The announcement of the 2010-11 WSOP Circuit schedule today brings about several major changes done to push the tournament series back into relevance. Changes include a drop in the buy-ins of the Circuit Main Events to $1,500, four $10,000 buy-in “regional championships” that will air on national television (ESPN?), and a $1,000,000 freeroll tournament at Caesars’ Palace in May 2011.

More information found in their press release on below:

Participants to Compete For Shot at WSOP National Championship Including $1 Million Las Vegas Tournament and WSOP Gold Bracelet

Television Coverage, Standardized Structures, Cumulative Points System & Super-Regionals All Part of New WSOP Circuit Model; Buy-Ins for Main Event Altered

The WSOP Circuit tour, now entering its seventh season, is about to become bigger and better than ever.

The 2010 schedule will include at least 12 tour stops, with a handful of others expected to be announced in the months ahead.

This year’s format includes several notable improvements, including:

* A cumulative rankings system throughout the season, awarding points for each official WSOP Circuit “Ring” open event, with four different ways to automatically qualify. (Explained in separate document attached).

* A season-ending National Championship tournament for 100 players who automatically qualify via cumulative rankings or performance-based criteria. (The televised National Championship tournament will be played at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas prior to the commencement of the WSOP and feature a $1,000,000 prize pool and award a WSOP Gold Bracelet). (Explained in separate document attached).

* Four Regional WSOP Circuit Championships with a $10,000 buy-in event plus two-hours of national television coverage per stop.

* Standardized structures and pay-outs at all events; with the Main Event lowered to $1500 outside Regional Championships to encourage larger fields and more players attending multiple stops on the tour.

“We recognized the WSOP Circuit Events needed a shot in the arm, and we believe we’ve responded with steroids,” said WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart. “The new model is exactly what the WSOP is all about, giving poker players of all bankrolls the chance for compete for the kind of fame, fortune and respect that comes only with a WSOP bracelet and a national television audience.“

The 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit tour begins on August 19, 2010 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa and continues through May 22, 2011 at Harrah’s New Orleans.

All the details can be found here.

The entire schedule is as follows:

WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2010-2011 CIRCUIT TOUR SCHEDULE
TOURNAMENT DATES TOURNAMENT LOCATION
August 19 – August 31, 2010 Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Iowa)
October 2 – October 12, 2010 Horseshoe Southern Indiana
October 15 – October 27, 2010 Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago area)
October 26 – October 31, 2010 *Emerald Casino (South Africa)
October 28 – November 10, 2010 IP Casino Resort & Spa (Biloxi, MS)
November 11 – November 23, 2010 Harveys Lake Tahoe
December 4 – December 22, 2010 Harrah’s Atlantic City
January 27 – February 15, 2011 Harrah’s Tunica
March 2 – March 13, 2011 Caesars Atlantic City
March 11 – March 30, 2011 Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego area)
March 31 – April 13, 2011 Harrah’s St. Louis
April 14 – April 30, 2011 Caesars Palace
May 9 – May 22, 2011 Harrah’s New Orleans

*Circuit Event in South Africa does not count towards point system tabulation or cumulative event award.

Bold indicates Super Regional, with an added event, the $10K nationally televised No Limit Hold’em tournament.

Circuit schedules are subject to change. For more information on individual circuit events, including event schedules and structure sheets, can be found at each property website or by visiting www.WSOP.com

Joe Cada – 2009 WSOP ME winner
Barry Shulman – 2009 WSOPE ME winner
Mike Sexton – 2006 WSOP TOC winner
Mike Matusow – 2005 WSOP TOC Winner
Annie Duke – 2004 WSOP TOC Winner
Two sponsor exemptions (the WSOP will announce details on how these seats will be awarded shortly)

The TOC will begin on June 27th at noon, and play down to the final table. Play will then resume July 4th (the day before the WSOP Main Event begins) and play down to a winner. ESPN will film the action to air as a two-hour show on August 3rd. The entire press release is on page 2:

LAS VEGAS (Mar. 15, 2010) – Poker deserves its annual All-Star Event, and the World Series of Poker intends to deliver it.

The WSOP will be putting up one million dollars to award during the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, taking place during the 41st Annual WSOP at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ESPN will cover this No Limit Hold’em event for airing in a special two-hour telecast on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

“The Tournament of Champions brand has heritage in delivering the big moments,” said HIE Vice President Ty Stewart. “We’re thrilled to reinvent it around a model that should elevate the game by engaging millions of poker fans. We have received a lot of input from players and their affinity for the TOC, and we are excited for them and the fans and hope its here to stay.”

