The iconic North America Poker Tour (NAPT) is heading back to Las Vegas from November 1 – 10, 2024, following a successful return last year.

Some of the players gearing up for the trip will live their dreams thanks to winning a Gold Pass worth $10K on PokerStars. Here, we’re going to meet as many of them as we can so we can root for them in the $5,300 Main Event.

HOW TO GET REGISTERED ON THE NAPT

But first… Playing your first live event can be daunting and there are a few admin boxes that need to be ticked before you can sit down and play.

So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get registered when you arrive at any PokerStars event. The example outlined here refers to EPT Monte Carlo, but you’ll find an almost identical process at other stops on the tour. Just switch out the venue name for Resorts World and NAPT Las Vegas.

How to…Get Registered

Michael Bohmerwald

For Michael Bohmerwald, PokerStars’ presence in New Jersey not only provided some much-needed entertainment during the pandemic but has now led to a dream career change and a Gold Pass.

Bohmerwald grew up playing cards in his hometown of Westfield, New Jersey, but when online poker’s Black Friday hit in 2011, he stopped entirely, dedicating himself to his 15-year enterprise software sales career. It was a fulfilling pursuit, but the goal of playing poker professionally one day never left.

Together with his wife, two kids and their dog, he moved back to New Jersey in 2020 right before the COVID pandemic hit. “With nowhere to go and poker legal in New Jersey, I started getting back into the game,” he says. “In the past four years, I went from pure recreational to now being a professional poker player.”

The 38-year-old recently quit his job and now makes his living playing on PokerStars five to six days a week. He’s had great success in live poker, too, cashing the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event as well as winning an impressive four WSOP Circuit rings. 

Playing in a PokerStars event remains on his poker bucket list, but thanks to winning a NAPT Gold Pass through the Power Path, he’ll tick that off in November. “I’m excited to test out my game in the live fields more often,” he says. “I know PokerStars puts on a top-notch tournament series so I am really excited for the week.”

Bohmerwald won his Gold Pass by buying into a $100 Power Path step, then winning a seat in the $1,000 step final. “I am a big fan of satellites and Power Path is a great way to allow all bankrolls a chance to get into live events,” he says.

‘POORBOY75’

Winning a major tournament entry would be a dream come true for many of us. For 58-year-old “Poorboy75”, that dream has become a reality. Hailing from Vancouver, but now residing in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the manager of Training and QA recently secured a Gold Pass that will take him to Las Vegas for the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) in November.

His journey to this moment began with small steps – literally. Playing through the Power Path steps on PokerStars, he started with free Step 1 tickets, occasionally buying in for 50 cents or a dollar when necessary. His persistence paid off as he climbed through the steps, finally winning a Gold Pass in a dramatic final round.

“I started the tournament outside on my tablet, enjoying the evening with my cat, who is also my avatar on PokerStars. It was a gruelling four-hour game, filled with ups and downs,” he recalls.

Moving from the tranquillity of his backyard to the intensity of his basement, he faced fierce competition. “When it was down to the last four players, my heart was racing, and I had my nitro handy just in case,” he says in jest, referring to his heart medication.

The moment of victory was almost surreal. “I did a fist pump and told myself ‘well done’ before waking my wife to share the news. I told her, ‘We have a little problem; we have to figure out how we’re going to go to Vegas!’” 

This will be his first time competing in such a high-stakes event, and he is savouring every moment of anticipation. “It’s a bucket list moment for me,” he says. “Just playing on Day 1, soaking in the atmosphere, and chatting with other players is something I’ve always dreamed of.”

His passion for poker started decades ago, watching games in social clubs and card rooms. Eventually, he found himself playing in casinos in Washington State in the 1990s.

“I was fascinated by 7-card stud, and after getting the courage to sit down and play, I learned a lot from the old timers who had the patience to teach me, even as they took my money,” he says with a chuckle.

Over the years, he progressed from a poker novice to a competent player. Despite his competitive nature, he acknowledges, “I will never be a professional poker player. This is just about proving to myself that I can do something.”

Away from the poker table, his life has been devoted to work, family, and house projects. His career has centred around the bingo industry, from calling numbers to managing charity events, eventually leading him to his current role in electronic bingo. At home, you’ll mostly find him in his backyard, which he and his wife transformed into their “happy place,” complete with a gazebo and their beloved cat, Munchkin.

Now, with the NAPT on the horizon, he is ready to embrace the challenge and experience of a lifetime. His goal? “To make it to Day 2 and see what happens.” 

And who knows, maybe this underdog from Sault Ste. Marie will find himself in the spotlight once more. “It’s a big deal to me, and I know I may never have an opportunity like this again, so I’m just looking forward to the experience.”

KICE SOROOR

We always say that the PokerStars Power Path gives recreational players the chance to pursue their dreams. Kice Soroor knows a thing or two about that.

The 39-year-old from Toronto, Canada once lived a traditional life. He got married, worked a corporate job, and golfed at the weekends. But he’s made some tough decisions over the past six years, ending the relationship and leaving his job to chase his dream.

“For the last five years or so I’ve been roughing it, finding ways to survive while doing the job I love,” says Soroor. “I currently produce and write songs freelance for artists, as well as a record label. It’s honestly a wonderful journey. No one said it would be easy, it certainly isn’t, but I have my time and my peace. That’s good enough.”

