It's not often a poker room offers a "freeroll" tournament with a prize pool as large as $1 million.

Yet players can qualify for such an event at the Palms from now through June 30, according to Palms poker manager Michael Vento.

The "River King $1 Million Free­roll," to take place at the Palms on dates to be determined after the qualifying period concludes, will carry a top prize of $500,000, with payouts down to $5,000 for 10th place. Smaller cash prizes, dependent on the size of the field, will be awarded to players advancing past the tournament's preliminary round.

All the action, of course, will be documented for (all together now) a poker-oriented reality TV show.

The tournament structure and its qualifying guidelines look promising.

Because it's a freeroll, by definition, you don't have to put up any money to compete in the tournament.

You do have to play a lot of poker at the Palms - not an unpleasant prospect for many, and not just because the casino spreads no-limit games with $2 and $5 blinds in its "High Limit" room, making us $2-$5 players temporarily feel like high rollers.

Players must accumulate at least 300 hours of play in the six-month period that began Jan. 1 to qualify for the freeroll. Players who rack up 300 to 349 hours start the freeroll with $2,500 in tournament chips; 350 to 399 hours will get you $3,000 in tournament chips; 400 to 449, $3,500 in tournament chips; 450 to 499, $4,000 in tournament chips; and 500 or more hours, $5,000 in tournament chips.

The preliminary round of the free­roll will consist of one-table "shootouts," with the top two players from each table advancing. The semifinal round and the 10-player final table will consist of a traditional elimination tournament, with each player starting with $10,000 in tournament chips.

Up to 30 players from casinos outside Nevada can qualify for the semifinal round, according to the terms of the tournament, but there is no limit on the number of players who can qualify or advance from the Palms.