July 1, 2014

HPO Season 2 Championship Event - Wrap Up

Hollywood Poker Open Season 2 Championship wrap-up with winner Simon Deadman, world-champion Chris Moneymaker, and Tournament Director Bill Bruce.









June 26, 2013

M Resort to Host Hollywood Poker Open Championship, June 27-29


HPO Championship June 27-29

Players From 16 Penn National Gaming Casinos to Join Pros and Amateurs In Spreading Poker Action to the Strip’s South End

Las Vegas, NV (June 2013) – More than 150 professional and amateur poker players representing 16 Penn National Gaming casinos across North America are coming to Las Vegas June 27-29 for a chance at fame and glory to play in the $500,000 Guaranteed Hollywood Poker Open Championship at the M Resort Spa Casino Las Vegas. Up to another 150 players are expected to buy-in at $2,500 a seat for the Championship.

Among the participants are those who won seats at one of five regional HPO tournament events held at Hollywood Casinos over the last eight months. Others won local tournaments and seat giveaways this year at Hollywood and Penn National Gaming properties throughout North America.

Penn, which operates some of the largest and most comfortable live poker rooms at Hollywood Casinos in the Midwest, South and Mid-Atlantic, is looking to grow its poker business and introduce players to the M Resort as a poker destination.

“Our goal was to create a national tournament of our own where poker players – both those we know as well as those new to our casinos – could gain multiple opportunities to participate in regional and qualifying events with the action culminating in a championship in Las Vegas,” said Jay Snowden, Senior Vice President Regional Operations, Penn National Gaming. “We also wanted our players to know that they have a first-class poker home the next time they visit Las Vegas.”

The start time for Day 1 (June 27) is 11:15 a.m. The event is being held in the M Resort’s Milan Ballroom, Lower Level. Approximately 10 percent of the field will finish in the money.

No Limit Hold’em satellites and live action games will also be held throughout the weekend at the M Resort.

Players can pre-register online or register in person at the M Resort Poker Room. The HPO Registration Desk for pre and newly registered players is located on the M Resort’s Spa Level starting June 27 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and beginning at 8 a.m. on June 28.

For More Info Contact:
Brent Burkhardt
On Site Media Contact
410-299-2528
bburkhardt@tbc.us

To learn more and follow the action throughout the weekend:

About M Resort M Resort Spa Casino is located on over 90 acres at 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S. on the southeast corner of St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard. Situated higher in elevation than other resort-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, the M Resort provides optimal views of the world-famous Las Vegas skyline from its guest rooms, suites, conference center and restaurants. The resort offers 390 guest rooms and suites, over 92,000 square feet of gaming, seven restaurants and six destination bars, more than 92,000 square feet of meeting and conference space, a Forbes Travel Guide four star rated spa and fitness center and a 100,000 square foot events piazza. For more information, visit www.theMresort.com. Find us on Facebook – M Resort Spa Casino. Follow @MResort Twitter. Read our M Point of View Blog. M Resort is operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc. About Penn National Gaming Penn National Gaming owns, operates or has ownership interests in gaming and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The company presently operates twenty-nine facilities in nineteen jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National's operated facilities currently feature approximately 36,800 gaming machines, approximately 850 table games, 2,900 hotel rooms and approximately 1.6 million square feet of gaming floor space. ###

July 23, 2012

WORLD SERIES OF POKER® ANNOUNCES 2012-2013 WSOP CIRCUIT SCHEDULE

2012-2013 WSOP Circuit Logo

New Stops Added to Record-Breaking Tour

Participants Again to Compete For Shot at $1 Million+ and Gold Bracelet; National Championship Moved to New Orleans

2012-13 WSOP Circuit to be Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof

LAS VEGAS – July 23, 2012 – The ninth season of the WSOP Circuit has been formalized with a record 20 stops on tap for this year’s series with buy-ins ranging from $365 to $1675.

