The Desert Diamond Casino has ruined Christmas.

Christmas in July, that is.

The casino’s popular three-day poker tournament, one of two it holds annually, has been condensed to just two days due to lowered interest.

“We didn’t have enough signups for it to run as a three-day tournament,” said Jennifer Garcia, the Diamond’s poker administrative assistant.

The event, which was scheduled for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will now just be played on Saturday and Sunday.

The original format — buyin is $150 — called for players to choose either Friday or Saturday as their “preliminary” day of competition, with each flight holding up to 150 participants. The top 50 from each flight would return Sunday, with the top 20 or 30 getting a piece of the prize pool.

Last year’s Christmas In July — which, if you recall, ended with 14 players (including yours truly) splitting more than $50,000 — drew 299 players, while the May Days tournament held two months ago had a full field of 300.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, Garcia said the 2008 Christmas In July had only 122 people signed up.

Garcia said she believes the low turnout was a result of many of the Diamond’s regulars “boycotting” the event in reaction to the casino altering both Christmas In July and May Day’s prize pool.

Prior to this year, both tourneys included $25,000 added to the pool, while this year the casino eliminated the overlay and instead just put a guarantee of $25,000 for each tourney.

Garcia said she did not know why the casino got rid of the added funds, but did say it was not because the casino’s promotional fund — from which jackpots, tournament overlays and special promos like Aces Cracked or college football contests are paid from — was low on money.

“We’re not having any trouble with our promo fund,” Garcia said.

With Friday’s flight being cancelled, Garcia said that means any players who had previously signed up for Friday will be automatically shifted to play on Saturday. She said those players who aren’t able to switch will be given a full refund, as well as free entry into one of the Diamond’s weekly tournaments held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Also, because only one preliminary flight is being held, Garcia said the maximum number of entrants for this weekend’s tourney is 190, because the Diamond’s poker room only has 19 tables.

Nevertheless, the tournament will still have a $25,000 prize pool, per its published guarantee, Garcia said.

That’s all for now, poker lovers! — BJP