Free Play Live Poker Leagues in Louisville, Kentucky

Here in Louisville there are two different free play poker leagues (live) that offer as the big prize to the yearly winner a seat in the WSOP. The LPT and the NPT.

Now don't consider a live free play league as a waste of time. Imagine trying to win a freeroll WSOP seat on Pokerstars. You will have to straight win at least three huge 10,000 player bingo freerolls to get to the finals. In the LPT for example you have to win a nightly tournament against only 60 players max to advance to the quarter finals. Where you have to finish in the top 100 of 300 players max to advance to the finals. In the finals you are only up against 300 players for the WSOP and it is a freeroll people. Plus along the way you can win gift certificates, invites to special tournaments and meet some really great people. Just based on pure math your odds and ROI expectations are significantly better in the LPT than online anyday.
Here is a quick review of both:

The first is the Nationwide Poker Tour and from my experiences with them don't ever play with them. The dealers play in the tourneys with the players and rules are changed dramatically based on the mood of the dealer and requests of the Host (usually a bar). I suggest you avoid this league at all costs even if every online site in the world is shut down and you are dying to play poker on a dark and stormy night. I would rather play gin with my grandma than waste another night with this league.

The second, and my favorite is the Louisville Poker Tour. The dealers are professional and courteous. The players are all very nice and the prizes are great for a free poker league. They offer games all over town every day of the week and the competition is great. I usually final table and have been one of the consistent point earners since starting with them. The owner of the LPT is a very nice and attractive lady named Jeniifer.

Now several bars offer thier own games and prizes but the city wide leagues are usually the best and most attractive options especially when you consider the WSOP seats that are up for grabs.

Now lots of people consider these free play poker leagues a joke and do not take them seriously preferring to play over at Caesars or online. However I think mixing up some free live play with my online play a real learning experience. I have started to pick up tells, reads and gut feelings. Add to that the knowledge I pick up playing against some really tough and consistent players you can not beat the lessons it has taught me. I have learned to really read the board, aggression pays and most importantly when to back off of a pretty hand. I have also learned the screen names of some major donks and added them to my buddy lists....

Here is another advantage to playing in the LPT. Since everyone is so nice and I can always count on people I know being there it is a great night out on the town with my wife. We call it our "Bowling League".

If you live in an area that offers free play poker leagues I strongly suggest you start playing. If you live in Louisville Kentucky I highly suggest The LPT over the Nationwide games.