Competitive poker players from many countries are already gearing up and qualifying for this year’s World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championships, scheduled for April 18 to 24 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
With a buy-in of $25 000, and plenty of generous sponsors prepared to pay it for the top names, WPT management is predicting a prize pool in the range $12 – $15 million this year, giving the final winner a potential $3.5 million in prize money.
Professionals such as Phil ‘The Unabomber’ Laak and Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari, are reported to be on the player roll and the top 100 players in the event will all make the money.
Steve Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises said, “The $25,000 buy-in insures that these players are among the world’s best. However, what’s fun is that this championship is still an open event and anyone with the heart, the courage and the skills can find themselves at the final table, cashing in for millions of dollars.”
Ambitious players who don’t have the cash to buy in will find plenty of satellite tournaments at more than 49 land-based and online casinos, many with small buy-ins.