Cannes, France (October 7, 2011) – The French Riviera is typically a playground for the world’s rich and famous. Over the next two weeks however, the famous Cote d’Azur will be transformed into a battlefield of sorts, with the richest prize in all of poker at stake. An unprecedented seven World Series of Poker gold bracelets will be awarded at this year’s WSOP Europe, which is now underway in Cannes, France.
It’s still early, but all indications are that this will be a record-smashing series of events. Participation has demolished even the most optimistic of projections. The field size for EVENT #1 (totaling 360 players) amounted to a 48-percent increase over the starting tournament held at last year’s venue played in London (which attracted 244 entries).
Today, the first official WSOP gold bracelet event began with the start of a 2500 euro buy-in Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em tournament
Over the next 13 days and nights, tournament play will be split between two stellar venues – the luxurious Le Croisette Casino Barriere and the Hotel Majestic Barriere. The casino and hotel are nestled neck-a-neck along the coastal esplanade facing the Mediterranean Sea. Tournament Day Ones and final table action will be played at the hotel. Restarts (Day Twos) will be played inside the casino.
The two poker venues are unquestionably the most glamorous settings for any poker tournament ever held. Poker action is taking place inside the same ballrooms which host the world-famous Cannes Film Festival, held annually every May. Indeed, most of Hollywood’s most-famous movie stars have stayed at the Hotel Majestic Barriere. The hallways are filled with photographs of Hollywood royalty from the 1930s up to the present day.
With the ghosts of Cary Grant, Orson Wells, and Paul Newman swirling in the air, the most famous faces in this crowd are named Hellmuth, Negreanu and Seidel. More precisely, French poker players Fabrice Soulier, Elie Payan, Bertrand “Elky” Grospelier, and Antonin Teisseire – the four Frenchmen who won gold bracelets earlier this year in Las Vegas -- who are signing the most autographs and posing for the most photos.
More than 30 former WSOP gold bracelet winners in addition to at least five former world champions – including Phil Hellmuth, Carlos Mortensen and reigning world champ Jonathan Duhamel – entered the first tournament, which is played over the next three days. Indeed, poker players will be the biggest stars in Cannes’ latest imaginary edition of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
Here are a few early notes and highlights:
-- Since it assumed control of the WSOP, this is the first time Caesars Entertainment has ever partnered with a non-Caesars (formally Harrah’s) venue. Barriere Poker’s commitment to the WSOP and hosting a first-class competition was so impressive, that Caesars Entertainment decided to bring WSOP Europe into France for the first time.
-- There’s no question that WSOP Europe is reinventing itself once again. The decision to hold a fraction of poker’s premier events outside of Las Vegas was initially a bold move when London was chosen as the first host city four years ago. Now, Cannes has set the bar even higher as a world-class travel destination and attraction for all poker players.
-- The tournament rooms are used for movie screenings during the Cannes Film Festival. One room is fully carpeted with the names of every former film festival winner embroidered into the floor. Hence, poker players are sitting and standing over Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Joan Crawford, Angelina Jolie, and countless other former and current members of Hollywood royalty.
-- One of WSOP Europe’s official sponsors is Mercedes Benz. Poker players who fly into the Nice Airport, about 30 kilometers away, are shuttled to and from the hotel/casino in chauffeur-driven luxury cars.
The early reviews from media and comments from players are raving about the new atmosphere.
Want to follow the poker action? It’s easy. Live updates for all seven gold bracelet events can be seen HERE.
There’s also live video. Streaming coverage (with occasional commentary) of the first six bracelet event final tables will be broadcast live on WSOP.com. The first final table begins Sunday, at approximately 2 pm (local time). The means WSOP Europe action can be seen in the United States early Sunday morning. The live stream is expected to run most of the night/day.