WSOP gearing up for Europe

World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack shared information on the planned WSOP Europe venture with the USA Today newspaper this weekend, detailing plans for the September 6 to 16 inaugural event in the UK.

The world's biggest poker event is going global and includes plans for a three-day H.O.R.S.E. tournament, a two-day Pot-Limit Omaha tournament and a six-day No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament.

"It's our first step forward to meaningful international expansion," said Pollack. "I think long-term - long-term being the next 12 to 36 months - we are looking to launch other events around the world." He hinted that hat could include Harrah's-owned casinos in Egypt and South Africa.

The three WSOP bracelet events in London will be the first held outside Las Vegas, where the World Series started in 1970. Since then the spectacle has grown from 42 players in the 1978 main event to 8 773 last year, and seen record participants and prize multi million dollar money each of the last four years.

Veteran poker pro Doyle Brunson, who's competed in every World Series of Poker, likes the idea of expanding the tournament to Europe and plans to serve as a poker ambassador in London. "I'm definitely going," he said. "I was at the first one here in Vegas and I want to be at the first one there."

WSOP's European strategy is based on a determination to ensure that the tournaments are the most prestigious, richest and biggest poker tournaments in the world.

Pollack told the newspaper that there have been a record number of participants this year in five events, including the largest number of players outside of the main event (2 998 in the $1 500 No Limit Hold'em) and the largest women's event (1 286 players in the Ladies World Poker Championship No-Limit Hold'em). The WSOP also saw the largest number of players in a single day (3 010 on June 9).

One of the biggest tournaments outside the main event is the $50 000 H.O.R.S.E. world championship, which drew a record 148 players to create a prize pool of $7 104 000 - the largest outside the main event. Players compete in a rotation of five games - (H)old'em, (O)maha high-low, (R)azz, seven-card (S)tud and seven-card stud (E)ight or better - for the unofficial title of best all-around poker player and a top prize of $2 276 832 [won this year by Freddy Deeb].