A total of 27 players will participate in the freeroll poker invitational, with 20 players selected by voting from the public. The vote begins March 15, 2010 at 12 noon ET on WSOP.com and remains open until June 15, 2010 at midnight ET. The top 20 vote-getters will be awarded entry. In the event anyone in the public’s Top 20 is unable to participate, the next highest eligible and available vote-getter will be awarded the entry. To qualify as one of the 20 eligible fan-voted participants, players must be a WSOP bracelet-holder. All living WSOP bracelet holders are able to receive votes, and currently there are 521 eligible players.

Five entries into the tournament are automatic. The three previous WSOP TOC winners gain automatic entry, plus the reigning WSOP champion and the reigning WSOP Europe champion get seats at the table. Therefore b>Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Joe Cada and Barry Shulman will make up 5 of the 27 players for this event.

“Tournaments like the Tournament of Champions help elevate poker to the level it deserves and I am honored to participate,” said inaugural TOC victor Annie Duke. “Winning the TOC marks one of the most memorable events in my poker career and I’m ecstatic that the WSOP is hosting this prestigious event.”

Two sponsor exemptions will be awarded by the WSOP, with details forthcoming on how those seats can be won.

Play will convene at the Rio on Sunday, June 27, 2010 to begin the tournament. Play will halt once the final nine players are reached, and those nine return on Sunday, July 4, 2010 to play for their share of 1,000,000 dollars and the title of 2010 WSOP TOC Champion. The tournament has been scheduled to avoid conflict with other WSOP events, as no new tournaments begin on either June 27 or July 4.

The WSOP Tournament of Champions was started by the WSOP in 2004, after Harrah’s took ownership of the World Series of Poker brand. In the inaugural event, ten top names were invited to participate in the freeroll event structured as a winner-take-all. Duke won the event at the Rio.

In 2005, the TOC was won by Matusow at Caesars Palace, with an expanded field of 114 entrants competing in the freeroll, with the top nine places cashing.

The TOC event last took place in 2006 at the Rio, when 27 of the games greatest took to the felt in the freeroll, with the final table all walking away with prize money and 2009 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Sexton walking away with the top prize.

This year’s TOC will be a No Limit Texas Hold’em tournament with the top nine places being paid. First place will win $500,000, the runner-up gets $250,000, third place earns $100,000 and the fourth through ninth place pockets $25,000 each.

Details on how to cast your vote and rules can all be found at WSOP.com. The public will be able to track the voting, with the top 50 vote-getters listed and updated automatically after each ballot is completed. In an effort to avoid ballot-stuffing, the tally of individual votes won’t be divulged during the open voting period, and balloters will be required to complete an authentication process to ensure one vote per email address.

The WSOP, an annual poker games extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and consists of a comprehensive slate of the game’s most popular variations running from May 27-July 17, 2010.

A total of 57 coveted gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2010 – equal to last year’s total.

ABOUT THE WSOP

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than a billion dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money. The WSOP in December, 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at WSOP.com.

From the press release:

Full Tilt Poker Signs Tom “durrrr” Dwan to Team Full Tilt

DUBLIN, November 9 /PRNewswire/ –

- Online Sensation is the Newest Addition to Poker’s Most Elite Group of Pros

Full Tilt Poker has announced a rare addition to Team Full Tilt, the world’s greatest poker professionals, welcoming online phenomenon and high-stakes titan Tom “durrrr” Dwan.

Dwan, best known by his online player handle “durrrr”, is one of the most influential and successful players in online poker history. Known for his prolific play in high-stakes games at Full Tilt Poker, he has proven himself to be an unstoppable force any time he sits down at a table.

In addition to dominating the action at the high-stakes tables online, Dwan is a flourishing star on the live poker scene. He has made more than $1.1 million playing live tournaments, including three World Series of Poker cashes and one World Poker Tour final table.

Dwan is also a staple of poker television shows. He has appeared numerous times on Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker and Full Tilt Poker’s Million Dollar Cash Game, where he recently won a pot worth more than $1.1 million – the largest in televised poker history.

Along with playing on the virtual tables at Full Tilt Poker, Dwan will be lending his knowledge to the Full Tilt Poker Academy, where players can learn from the world’s best pros for free, and blogging about his experience as a member of Team Full Tilt.