For the first time ever, a stop outside the U.S. will occur with the addition of River Rock Casino in British Columbia this October. Additional new stops this season include the aforementioned River Rock (October 27 - November 7); the brand new Horseshoe Cleveland (March 14 - 25, 2013); Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut (March 27 - April 8, 2013) and Harrah’s Cherokee in Cherokee, North Carolina (April 4 - 15, 2013).

A WSOP gold bracelet will be on the line for WSOP Circuit grinders in a season-culminating National Championship event taking place at Harrah’s New Orleans just after the final Circuit stop, from May 21-23, 2013. With Southern Comfort on as the Presenting Sponsor, the WSOP will bring the nationally televised finale to where it all began – for both poker and Southern Comfort – New Orleans, Louisiana.

100 is again the magic number for the WSOP Series of Poker Circuit Events Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof. Fueled by a $1,000,000 prize fronted by the WSOP, the top 100 players from the Circuit tour who qualify via exemptions or at-large bids will free-roll into the National Championship to battle in the Big Easy against any of the 100 players made eligible based on their performances in 2011 and 2012 open bracelet events. As was the case in 2011, these players may buy-in for the equivalent equity, or $10,000.

The World Series of Poker Circuit Events Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof will begin August 9 at IP Biloxi in Mississippi with a 12-ring event schedule, with the Main Event set to begin on Saturday, August 18.

The tour continues almost non-stop through December 17, and then after a short holiday break resumes in earnest on January 3 and continues without break through May 20, 2013. Scheduling the National Championship immediately adjacent to the final event will create a “last shot” phenomenon that is sure to bring excitement to the Crescent City.

Once again a points-ranking system for all ring tournament participants will be used and reward those players who participate in multiple events – with the Top 100 players qualifying for the Southern Comfort 100 World Series of Poker National Championship (May 21-23, 2013 in New Orleans). There will be 40 automatic qualifiers, with 60 additional players qualifying based on their points earned on the circuit.

The “12 Rings in 12 Days” concept is back, with most stops beginning on a Thursday, and the three-day Main Event beginning on the second Saturday, thereby encompassing a total of 12 official WSOP gold ring events over 12 days, and offering players non-stop poker action at the regional level.

Each stop concludes with a $1,675 buy-in Main Event Championship slated to always start on a Saturday (except for Horseshoe Hammond, where the Main Event begins on a Friday). Also back, the Main Event’s will be played as re-entry, with a morning and an evening flight available to players. This year, the $1675 will be inclusive of all fees, with the full $1500 going into the prizepool. The concept of add-on chips will be eliminated at all stops.

Each WSOP Circuit stop Main Event winner will receive an automatic berth into the Southern Comfort 100 World Series of Poker National Championship. Automatic bids will also go to the “Casino Champions” at each participating venue. A Casino Champion is defined as the player at each stop whom accumulates the most points throughout the 12-event gold ring schedule.

“We’re coming off the best year of participation ever in the history of the WSOP Circuit,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “We think we have the best offering in terms of value and ROI at these stakes and the most exciting championship format out there,” added Stewart. “We’re thrilled to add a big-time marketing partner like Southern Comfort 100 Proof, who is a natural fit for this platform and will truly help grow the profile of the tour.”

The 2011-12 WSOP Circuit Tour exceeded 70,000 entries in official ring events, easily making it the #1 domestic poker tour. Highlights included a record 3,001 players for the opening event at Horseshoe Hammond. A number of the 2011-12 Main Events exceeded $1,000,000 in prize pool.

All Southern Comfort 100 World Series of Poker Circuit Event stops will feature standardized tournament structures and payouts. So players going from stop to stop will be treated in a consistent manner at each of the stops.

This year’s tour includes 16 returning venues from the 2011-12 season, plus the addition of River Rock (Vancouver); Horseshoe Cleveland (Cleveland, Ohio); Foxwoods; and Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina).

The 2011-12 WSOP Circuit Tour featured 17 stops, consisting of 204 gold ring events which attracted a record-total of 71,691 entries – the most ever in the history of the WSOP Circuit.

