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.

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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

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

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

Eighth Season of WSOP Circuit Events Begins September 8th at Horseshoe Bossier City

WSOPC National Championship, cumulative ranking system and optimized structures return for 2011/2012

BOSSIER CITY, LA – September 2, 2011 – On the heels of a successful 2010/2011 tour, the eighth season of the World Series of Poker Circuit Events gets underway Thursday, September 8th at Horseshoe Bossier City.

This year marks the first time ever that Horseshoe Bossier City will host the WSOP Circuit. The casino and its 25-story luxury hotel are located just outside of Shreveport, LA and a short distance from Texas and Arkansas.

A number of improvements were made to last season’s WSOPC, including optimized, standardized structures, a cumulative ranking system and the addition of a season-culminating National Championship. These enhancements will return for the 2011/2012 season for what promises to be the Circuit Events’ biggest and brightest year yet.

This season’s unofficial motto is “12 Rings in 12 Days.” Beginning with Horseshoe Bossier City, the sixteen stops of the 2011/2012 Circuit Tour will each begin on a Thursday and open the three-day Main Event on the second following Saturday, thereby encompassing a total of 12 official WSOP gold ring events over 12 consecutive days.

As with all stops this year, the Main Event will follow a re-entry format, meaning there will be two starting flights with players eliminated in flight A having the option to re-enter into flight B. The Horseshoe Main Event begins Saturday, September 17th.

In addition to first place prize money and the coveted WSOP Circuit gold ring, the winner of the Main Event will receive an automatic entry into the WSOP Circuit National Championship. A second seat to the national championship will be awarded to the player who earns the most points through the 12 ring events scheduled at Horseshoe Bossier City.

This year, the 12 ring event final tables at each Circuit stop will be streamed live at WSOP.com.

In addition to the 12 ring events scheduled at the Horseshoe, the Seniors No Limit Hold’em event will take place Sunday, September 11th while the Ladies NLH Event kicks off the following Sunday, September 18th.

There will also be nightly 7pm $120 buy-in no-limit hold’em events and satellites held throughout the 12-day series. See the full schedule of events here.

Specially-discounted room rates for WSOPC participants will be available. Click here for more details.

Media Contacts: Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director – nolandalla@aol.com

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.

* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.

San Diego WSOP Circuit Includes 22 Tournaments

Harrah's Rincon Hosts Sixth-Annual WSOP Circuit

Valley Center, CA - February 23, 2009 – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The world's largest and most prestigious poker tournament series is returning again to Southern California. For the sixth consecutive year Harrah's Rincon, the San Diego area's premier gaming and resort destination, will be hosting a World Series of Poker Circuit event. This year's 13-day tournament series takes place from March 19th through April 1st, 2009.

The World Series of Poker is the world's richest sporting event. Last year, the WSOP competition in Las Vegas alone awarded nearly $170 million in prize money to winners - more than Wimbledon, the Masters, and the Kentucky Derby combined. Five years ago, the WSOP hit the road for the first time in history. Poker tournaments were offered at multiple Harrah's properties spread throughout the United States. Rincon was one of the first casinos ever to host a WSOP-related event held outside of Las Vegas. Turnout has been strong every year, making Rincon one of the Circuit's most popular attractions.

This year's action-packed schedule includes 12 major daily tournaments, plus ten more late afternoon tournaments - bringing the combined menu to 22 total tournaments. This makes the upcoming Rincon series one of the busiest poker destinations of the season. In addition, the Rincon Poker Room will offer multiple satellites and around-the-clock cash-game action.

The Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort is nestled in a quiet valley between the mountains 45-miles northeast of San Diego. Rincon, which has multiple dining, entertainment, and spa/fitness options for guests of all ages, is a convenient destination for poker enthusiasts throughout Southern California. In years past, Rincon's WSOP Circuit tournaments have attracted thousands of poker players with all levels of experience, from recreational competitors to world champions. Former WSOP champions Doyle Brunson, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, and Jerry Yang have attended in recent years. Rincon has also been visited by other poker greats, including Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Berry Greenstein, Phil Gordon, Chris Moneymaker, Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Scotty Nguyen and many other superstars.

This year's poker tournament schedule includes a wide variety of poker games, including Limit Hold'em, No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Hold'em, Omaha High-Low, Seven-Card Stud High-Low, and H.O.R.S.E. In addition, there will be a ladies-only poker tournament and a special tournament for seniors. Tournament buy-ins start as low as $125. The Rincon championship event will be played on the final three days of the series (March 30th through April 1st) and will cost $5,150 to enter. Super-satellites for the championship event costing as little as $65 will be held daily, 24-hours a day.

"Harrah's Rincon is proud to be a fixture on the World Series of Poker Circuit," said Robert Livingston, Vice President & Assistant General Manager at Harrah's Rincon. "I know all our casino and hotel employees look forward to the excitement of this big-time tournament coming to Southern California. This year, we really intend to roll out the red carpet for everyone, whether they just want to play a little poker for fun or strive to become a world champion."