“Team Full Tilt doesn’t take adding a team member lightly,” said Team Full Tilt member, Howard Lederer. “But, Tom Dwan has proven, through skill and dynamic play, that he will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come. We are proud to count Tom as one of our own.”

At 23 years old, Dwan is Team Full Tilt’s youngest member. He joins a group of the most successful poker professionals in the world: Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, Allen Cunningham and Patrik Antonius. Team Full Tilt has collected a staggering 37 World Series of Poker bracelets between them, dominating the poker world.

To learn more about Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Team Full Tilt and all of the Full Tilt Poker pros, visit http://www.fulltiltpoker.com.

Page 2 consists of Nolan Dalla’s Tournament Report from the conclusion of play with further details:

Official Report
Event #57
World Championship
World Series of Poker Main Event
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 6,494
Players Remaining: 1,436 from Day 2-B / 607 from Day 2-A = 2,044
Total Net Prize Pool: $61,043,600
Number of Places Paid: 648
First Place Prize: $8,546,435
July 3–November 10, 2009

Tournament Highlights:

Headlines (Day 2-B)

1. World Series of Poker Main Event Continues – Day Three is Next

2. Amir Lehavot (Weston, FL) is the Chip Leader – Late Surge at End of Day Two Catapults Israeli-Born Poker Pro into the Spotlight

3. Following Recess on Thursday, Day Three Begins Friday

The Main Event Continues

– The 2009 WSOP Main Event continued with the second of two flights of the jointly designated “Day Twos.” Day One was played over the initial four days of the tournament, which began on July 3rd. Day 2-A and 2-B (Day Two) were played July 7-8.

– Day 2-A began with 1,478 players. The day ended with only 607 survivors. Day 2-B began with 2,922 players. The day ended with only 1,436 survivors. This means 2,044 players remain in contention for the 2009 world poker championship.

– This day included the largest number of restarts ever in WSOP history. Normally, the field is reduced to about half the starting size after one full day of play. But due to larger starting stacks this year (30,000 in chips) combined with a larger-than-expected turnout for Days 1-C and 1-D, this created a record carryover for Day 2-B.

– This is the 42nd day of the WSOP. Play continues for seven more days, plus the finale to be played in November.

– Tomorrow (Thursday) is an off day. This is the first day of the WSOP with no official tournaments, other than the Media Invitational. A media press conference is also scheduled for 11 am at the Rio.

– Any player dealt four jacks in this year’s Main Event receives a special prize from Jack Link’s Beef Jerky valued at $100. So far, 27 packages have been given away (through six completed days).

– Play on Day 2-B began on July 8, 2009 at 12:15 pm.

Play on Day 2-B

– Defending champion Peter Eastgate remains very much alive in the 2009 Main Event. He was down to just 8,000 in chips late in the day but went on a fortuitous rush during the final hour of Day 2 and ended up with about an average-sized stack entering Day 3.

– Former world champions who continued play on Day 2-B included – Bobby “the Owl” Baldwin (1978), Phil Hellmuth (1989), Dan Harrington (1995), Scotty Nguyen (1998), Robert Varkonyi (2002), Joe Hachem (2005), and Peter Eastgate (2008).

– Notable celebrities who continued play on Day 2-B included – Lou Diamond Phillips, Robert Iler, Sam Simon, and Marlon Wayans.

– Phil Hellmuth was placed at ESPN’s feature table.

– Players competed for four complete levels. Play ended after Level 9. When play resumes at Level 10, blinds will be 600-1,200 with a 200 ante. The average stack size is about 105,000.

– Day 2-B started with a field of 2,922 players and ended with 1,436 survivors. This means only 49 percent of starters survived past the second day.

– Players who survived Day 2-B will return to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship gold bracelet and $8.5 million in prize money on July 10th, starting at noon. They will merge into one combined field with the survivors of Day 2-A (played on the previous day). Day 3 will be the first time this year all players play in the same day.

– Play on Day Two ended at 10:40 pm. This is expected to be the last “short day” of the Main Event. Most remaining days are predicted to go at least five levels.

Day 2-B Chip Leaders (More about Amir Lehavot) –

– The overall chip leader is Amir Lehavot. He is a 38-year-old poker pro who lives in Weston, Florida — near Ft. Lauderdale. Lehavot was born in Israel. He arrived in the U.S. at the age of 16. Prior to playing poker for a living, Lehavot worked as an engineer, specializing in design.