The entire 2012-13 schedule is as follows:

2012-2013 WORLD SERIES OF POKER CIRCUIT TOUR SCHEDULE

August 9-20, 2012 IP Casino Resort & Spa (Biloxi, MS)
September 13-24, 2012 Horseshoe Bossier City (Louisiana)
September 27 – October 8, 2012 Horseshoe Southern Indiana
October 11-22, 2012 Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago)
October 27 – November 7, 2012 River Rock (Vancouver, Canada)
November 8-19, 2012 Harveys Lake Tahoe
November 29- December 10, 2012 Harrah’s Atlantic City
December 6 – 17, 2012 Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego area)
January 3-14, 2013 The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles)
January 10-21, 2013 Choctaw Durant (Dallas/Oklahoma)
January 24 – February 4, 2013 Harrah’s Tunica (Mississippi)
February 7-18, 2013 Caesars Palace (Las Vegas)
February 14-25, 2013 Palm Beach Kennel Club (Florida)
February 28 – March 11, 2013 Caesars Atlantic City
March 14-25, 2013 Horseshoe Cleveland
March 27 – April 8, 2013 Foxwoods (Connecticut)
April 4-15, 2012 Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina)
April 11-22, 2013 Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Iowa)
April 25 – May 6, 2013 Harrah’s Philadelphia
May 9 – May 20, 2013 Harrah’s New Orleans
May 21-23, 2013 (National Championship) Harrah’s New Orleans

Circuit schedules are subject to change. Stops may be added or removed. 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

*The WSOP Circuit Events and culminating championship are subject to tournament rules and restrictions to be released at a later date. The timing, number and location of events are subject to change and all applicable gaming regulations.

ABOUT THE WSOP The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of 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 2012, the event attracted 74,766 entrants from 105 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $222 million in prize money. In addition, the WSOP has formed 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. The WSOP Circuit Tour is entering its ninth season in 2012-13. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit www.WSOP.com.

ABOUT SOUTHERN COMFORT
Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was created in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is enjoyed by friends in over 100 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand. Please visit us at SouthernComfort.com and facebook.com/southerncomfort.
Drinking Responsible Is Your Best Bet. Liqueur, 15-50% Alc. by Volume, Southern Comfort Company, Louisville, KY ©2012

ABOUT CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world's most geographically diversified casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 74 years ago, Caesars has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions and now operates casinos on four continents. The company's resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah's® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars also owns the World Series of Poker® and the London Clubs International family of casinos. Caesars is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. We are committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognize the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com.

This release includes “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements contain words such as “may,” “will,” “project,” “might,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “estimate,” “continue” or “pursue,” or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. In particular, they include statements relating to, among other things, future actions, strategies, future performance, and the outcomes of contingencies of Caesars Entertainment and the WSOP Circuit Events. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events.
Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or results and involve risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified and, consequently, the actual events described herein may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following factors:
• our ability to secure all of the locations of the WSOP Circuit Events and the time and place of such events;
• rules and regulations of the gaming and other regulatory agencies that govern the WSOP Circuit Events; and
• our ability to secure a party to produce and televise the WSOP Circuit Events, and or the National Championship.

Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. Caesars disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release.

# # #

January 10, 2012

Choctaw Casino Resort Hosts Second WSOP Circuit Stop

Durant, OK - Jan. 10, 2012

Poker’s top brass will set up shop in Durant, Oklahoma at Choctaw Casino Resort January 5th through 23rd for the WSOP Circuit’s second stop of 2012.

When looking to describe the 2011-2012 Circuit so far, one could start with the phrase, record breaking.

The season began with Mark “Pegasus” Smith winning his record fifth Circuit ring following a stunning performance in Southern Indiana. Two weeks later, Horseshoe Hammond broke a record of its own when 3,001 players registered for Event #1, obliterating the old attendance record by almost 1,400 entrants.

Last week at The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, La Sengphet became the first female in Circuit history to record three victories in open ring events.

