New Service Allows Poker Tourney Seat Reservation

It is only available at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City currently, but the idea behind PTSeats – one that Full Tilt Poker's Phil Gordon may or may not have a lot to do with-  is an interesting one that already has people buzzing, and four major casinos besides the Taj are set to come on line. The idea is "seat reservation" for tournaments, which, it turns out, may be a pretty handy service to have.

Here is the general idea: it is the end of a long week at work and you really want to play in a $100 at your local casino, but by the time you fight rush hour traffic and head to the poker room, it is almost always sold out. Now you can log on to the PTSeats site and select the tournament and pay in advance, providing your email to which will be sent a printable ticket allowing you entry. Seat reserved, weekend saved, mission accomplished.

Plus, you can pay with your credit card.

Most live casino events have a "cash only" policy that doesn't always sit well with the patrons, but what choice do they have?

Well, now they have PTSeats, which will take their credit card purchase with a smile.

One reason the site is happy to provide their service is that it makes them money- each tournament has a service fee attached to it, but not so much that it will break your bank. A $38 + $12 event at the Taj, for example, has just a $3 fee, so you pay $53 for your ticket. Good service and a good price. And speaking of good service, PTSeats says that if you need a ticket to a major poker event and can't find one on the site, just give them a call.

Phil Gordon is on the site as well, and may be the brains behind the operation; he certainly is filling the role as "celebrity endorser."

(Editor's Note: No reservations are required to play in tournaments at Full Tilt Poker- you just need to sign up and play!)