Although all players started the tournament with 30,000 in chips, during his low point on Day 1-D, Lehavot was down to 7,000 in chips. He crawled back up the leaderboard and ended the day with 80,000 in chips. On Day 2-B, Lehavot took his initial stack of 80,000 and ran it up to 610,500. He is currently ranked first out of the 2,044 remaining players.

This marks Lehavot’s third consecutive year to play in the Main Event. He has yet to cash in a WSOP tournament. However, he did go deep last year (without cashing).

Lehavot recently started a poker website (with strategy content) which can be found at: www.pokerwit.com. The site contains Lehavot’s comments about key hands he played at various times during the WSOP.

Lehavot’s poker nickname is “AmirSF.” Prior to moving to Florida, Lehavot lived in San Francisco, CA.

QUOTES:

“During Day One, I was at 7,000 (in chips). So, it really feels nice to come back. I even had to make a suck out on Day One. So, it feels nice.”

“I had some really nice hands most of the day, and (30 minutes before Day 2 ended), I had a huge hand. I got another 250,000 in chips. I had just moved to this table and had just sat down. There was this other big stack that had 250,000. I had pocket threes and flopped a set. Most of my chips came from that one pot.”

“Last year (I played at the WSOP), I got up to 200,000. But I got too aggresive and lost it.”

“It feels great. But I have played in a lot of tournaments and I know. There is a long way to go and it does not necessarily mean that much (to be chip leader) at this point. It’s nice, but there is still a long way to go.”

“If I cash, it is really not lk\ife-changing for me. I am looking to go deep.”

– The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 2 is Phil Ivey, from Las Vegas, NV. Ivey is now in the top 20, with 346,200 in chips.

Combined Notes –

– Here is the current status of all former WSOP Main Event champions who played in this year’s championship:

1972: “Amarillo Slim” Preston – eliminated on Day 2
1975/1976: Doyle Brunson – eliminated on Day 1
1978: Bobby Baldwin – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
1983: Tom McEvoy – eliminated on Day 1
1986: Berry Johnston – eliminated on Day 2
1987/1988: Johnny Chan – eliminated on Day 2
1989: Phil Hellmuth – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
1993: Jim Bechtel – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
1995: Dan Harrington – STILL ALIVE (above average stack)
1996: Huck Seed – eliminated on Day 1
1998: Scotty Nguyen – eliminated on Day 2
2000: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
2001: Carlos “the Matador” Mortensen – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
2002: Robert Varkonyi – eliminated on Day 2
2003: Chris Moneymaker – eliminated on Day 1
2004: Greg “Fossilman” Raymer – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
2005: Joe Hachem – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
2006: Jamie Gold – eliminated in Day 1
2007: Jerry Yang – eliminated on Day 1
2008: Peter Eastgate – STILL ALIVE (average stack)

– Here is the current status of all former WSOP “Player of the Year” champions who played in this year’s championship:

2005: Daniel Negreanu – eliminated on Day 1
2006: Allen Cunningham – eliminated on Day 2
2007: Tom Schneider – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
2008: Erick Lindgren – eliminated on Day 2

– Here is the current status of those players with notable results from this year’s WSOP:

David Bach (winner of HORSE World Championship) – eliminated on Day 2
Alex Bolotin (winner of “Ante-Up for Africa” championship) – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
Darryll Fish (cashed 7 times at this year’s WSOP) – eliminated on Day 2
Jeffrey Lisandro (won three gold bracelets this year) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack)
Ville Wahlbeck (finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th in four events) – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
Vitaly Lunkin (finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th in three events) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack)
Greg Mueller (won two gold bracelets this year) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack — in top 100)
Phil Ivey (won two gold bracelets this year) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack — in top 100)

– Here is the current status of notable non-pro celebrities from this year’s Main Event:

Jason Alexander (actor) – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
Shane Warne (world famous cricket player) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack)
Torrie Wilson (female wrestler) – eliminated on Day 1
John Salley (former NBA basketball player) – eliminated on Day 1
Patrick Bruel (French actor and singer) – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
Lou Diamond Phillips (actor and singer) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack)
Marlon Wayans (actor) – eliminated on Day 2
Jordan Farmar (NBA basketball player) – STILL ALIVE (above average stack)
Sam Simon (Hollywood writer and producer) – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
Joseph Kahn (music video producer) – eliminated on Day 1
Ray Romano (actor) – eliminated on Day 1
Sully Erna (musician) – eliminated on Day 1
Shannon Elizabeth (actor) – eliminated on Day 1
Brad Garrett (actor) — eliminated on Day 1

