WSOPE Update
"I'm going to London to make history again by winning the first WSOP bracelet ever awarded outside of Las Vegas." Phil Hellmuth stated his intentions regarding the World Series of Poker Europe.
The event will start on September 6th and run until the 16th in London, England. Registration for the event has only been open for two weeks, but WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that there were already "Over 60 WSOP bracelets between the pre-registrants so far. The inaugural Worlds Series Europe will have a world-class field." Some of the known characters will be Doyle Brunson (still seeking history for his 11th bracelet), Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Allen Cunningham, Erik Seidel, Roland De Wolfe, Jennifer Harman, John Juanda, Todd Brunson, Eli Elezra and Humberto Brenes.
World Series of Poker Europe, is making waves across the pond. The preparations by the three hosting casinos have been intense and meticulous. This being the first ever event of this magnitude, they are endeavoring to make a significant impression on the event participants. The casinos working so diligently to prepare to welcome their world renowned competitors are Fifty, in St James; The Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square, and The Sportsman, in Marble Arch.
The primary sponsor of the event Betfair, has committed to sending 125 players with their Head of Poker and Ben Fried games. They releasted the statement "We want to have a strong presence on the ground at this event. It's a fantastic opportunity for our players to compete against some of the greatest in the world." Some of the other online poker rooms are also offering WSOPE packages they are entertainingly calling ‘plan B'. Two big poker rooms with ‘plan B' packages sending players to the tournament include Titan and Full Tilt Poker.
Although the main event will be a 10, 000 pound buy in event, it will not be the limit to the series. The Titan and Full Tilt poker rooms are also operating satellites for the events. There will be several lesser buy in events that will cater to the less experienced poker player, however the challenge is there when you bring the greatest players in the world to one place, weather it's Las Vegas or London.