WSOP EUROPE KICKS OFF IN TWO WEEKS

WSOP Europe Kicks Off In Three Weeks!

Seven WSOP Gold Bracelets Up For Grabs, Plus a €50,000 Re-Entry High-Roller

Eurosport to air same-day coverage of Main Event Finale in 59 countries


August 29, 2012 --The sixth annual World Series of Poker Europe Presented by BarrièrePoker.fr returns to the famed seaside resort of Cannes, France from September 21 - October 4 and if the inaugural year was any indication, players are in for one of the best poker experiences of their lifetime.

“We can’t wait to get back to Cannes for WSOP Europe,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, “where the stars of poker come to shine.  We truly believe 2012 is the year we accomplish our goal to make WSOPE the richest and most prestigious event on the European calendar.”

With seven gold bracelet events, plus an additional 69 side events and cash games, the action is expected to be non-stop, with a great mix of sun, fun and frolicking thrown in for good measure at the headquarter hotel of the famed Cannes Film Festival.

Most of the biggest names in the game are expected to once again participate in 14 days of poker nirvana that is the WSOP European edition, voted as the best European poker event in 2011.

Once confined by physical space in London, WSOPE has been transformed into a Fall Festival of the game, with action spread across four distinct poker rooms, including the new dedicated salon for Final Tables.

The schedule this year has some very interesting events planned including a first-ever €50,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em High Rollers event with re-buys.  This event has been added to start on October 2, and will play as a three-day, non-bracelet event, with registration open until the second level of play on Day 2.  The first two entrants verbally committing are Asian businessmen Richard Yong and Paul Phua, both who made their WSOP debuts earlier this year in the $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop event in Las Vegas, where Yong made the final table.

The seven bracelet events offered include two 6-handed events, the unique Mixed-Max event, a Shootout event, two Pot-Limit Omaha events, and of course the €10,000 buy-in five-day deep structured WSOP Europe Main Event kicking off on September 30. The complete schedule found here: http://www.wsop.com/tourney/tourneydetails.asp?groupID=890

But before the cards are in the air, there are a few important reminders for players to know.

Hotel Rooms – A room block has been saved at two beautiful locations.  Players are encouraged to use the following link to book their reservation to ensure the favorable player rate and availability in our room block.  Hotel Majestic Barriere is offering a buy 6 nights get the 7th free and Hotel Gray D’Albion is offering a 4 nights get the 5th free promotion for players.  This year, WSOPE player packages will include complimentary Wi-Fi and beach club access as well as breakfast for each night of stay.
http://www.wsop.com/reservations/WSOPE/

Start Times – All non-weekend bracelet events start at 5 pm.  And all 5 pm starting events will only have a 30-minute dinner break after four levels on Day 1.  Weekend events start at 12 noon.

Main Event Seat Guarantee – Thanks to the good folks at Barrière Poker, 100 seats have already been awarded to players for the €10,000 buy-in Main Event that begins on Saturday, September 30.  Thus, players planning on participating should know there is already €1,000,000 in the prize pool. (Last year, the Main Event featured nearly €5.7 million in prize pool.)

Registration – Although our Cannes venues offer 70-table capacity, players are still encouraged to register early to guarantee their seats because the tournament footprint is still limited.  Registration for WSOPE events can be completed in-person now or via Barriere’s online registration process, which is the simplest it has ever been.  To pre-register go here:
http://www.poker-barriere-inscription.com/Default.aspx

Video Coverage – As it has each year since 2008, ESPN will again telecast the WSOPE Main Event this Fall, including same-day coverage on ESPN3. 

But 2012 will see WSOP Europe get its biggest ever stage on European soil.  Olympic broadcaster Eurosport will televise every hand from the final table on its pan-European stations and online streaming service. This arrangement will see the winner crowned plausibly live on October 4th in 59 countries across 150,000,000 households, with commentary in 20 languages.   WSOP.com and WSOP.fr will cover the first six bracelet events featuring commentary by David Tuchman.

Party on the French Riviera:  All participants who pre-register for the Main Event will receive entry to the official WSOPE party on Friday, September 28th, which will be held overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

For our American Participants – If you need your NFL and college football fix, don’t worry.  On-site at the event we arrange a viewing suite each weekend, where players are invited to catch all the pigskin action hosted with food and drinks.


ABOUT WSOPE
Launched in 2007 by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc., owner of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the WSOPE is the first tournament extension of the world’s richest and most prestigious gaming event.  WSOPE is now held in Cannes, France after four consecutive years in London, England.  The WSOPE awards the same coveted gold bracelets that the WSOP awards annually in Las Vegas.  In its first five years, WSOPE has awarded 23 gold bracelets, the first bracelets ever awarded outside the United States, of which a dozen different nations have claimed.  A total of 6,946 entrants have competed for $51,737,446 in prize money – more prize money than the first 22 WSOP’s combined!  Please visit www.wsop.com/2012/WSOPE for more information.


http://www.wsop.com/2012/WSOPE/