– Here is the current status of last year’s “November Nine” (the 2009 Main Event Final Table participants):

Ivan Demidov – eliminated on Day 2
Peter Eastgate – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
Kelly Kim – STILL ALIVE (below average stack)
Craig Marquis – eliminated in Day 1
Scott Montgomery – eliminated on Day 2
Dennis Phillips – STILL ALIVE (average stack)
David “Chino” Rheem – eliminated on Day 1
Ylon Schwartz – eliminated on Day 2
Darus Suharto – STILL ALIVE (average stack)

– Daily elimination percentages are as follows:

DAY ONE: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day / 32 percent were eliminated.
DAY TWO: 31 percent of the original starters survived the second day / 27 percent more were eliminated.
DAY THREE: TBA

– The Top-12 overall chip leaders going into Day 3 are:

1. Amir Lehavot USA 610,500
2. Peter DeBaene USA 465,000
3. Troy Weber USA 453,200
4. Dan Bizzerian USA 439,500
5. Gabe Walls USA 417,900
6. Mikael Thuritz USA 395,400
7. Andrew Gaw Philippines 386,000
8. Eric Cloutier Quebec 383,000
9. Jason Brice USA 376,100
10.Ed Perry USA 370,000
11.Brandon Demes USA 369,800
12. Miika Puumalanien Finland 361,200

– Of the Top 100 players in chip standings from Day 2-A, 42 are international (non-American) players. Nations amidst the Top 100 includes:

Philippines
Canada
USA
Finland
UK
Sweden
Australia
Denmark
Portugal
France
Netherlands
Ireland
Macedonia
Hungary
Czech Republic
Israel
Switzerland
South Africa
Belgium
Romania

– Of the Top 100 players in chip standings from Day 2-B, 33 are international (non-American) players. Nations amidst the Top 100 includes:

USA
Canada
UK
Spain
St. Kitts
Panama
Hong Kong
Peru
Italy
Austria
France
Ireland
Costa Rica
Holland
Romania
Denmark
Germany
Norway
South Africa
Russia
Sweden

Putting Day Two into Perspective

– In 2008, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Peter Eastgate was ranked in 484th place.

– In 2007, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Jerry Yang was ranked in 26th place.

– In 2006, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Jamie Gold was ranked in 155th place.

– Based on WSOP figures during the mega-era (2006 to present), five out of six Day Two chip leaders have cashed. The previous results are as follows:

2008 2-A – Brian Schaedlich finished in 456th place
2008 2-B – Peter Biebel finished in 273rd place

2007 2-A – Jeff Banghart finished in 41st place
2007 2-B – Gus Hansen finished in 61st place

2006 2-A – Yuriy Kozinskiy did not cash
2006 2-B – Dmitri Nobles finished in 76th place

World Series of Poker Statistics

– The 2009 WSOP Main Event now ranks as the third-largest live poker tournament in history. Only the 2006 and 2008 Main Event championships drew larger numbers. It should be noted that if the Rio had greater seating capacity (Day 1-D sold out), this year’s tournament would have unquestionably surpassed last year’s attendance figures.

– The total prize pool for this year’s Main Event totals $61,043,600. However, this figure is not final. Since interest is added to payouts for players who will constitute the November Nine, the final figure will actually be slightly higher.

– The number of female participants in this year’s Main Event is estimated to be 187, which amounts to 2.8 percent of the field. There is no official record since entrants are not designated by sex. However, it has been customary in recent years to count every player at the start of Day One (actually all flights A-D) and take a head count of female players. Oddly enough, despite the low percentage of female players, there were three different tables with three females in the tournament.

– All players who make it to the final table this year (the November Nine) will earn at least $1 million. The 2009 world champion will collect $8,546,435 for first place (plus slightly more money in added interest).

– With registration for this year’s Main Event, the World Series of Poker crossed the $1,000,000,000 threshold in total prize money awarded to players. During its 40-year history, the WSOP has paid out $1,041,265,271. Incredibly, more than $600,000,000 has been paid out just in the last five years alone, since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed control of the tournament. Here is the historical prize pool information for the World Series of Poker.

