One of Americas Cardroom´s pro players – Thomas Cannuli – is attempting to win three $2,650 Venom tickets in three months starting with a bankroll of zero.
If the name Thomas Cannuli seems familiar to you, he is a pro poker player who final tabled the WSOP Main Event in 2015 at the age of 23. He subsequently went on to win a WSOP bracelet in 2017 and has cashed in WSOP events eight times since. He is also a successful high stakes cash game player who has recorded multiple profitable sessions – including at WPN Live Cage events last year.
Cannuli is no mean player on the virtual felt either. Although his online tournament results cannot match his live tournament achievements, he is regularly seen bossing the high stakes “No Rathole” tables at Americas Cardroom. The site was so impressed with his performances, it signed him up as a sponsored pro last December. He now plays under the screen name “HolyCannuli”.
The Cannuli Challenge
The Winning Poker Network´s $5 million guaranteed Venom tournament gets underway three months from today; and, to give the event a little bit of a publicity boost, Cannuli is attempting to win three $2,650 Venom tickets between now and the start of Day 1A. What´s unique about this challenge is that Cannuli is starting with a bankroll of zero and beginning his quest at freeroll level.
Once Cannuli has won his first ticket (assuming he does), he will be allowed to sell it in Americas Cardroom´s Venom marketplace and use the proceeds to play in paid-for satellites. Although that should make his task a little easier, as direct satellites run every day guaranteeing up to four seats in the target event, it is all dependent on Cannuli going from zero to hero to win his first ticket.
Cannuli´s Route to Ticket #1
Cannuli´s route to ticket #1 is the Venom Steps promotion. There are six Steps on the route to winning a seat in the Venom, which you can buy into at any stage. However, because Cannuli is starting his quest with a bankroll of zero, he is going to have to win his seat in each Step by qualifying out of the previous Step – the first of which is the freeroll Step.
Freeroll Steps run every four hours at Americas Cardroom. They are run like “proper” satellites (rather than as hyper-turbos or All-In Shootouts), with players receiving a starting stack of 2,500 chips and blinds increasing from 15/30 every ten minutes. The top 113 players in each freeroll Step wins a ticket to Step 2 which – if you are not Thomas Cannuli – can be bought into for $6.61.
Steps 2 to 6 are “On Demand” tournaments. This means they start when the required number of players has entered – much like Sit & Go games, but with a period of late registration enabling players to jump in up to two hours after each Step has begun. The Steps, their buy-ins, players required to start, and the number of guaranteed seats into the next Step are shown below:
| Step | Buy-In | Number of Players Required to Start | Seats GTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $6.61 | 50 – One hour late registration | 25 |
| 3 | $16.51 | 40 – One hour late registration | 15 |
| 4 | $55.01 | 25 – Two hours late registration | 6 |
| 5 | $215.01 | 15 – Two hours late registration | 5 |
| 6 | $630.01 | 5 – Two hours late registration | 1 |
As an alternative to the final Step, players with Step 6 tickets can choose to play in a direct Venom satellite on Sunday afternoons at 4:00pm (ET). This satellite has the same direct buy-in of $630.01, but guarantees three seats for the target event, making it a better option for Cannuli – if he gets this far. Players who win seats in Step 6 will automatically be entered into Day 1A of the Venom on 16th July.
Could You Do the Cannuli Challenge?
As the Cannuli challenge starts with a bankroll of zero, all you need to try the challenge yourself is an account with Americas Cardroom – you don´t even need to fund it. To get a free account, simply follow our links to Americas Cardroom and create your account using the Americas Cardroom Promo Code [bonuscode room=”americascardroom”][/bonuscode] on the first page on the registration form.
Once your account has been created, log into Americas Cardroom and click on the “Tourney” tab and then the “Steps” tab. There you will find all the Steps for the Venom Challenge. Simply register for the next available freeroll (or late register for one already underway), and start your quest to win a $2,650 seat in Americas Cardroom´s $5 million guaranteed Venom event. Who knows? You might even meet a WSOP bracelet winner at your table!
