News

Stakes will be raised at 2008 World Series of Poker

LAS VEGAS – (PRESS RELEASE) – Harrah's Entertainment said today the 2008 World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee's Best Light and televised exclusively on ESPN will – for the first time ever – begin and end with $10,000 buy-in World Championship events and feature a total of eight $10,000 championships.

In addition, the 55-event schedule for 2008 includes a total of eight $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournaments, which traditionally draw the largest fields except for the Main Event. The WSOP has also added a second start day for the first of the $1,500 no-limit competitions to accommodate the expected number of entrants.

"This is our most exciting schedule yet," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the WSOP. "Both amateur and professional poker players will have new opportunities to compete for a WSOP bracelet and can choose from the widest variety of games and buy-ins ever offered in one poker tournament and certainly at the WSOP.

"We're holding steady at 55 events this year," said Pollack. "But, we've mixed it up a bit to keep it interesting for our players and fans."

The 2008 WSOP starts May 30 with the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot-Limit Hold'Em and ends July 16 with the Final Table of the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em – best known as the WSOP Main Event.

The six other $10,000 buy-in events – all World Championship competitions – include: Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'Em; Seven-Card Stud; Limit Hold'Em; Omaha Hi-Low Split Eight or Better; Pot-Limit Omaha; and a new Mixed Event. The Mixed Event will feature eight variations of poker: Limit and No-Limit Hold'Em; Omaha Hi-Low and Pot-Limit Omaha; Seven Card Stud; Razz; Seven Card Hi-Low Split; and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.

The second event of the 2008 WSOP is a $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament with two starting days – May 31 and June 1.

Pre-registration for the 2008 WSOP can be made beginning in February on-site at the Main Cage of the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas or at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

In addition to the largest cash prizes in poker, winners of each of the 55 events will receive an exclusive World Series of Poker gold bracelet crafted by the luxury Swiss watchmaker CORUM. Last year, 54,288 entrants who ranged in age from 21 (bracelet winner Steve Billirakis) to 94 (Main Event contestant Jack Ury) competed for the poker world's largest total prize pool of nearly $160 million.

The 2008 WSOP will be staged inside the Rio Convention Center from May 30 through July 16. WSOP officials plan a "soft opening" of the tournament room on May 28 and 29 for players to register early and play in satellite tournaments and cash games.

"The poker tent is gone," said Pollack. "We heard folks loud and clear last year, and there will be no tents used for tournament play at the 2008 WSOP."

On July 2, and in conjunction with the WSOP, Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and poker professional Annie Duke will host the second annual Ante Up For Africa charity tournament at the Rio.

Last year's AUFA event featured dozens of Hollywood celebrities and poker professionals and raised more than $700,000 for charity. Ante Up For Africa is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Cheadle, Duke and Norman Epstein and is dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need.

July 3 is the first of four start days for the 2008 Main Event. Last year, a total of 6,358 entrants competed for a Main Event prize pool of $59.8 million. Players may choose their Main Event start dates as long as seats are available on the selected dates.

More information about the World Series of Poker is available at the Web site www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

DATE		EVENT						BUYIN
May 28		Registration Opens, Live Action & Satellites Begin
May 29		Registration, Live Action & Satellites 
May 30		World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)	$10,000 
May 31		No-Limit Hold'em (4 day event)  Day 1A	 		$1,500
June 1		No-Limit Hold'em   Day 1B
June 2		Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500
June 2		Mixed Hold'em  (Limit/No-Limit) (3 Day event)		$5,000 
June 3		No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys (3 day event)		$1,000 
June 3		Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event)		$1,500 
June 4		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$2,000
June 4		World Championship Mixed Event (3 day event)		$10,000
		Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, 
		Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud 
		Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Holdem, 
		Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball
 	
June 5		No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event)		$1,500 
June 5		Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event)	$2,500
June 6		No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event)			$5,000
June 6		Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500 	 
June 7		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$2,500 
June 7		World Championship Seven Card Stud (3 day event)	$10,000 
June 8		Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship (3 day event)	$1,000	 
June 8		Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event)		$2,000 
June 9		No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event)			$1,500 
June 9		No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Re-Buys (3 day event)	$5,000
June 10		Pot-Limit Omaha (3 day event)				$1,500 
June 10		Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$2,000
June 11		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$5,000

June 11		H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event)				$3,000 
		Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, 
		Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud 
		Hi-Low Split-8 or Better

June 12		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$2,000
June 12		Pot-Limit Holdem/Omaha (3 day event)			$2,500
June 13		World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em 
		(256 player max) (3 day event) 				$10,000
June 13		Seven Card Razz (3 day event)				$1,500
June 14		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500
June 14		Pot-Limit Omaha W/Rebuys (3 day event)			$5,000 
June 15		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$3,000 
June 15		World Championship Limit Hold'em (3 day event)		$10,000
June 16		No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed  (3 day event)		$2,500 
June 17		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500
June 17		World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 
		or Better (3 day event)					$5,000 
June 18		Pot-Limit Omaha W/Re-Buys (3 day event)			$1,500 
June 18		Seven Card Stud (3 day event)				$1,500
June 19		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500
June 19		World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 
		or Better (3 day event)					$10,000
June 20		Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$2,000
June 21		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500 

June 22		World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (5 day event)
		Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, 
		Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud,Seven Card Stud 
		Hi-Low Split-8 or Better				$50,000
 
June 22		Mixed Hold'em  (limit/no-limit) (3 Day event)		$1,500
June 23		Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship (3 day event) 	$1,000 	   
June 24		Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better (3 day event)	$1,500
June 25		No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys (3 day event)		$1,000
June 25		2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) (3 day event)		$2,500 
June 26		No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed  (3 day event)		$5,000 
June 26		Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event)	$1,500
June 27		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$2,000
June 28		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500
June 29		World Championship Pot Limit Omaha (3 day event)	$10,000

June 29		H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event)
		Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, 
		Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud,  
		Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better		$1,500 

June 30		No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event)				$1,500			
July 1		Limit Hold'em Shootout (2 day event)			$1,500
July 2		Media Event
July 2		Satellite Day
July 2		Ante Up For Africa Charity Event (1 day event)		$5,000
July 3		World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em 
		Day 1A   2,500 Players					$10,000 
July 4		Day 1B  2,500 Players					$500 
July 5		Day 1C  2,500 Players
July 6		Day 1D  2,500 Players
July 7		OFF  
July 7		Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event)
July 8		Day 2A
July 9		Day 2B
July 10		Day 3		
July 11		Day 4	
July 12		Day 5	
July 13		Day 6
July 14		Day 7	
July 15		OFF  
July 16		Final Table