News

This television exposure and the chance to win the most prestigious prize in all of poker – a WSOP gold bracelet – is drawing the biggest names in poker. 

“Betfair is delighted with the launch of the WSOPE. The player feedback has been tremendously positive and we look forward to this being the largest and most successful tournament in Europe this year,” said Ben Fried, head of poker for Betfair.  

Among the players registered to participate in the 2008 WSOPE include the following professionals:           

• 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth
• 10-time WSOP champion Doyle Brunson
• 10-time WSOP champion Johnny Chan
• Defending WSOPE Main Event Champion Annette Obrestad
• November Nine finalists Craig Marquis, Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate & Kelly Kim
• Daniel Negreanu                
• Phil Ivey                    
• Allen Cunningham
• Layne Flack                         
• Patrik Antonius       
• Gus Hansen
• Josh Arieh                            
• Howard Lederer      
• Andy Bloch
• Robert Williamson III          
• Barry Greenstein     
• Chris Ferguson
• Mike Matusow                     
• Max Pescatori          
• Vanessa Rousso
• David Williams                    
• Erik Seidel                
• Michael Mizrachi
• Robert Mizrachi                   
• Nenad Medic                       
• John Tabatabai
• Sorel Mizzi                           
• David Benyamine   
• Tuan Le
• Eli Elezra                              
• Steve Zolotow          
• Ted Lawson

Last year, Norwegian Annette Obrestad bested a star-studded field to win the inaugural WSOPE Main Event and take home the largest prize ever for a female in any sporting contest, £1 million. Obrestad returns to defend her crown, against what promises to be another tough field of the game’s best poker players. 

The 2008  WSOPE features four gold bracelet events, a £1500 No-Limit Hold’em that opens the tournament today and tomorrow (two start days), plus a £2500 H.O.R.S.E. event (9/22), a £5000 Pot Limit Omaha (9/24) and the Main Event (9/26), a £10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship.

Betfair, presenting sponsor of the WSOPE and the only online authorized and official online location where players can win seats for World Series of Poker Europe, continues to run satellites and qualifiers on their website, www.betfairpoker.com with a last chance qualifier scheduled to run tomorrow (Sunday) at 6:00 PM. 

Players can still register in person, through the first two levels of each event, on-site at The Casino at the Empire in

Satellites and cash games will also be held at The Casino at the Empire during the entire WSOPE (September 19-October 2).

For updates and more, please visit www.wsope2008.com or www.worldseriesofpoker.com.