With the bar set high, great things are sure to come from Choctaw and what is typically one of the Circuit’s largest stops due to its close proximity to the Dallas market.

Last year, almost 4,700 players turned out for 10 ring events and their chance at a piece of the over $2.6 million in awarded prizes. The Main Event champion, Huy Nguyen, bested 808 entrants and was awarded $233,000 for his victory.

This year, 12 ring events are scheduled to take place over 12 days. Notable tournaments include Event #6, $345 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em to take place January 17th and Event #8, $555 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em tournament to take place January 19th.

The $1,600 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry tournament will begin Saturday, January 21st.

Both the Main Event champion and the Casino Champion will be awarded seats to the $1,000,000 Circuit National Championship in Las Vegas.

Tournaments will be ran according to standardized WSOP Circuit structures and all play will be overseen by tournament director Jimmy Sommerfeld and the Poker Tournament Consultants team in concert with Ken Lambert, Choctaw’s top poker lieutenant.

A full schedule of events can be seen HERE.

Rooms in Choctaw’s Grand Tower are available for as low as $79 a night. More information can be found HERE.

Follow @WSOP on Twitter for all official tournament updates.

Follow @PkrTrnmtCnsults on Twitter for more info.

Like us on FaceBook HERE.

All final tables will be streamed live on WSOP.com.


For More Information:

Media Contact:
Lukas M. Willems, Media Coordinator, WSOP
E-mail: lukasmwillems@gmail.com

Choctaw Casino Contact:
Ken Lambert, Poker Room Manager, Choctaw Casino Resort
E-mail: ken.lambert@choctawcasinos.com

Poker Tournament Consultants Contact:
Bill Bruce, PTC GM
E-mail: bill@pokertournamentconsultants.com

December 19, 2011

Palm Beach Kennel Club has $1 million WSOP Circuit event coming

The four aces: Jimmy Sommerfeld, WSOP Tournament Director; Noah Carbone, PBKC Poker Room Director; Bill Bruce, WSOP Asst. Tournament Director; Tim Wright, PBKC Poker Manager (photo/courtesy of PB Kennel Club)

PALM BEACH, FL
December 19, 2011

The Palm Beach Kennel Club officially announced Thursday that it's going to hold the largest guaranteed World Series of Poker Circuit Event of all time: $1 million in prize money.

Buy-in is $500 plus a $55 fee. It'll be event No. 1 when the series stops for the second year at the kennel club in West Palm Beach. The idea: to separate this venue from others in the 17-stop circuit.
"$1 million on a $500 event gets people to change their plans," Poker Room Director Noah Carbone said.

So will the first prize money: Presuming it's 25 percent to the winner, that'd be a $250,000 first prize, which organizers called a good "ballpark" number.

The series, consisting of 12 events, runs from Feb. 16 through Feb. 27. The main event, which carries a $1,500 buy-in, starts Feb. 25.

The kennel club says it's adding tables, which it will have to do in order to run the three flights of 700 players each for the $1 million event (they have 64; they'll grow to 75). Carbone cautioned players to sign up for Day 1A, to avoid being shut out. The tournament is tied to PokerTickets.com for those wishing to preregister.

To break even on their guarantee, they'll need 2,000 entrants, a big jump from last year, when they set a state record (later broken by other card rooms) with 877.

WSOP officials called last year "a success," especially because it was the first WSOP series held at a kennel club. There were more than 7,000 overall entrants, with 64 percent of them coming from outside of the county -- an indication that the WSOP drew new faces to Palm Beach County.

At least two players will go to the WSOP circuit end-of-season free roll in Vegas: the overall points winner and the main event winner. Carbone mentioned that last year's winner, John Riordan, was under 21, so he was not eligible for the Vegas trip because poker in Florida is 18 and over, while Vegas has a minimum age of 21.

Carbone also pointed out that this year might have a rush of younger players, because Black Friday on April 15 shut down the internet as a form of getting to play, and internet poker skews young.

Source: Sun Sentinel: Palm Beach Kennel Club has $1 million WSOP Circuit event coming