San Rafael)
- Monday: 6 p.m. $100 NLH
- Sunday: 4 p.m. $220 NLH
Northern California
Bear River Casino (Loleta)
- Sunday, Monday: 6 p.m. $60 NLH
- Wednesday: 6 p.m. $100 NLH Bounty
- Friday, Saturday: 6 p.m. $100 NLH
Blue Lake Casino (Blue Lake)
- Wednesday through Saturday: 6:30 p.m. $50 NLH
Capitol Casino (Sacramento)
- Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. $40 NLH
- Saturday: 10 a.m. $100 NLH
- Sunday: 10 a.m. $60 NLH
Casino 99 (Chico)
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday: 10 a.m. $35 NLH
- Tuesday, Friday: 10 a.m. $35 NLH ($20 rebuys and $20 add-ons)
Casino Club (Redding)
- Tuesday and Thursday: 6 p.m. $55 NLH
- Saturday: 6 p.m. $80 NLH Bounty
- Sunday: 4 p.m. $55 NLH
Elk Valley Casino (Crescent City)
- Tuesday: 6 p.m. $65 NLH
- Thursday: 6 p.m. $70 Omaha Hi-Lo
- Friday: 6 p.m NLH Freeroll ($10 rebuys and add-ons)
- Saturday: 4 p.m. $120 NLH Progressive Bounty
Thunder Valley Casino (Lincoln)
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. $75 NLH
- Thursday: 9:30 a.m. $100 NLH Bounty
- Friday: 9:30 a.m. $125 NLH
- Saturday: 9:30 a.m. $240 NLH ($20K Guaranteed)
- Sunday: 5:30 p.m. $150 NLH ($10K Guaranteed)
Towers Casino (Grass Valley)
- Sunday: 3 p.m. $50 NLH