2009 — $174,011,894
2008 — $180,774,427
2007 — $159,796,918
2006 — $159,599,815
1970-2005 — $354,000,000

– This is the 57th and final event on the 2009 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas. Four more gold bracelet events will take place later this year in London, England at the Empire Casino, to be held from September 19th through October 1st.

– Players have come to the WSOP from at least 115 different nations and territories. By contrast, only 80 nations were represented at the most recent Winter Olympic Games.

– This marks the fifth consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Prior to 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. More money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past five years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe. This is a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event.

Notable eliminations: Bernard Lee, Robert Williamson III, Phil Tom, David Sklansky, Gavin Griffin, Howard Lederer, Scotty Nguyen, Todd “Dan Druff” Witteles (who was at the ESPN feature table with Hellmuth), Shannon Shorr and Erick Lindgren.

Check out the updates and chip counts at wsop.com here and more stuff from Pokerati during the late hours. WSOP Media tournament and media briefing tomorrow, I’ll be with Team Pokerati in spirit in the tournament. The Commish has quite a few announcements tomorrow, including the Poker Hall of Fame nominees so come back tomorrow.

Press Release on the next page:

World Poker Tour® Launches Eighth Season for the United States

12-Stop Tour to Be Broadcast in High Definition on Fox Sports Net in the US and Distributed to over 400 Million Households Worldwide

* Press Release
* Source: WPT Enterprises, Inc.
* On Wednesday June 24, 2009, 9:00 am EDT

WPT Season VIII also features favorite pro stops at Bay 101 in San Jose, Calif.; Bicycle Casino’s new Event Center in Los Angeles; Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss.; Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City; Commerce Casino in Los Angeles; and Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

Joining the tour as a new stop in Season VIII is the inaugural Hollywood Poker Open in Lawrenceburg, Ind. The casino, which will re-open as the Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg on June 29, is a 270,000 square foot riverboat casino that sits on the Ohio River. In addition to the $10,000 main event—the first ever televised WPT tournament in the Midwest—Hollywood Casino will host three non-televised WPT tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $3,000 to $5,000. All tournaments will be played in the casino’s brand-new state-of-the-art WPT Poker Room.

“As this great game has evolved over the years, we have seen the tour grow and develop into something truly incredible,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder and CEO. “Each year seems to top the last, from stops in exciting new venues to historical moments to break-out players to unbelievable action. We’re looking forward to seeing what the eighth season brings—then watching it broadcast in HD!”

Tournament Name

Hosting Casino /
Location
Date* Buy-in
Bellagio Cup V

Bellagio
Las Vegas, NV

July 13 – 19, 2009 $15,000 +$400
Legends of Poker

The Bicycle Casino
Los Angeles, CA

Aug 22 – 26, 2009 $9,800 + $200
Borgata Poker Open

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Atlantic City, NJ
Sept 19 – 24, 2009 TBD
Festa al Lago

Bellagio
Las Vegas, NV

October 20 – 26, 2009 $15,000 +$400
Foxwoods World Poker Finals

Foxwoods Resort Casino
Mashantucket, CT

Nov 5 – 10, 2009 $9,700 + $300

Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic

Bellagio
Las Vegas, NV

Dec 13 – 19, 2009 $15,000 +$400
Southern Poker Championship

Beau Rivage
Biloxi, MS

Jan 24 – 27, 2010 $9,700 + $300
L.A. Poker Classic

Commerce Casino
Los Angeles, CA

Feb 20 – Feb 25, 2010 $9,600 + $400
WPT Invitational

Commerce Casino
Los Angeles, CA

Feb 27 – March 1, 2010 Invitation Only
Bay 101 Shooting Star

Bay 101
San Jose, CA

March 8 – 12, 2010 $9,600 + $400
Hollywood Poker Open

Hollywood Casino
Lawrenceburg, IN
March 20 – 24, 2010 $9,600 + $400
WPT World Championship

Bellagio
Las Vegas, NV

April 17-24, 2010 $25,000 + $500

*Dates subject to change.

Courtesy of Blue Diamond Almonds, WPT Live Updates will continue reporting live from the tournament trail, delivering up-to-the-minute tournament action for fans around the world.

A full schedule of WPT events including 2009-2010 international tour stops, will be available soon in the “WPT on Tour” section of www.WorldPokerTour.com.