January 5, 2011

CHOCTAW CASINO RESORT SET TO HOST FIRST-EVER WSOP CIRCUIT

DURANT, OK - (January 5, 2011) – WSOP Circuit action comes to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area when Choctaw Casino Resort hosts the WSOP Circuit’s first stop of 2011 beginning Thursday, January 6th through Monday, January 24th.

The 8th of 15 official tour stops scheduled for the 2010/2011 season, the upcoming WSOP Circuit series will be the first-ever held at Choctaw, which is located in Durant, OK, one hour north of Dallas.

“This is a huge poker market that has clamored for high stakes tournament poker and we’re ecstatic to be hosting a WSOP Circuit in this gorgeous property in Durant,” said WSOP vice president, Ty Stewart.

Ten official WSOP Circuit ring events are among the 51 total events scheduled for the 18-day Circuit stop, which concludes with the $1,600 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event starting Saturday January 22nd.

The schedule, put together by noted tournament director Jimmy Sommerfeld, features a broad selection of poker games that includes variations such as PLO, PLO/2-7 triple draw mixed, H.O.R.S.E., Omaha 8 and Hold’em.

Also scheduled for Choctaw are the $235 buy-in WSOP Circuit Ladies Event, which takes place Sunday, January 9th and the $235 buy-in Seniors Event to be held Sunday, January 16th. Along with first place prize money, the winner of the Ladies Event receives the WSOP Circuit diamond-encrusted gold pendant.

Online registration for any of the 51 events is available through Startickets.com.

Tournament staff and organizers have worked diligently for months in preparation for what will undoubtedly be one of the largest gaming events ever held in the region.

“The vibrant poker markets in Texas and Oklahoma deserve a local to regional WSOP Circuit opportunity and Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant couldn’t be a better choice,” said Choctaw Casino Resort Director of Gaming & Hotel Operations, Steven Loyd.

“The Choctaw Nation is proud to be the newest member of the WSOP Circuit family.”

WSOP Circuit leader board points will be distributed to players based on their performance at Choctaw with the winner of the Main Event earning an automatic entry to the $1 million WSOPC National Championship to be held May 27-29 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

In addition, one more National Championship entry will be awarded to the player earning the most points through Choctaw’s ten ring events.

Special room rates in the resort’s new hotel tower will be available to WSOP participants and start at $69. Players can call 1-800-788-2464 to make reservations or book online. Use promo code WSOP2011.


Media Contacts:
Jay Newnum, WJ Media Marketing,
317.946.5334
jay@wjmedia.net

Alan Fowler, WSOP/Caesars Interactive Entertainment,
702.498.7532
afowler@caesars.com


ABOUT THE WSOPThe 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 2010, the event attracted 72,966 entrants from 117 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $187 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 seventh season in 2010-11, and will feature 12 stops throughout the U.S., plus for the first ever, a stop in South Africa. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit www.WSOP.com.


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