This year's tournament director is Jimmy Sommerfeld, one of poker's most respected and experienced gaming officials. The Harrah's Rincon poker room manager is Alexia Alsop, who will be working with her staff to coordinate San Diego's premier poker event. Additional staffing will be provided by the elite and prestigious Poker Tournament Consultants group.

Rincon is also providing special luxury hotel accommodations to poker players for as low as $81 per night. In addition, entrants who purchase a tournament buy-in $500 and greater will receive a $15 food coupon which can be used at several casino restaurants.

More about Harrah's Rincon

Winner of the 2007 SHRM Workplace Excellence Award (Marble Award in the Large Company category) and owned by the Rincon San Luiseno Band of Mission Indians and managed by HCAL, a subsidiary of Harrah's Operating Company, Harrah's Rincon Casino & Resort is located at 777 Harrah's Rincon Way (33750 Valley Center Road) in Valley Center, CA, 20 minutes northeast of Escondido. With approximately 1,600 employees and an identity as a top resort-gaming destination, the casino offers state-of-the-art amenities and the unparalleled customer service that has made Harrah's a nationally recognized brand.

* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.

Christina Lindley Meet and Greet

Actress, Model, Professional Poker Player / Blogger, and Former Tennessean Christina Lindley to Play in Harrah’s Tunica World Series of Poker Circuit Event

TUNICA, MS - January 23, 2009 – Fresh from filming “Best Damn Poker Show 2” on ESPN actress, model, poker player / blogger, and former Nashville, Tennessee resident is making her way to Tunica, Mississippi to compete in the World Series of Poker Circuit Event at Harrah’s Tunica. Lindley will meet and greet fans and sign autographs Saturday, January 31, 2009 from noon to 2 p.m.

At the early age of fourteen, Christina got her first big break when a photographer discovered her at a mall in Georgia. He entered her in the Seventeen Magazine/JCPenney Cover Model Contest and Christina was one of the finalists. She appeared in her first layout in Seventeen Magazine followed by YM. Since then she appeared in countless national and international magazines including: “Maxim,” “Stuff,” :FHM,” “Celebrity Interview in Playboy,” “Fitness RX,” “Muscle And Fitness,” “TV Direkt,” “Olympian News,” “Ironman Magazine,” Boss,” “Muscular Development,” “MuscleMag,” “In Touch Weekly,” “People,” and “Star Magazine.”

Her national campaigns for print, commercial, and endorsements have included: Penta water, Vizio Flat screen Televisions, Pantene Pro-V, Strut, BSN, Bodybuilding.com, Lasvegasdirect.com, movietickets.com, and several others.

Once she found success in the modeling and fitness industry, naturally, the road led west. Christina packed up and moved to Hollywood intent on pursuing a career as an actress in film and television.

No stranger to hard work, she hit the ground running immediately engrossing herself in training with the best acting coaches in Hollywood including: Howard Fine, Larry Moss, and Eric Morris. She also began honing her comedic chops at the world famous Groundlings in Los Angeles. The Groundlings is the famous launching pad for the likes of Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, and countless other SNL Alum.

In the short time since her arrival in LA, she has extensive film and television credits to her name. She just wrapped on three projects that will be released in 2008: A guest starring role on the all improv non-scripted "Head Case" on STARZ! Network starring Alexandra Wentworth, and she costars alongside the likes of Tom Cavanaugh in the first ever Lifetime miniseries produced by Emmy award Winning producer Stanley Brooks called "The Capture of the Green River Killer", as well as cameo in the feature film "Playboys" starring Trever Moore and Zach Creggor.

Her past film and television credits include: a costarring role in the 20th Century Fox film "The Marine" starring John Cena and Kelly Carlson, a national promo for the NFL and NBC promoting the FLEX SCHEDULE, "Campus Ladies" for Oxygen and famed “Curb your Enthusiasm” director Robert B. Weide, HBO's “Entourage,” appearing in the second season on MTV's popular tv show "Wild N'Out" with Nick Cannon as a "Wild N'Out" girl, GRB Entertainment's "Princes of Malibu". A guest star on Bravo's “Blowout,” Spike TV's “Video Game Awards” assisting Snoop Dogg in giving geeks there cheat codes, SPIKE TV's guide to dating for men called "The Playbook.” “Undiscovered” starring Ashley Simpson (The Hot Chick), Carrie Fischer (Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle) and Kip Perdue (Thirteen), as well as a Nick Cassavettes film (he directed “John Q and The Notebook”) called “Alpha Dogs,” featuring Bruce Willis (The Whole Ten Yards), Justin Timberlake (Longshot), and Sharon Stone (Catwoman).

A native of the South, Christina grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended high school in Nashville, Tennessee.

Christina currently resides in Los Angeles, and is a contributing writer to several national fitness magazines.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada over 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The company’s properties operate primarily under the Harrah’s, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Harrah’s also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. More information about Harrah's is available at www.harrahs.com

* World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrah's"). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, This and That or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.