When he was younger Soroor had a spell as a poker pro, and he clearly hasn’t forgotten how to play. He clinched his Vegas Gold Pass by battling his way through 525 opponents and winning a NAPT Freeroll on PokerStars. 

The funny thing? He didn’t even know the Pass was in the prize pool until he reached the final table.

“It was pretty wild. I assumed the winner was playing for a satellite into another tournament” he says. But when a friend – “newsworthy1” – informed him of what he was playing for, the nerves set in. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions but when it was all said and done, I was buzzing with energy.”

He’ll now need that energy in November when he’ll be visiting Las Vegas for the first time, joined by his best friend of 26 years. “We both turn 40 soon and we’ve never been away together, plus he’s also never been to Vegas. This is going to be an amazing trip.”

You can check out Soroor’s music here.

KYLE LORENZ

Let Kyle Lorenz be an inspiration to all of you who think you’re not good enough to win a package through an online satellite. 

He started playing online properly during the pandemic and has done well in the state of Pennsylvania, with several scores in the $20K-$30K range. But there’s one part of his game he admits he has neglected.

“I am extremely bad at satellites,” Lorenz tells us. “So it felt really good to luckbox my way into a package for Las Vegas.”

Lorenz did so by climbing the Power Path steps and winning a $10K Las Vegas Gold Pass. He might have had two packages had things gone his way a few weeks ago. “I recently bubbled a $1K satellite to the same event,” he says. “I had a big chip lead late at the final table but finished in third place.”

This time it was the opposite for Lorenz. He came into the FT short but “luckboxed” until he got the job done. “It was the only way I was going to get it done,” he says.

This will be Lorenz’s second time at NAPT Las Vegas thanks to an online package. “The NAPT event was great last year and I was able to bring my wife to the event at Zouk night club where we had a blast and got to meet a bunch of PS and NAPT ambassadors.  

“We also spun the wheel and won a ticket package to a great show in Vegas,” he says. “I’m hoping to have a similar experience this time as well and enjoy the time out there with my wife, Justine.  On top of that, it would be nice to ship the main event this time.”

BRIAN FRASCA

Brian Frasca was all set for a serious grind as he attempted to win a Gold Pass. He saved up a bunch of $100 Step 4 bullets and settled in for what could have been a long and expensive satellite session.

Then he went and won the $10,000 Gold Pass on his very first attempt. “It was awesome,” he tells us. “To get in on my first bullet in a $100 satellite was pretty incredible.”

Frasca is a 32-year-old Actuary from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania who started taking poker seriously around 2015, driving to a different state (New Jersey) just so he could play online poker. A couple of years later he broke through, chopping a $250 live event for $23K, then in 2021 his “proudest moment” came from a deep run in the 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, finishing 78th for $81K.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the NAPT Main Event, but the entire series schedule looks great,” he says. “So I’m also looking forward to playing some of the other series events.”

SCOTT HAZE

As a former soccer player turned marathon runner, Scott Haze is used to going the distance. But it took something special for him to book his trip to Las Vegas.

The 37-year-old Senior Contracts Manager from Havertown, PA battled his way through more than 1,000 entries to win the Summer Stacks PA Main Event. On top of the title, he received a Gold Pass as a bonus.

“It’s definitely one of my biggest poker accomplishments,” he says. “The funny thing is that when I won it was late at night, my wife and kids were sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake them up so I didn’t even get the opportunity that night to burst out with any excitement. I was able to give my Dad a call and share the news with him which was nice.”

It’s a good thing he got the pass the way he did as Haze is yet to play Power Path, preferring cash games. “I only really play Main Events on PokerStars,” he says. “PLO has been my favorite game for the last 10 years.”

He started playing with friends in college and built an online bankroll throughout his schooling. These days, however, he can only find time for one or two sessions a week. “I try to fit in tournaments when I can, but the commitment for multiple 10-12 hour days is difficult with work and family commitments, especially when Day 2’s are typically on a Sunday,” he explains.

But now Haze will be heading to Las Vegas to battle in a live PokerStars Main Event. “I’m really looking forward to the amazing food, the NAPT main event, maybe some shows, and to visit the Sphere,” he says.

STEVE MATHEWS

Online poker satellites aren’t just a great way to play events you usually couldn’t or wouldn’t. They’re also a cost-effective way to travel.

Just ask Steve Mathews, a 37-year-old construction manager from Scarborough, Ontario – now living in Toronto. He won a package to the Irish Open on PokerStars earlier this year, and now he’s booked himself a trip to Las Vegas.

“It’s my first time going to Vegas,” he says. “I’m excited, especially for the value.”

If Mathews’ memory is correct, he took down his Gold Pass by spinning up a free $0.50 ticket. 

But it’s hard for him to remember as he’s been crushing the Power Path. “Definitely no more than a Step 3 $10 registration,” he says.

The NAPT will be Mathews’ maiden major live event. “I’ve never had success but I’ve always enjoyed the “skill game” aspect of poker,” he says. He’ll get to put his self-taught skills to the test in November. 

MORE ABOUT NAPT LAS VEGAS

It’s back! NAPT returns to Las Vegas in November

Are you the next Loose Cannon? The Big Game on Tour returns to NAPT Las Vegas in 2024

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