Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) 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. Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, nearly 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. For more information, please visit www.harrahs.com. The complete schedule of 2008 World Series of Poker events follows: Date | Day | Time | EV# | Event Name | Buy-In | 5/28/2008 | Wednesday | 9:00 AM | | Registration Opens, Live Action & Satellites Begin | | 5/29/2008 | Thursday | | Registration, Live Action & Satellites | | 5/30/2008 | Friday | 12 noon | 1 | World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $10,000 | 5/31/2008 | Saturday | 12 noon | 2A | No-Limit Hold'em (4 day event) Day 1A | $1,500 | 6/1/2008 | Sunday | 12 noon | 2B | No-Limit Hold'em Day 1B | | 6/2/2008 | Monday | 12 noon | 3 | Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/2/2008 | Monday | 5:00 PM | 4 | Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit) (3 Day event) | $5,000 | 6/3/2008 | Tuesday | 12 noon | 5 | No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys (3 day event) | $1,000 | 6/3/2008 | Tuesday | 5:00 PM | 6 | Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/4/2008 | Wednesday | 12 noon | 7 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $2,000 | 6/4/2008 | Wednesday | 5:00 PM | 8 | World Championship Mixed Event (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, No-Limit Holdem, Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball | $10,000 | 6/5/2008 | Thursday | 12 noon | 9 | No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/5/2008 | Thursday | 5:00 PM | 10 | Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event) | $2,500 | 6/6/2008 | Friday | 12 noon | 11 | No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event) | $5,000 | 6/6/2008 | Friday | 5:00 PM | 12 | Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/7/2008 | Saturday | 12 noon | 13 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $2,500 | 6/7/2008 | Saturday | 5:00 PM | 14 | World Championship Seven Card Stud (3 day event) | $10,000 | 6/8/2008 | Sunday | 12 noon | 15 | Ladies No-Limit Hold'em World Championship (3 day event) | $1,000 | 6/8/2008 | Sunday | 5:00 PM | 16 | Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) | $2,000 | 6/9/2008 | Monday | 12 noon | 17 | No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/9/2008 | Monday | 5:00 PM | 18 | No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Re-Buys (3 day event) | $5,000 | 6/10/2008 | Tuesday | 12 noon | 19 | Pot-Limit Omaha (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/10/2008 | Tuesday | 5:00 PM | 20 | Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $2,000 | 6/11/2008 | Wednesday | 12 noon | 21 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $5,000 | 6/11/2008 | Wednesday | 5:00 PM | 22 | 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 | $3,000 | 6/12/2008 | Thursday | 12 noon | 23 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $2,000 | 6/12/2008 | Thursday | 5:00 PM | 24 | Pot-Limit Holdem/Omaha (3 day event) | $2,500 | 6/13/2008 | Friday | 12 noon | 25 | World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em (256 player max) (3 day event) | $10,000 | 6/13/2008 | Friday | 5:00 PM | 26 | Seven Card Razz (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/14/2008 | Saturday | 12 noon | 27 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/14/2008 | Saturday | 5PM | 28 | Pot-Limit Omaha W/Rebuys (3 day event) | $5,000 | 6/15/2008 | Sunday | 12 noon | 29 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $3,000 | 6/15/2008 | Sunday | 5:00 PM | 30 | World Championship Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $10,000 | 6/16/2008 | Monday | 12 noon | 31 | No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) | $2,500 | 6/17/2008 | Tuesday | 12 noon | 32 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/17/2008 | Tuesday | 5:00 PM | 33 | World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) | $5,000 | 6/18/2008 | Wednesday | 12 noon | 34 | Pot-Limit Omaha W/Re-Buys (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/18/2008 | Wednesday | 5:00 PM | 35 | Seven Card Stud (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/19/2008 | Thursday | 12 noon | 36 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/19/2008 | Thursday | 5:00 PM | 37 | World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) | $10,000 | 6/20/2008 | Friday | 12 noon | 38 | Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $2,000 | 6/21/2008 | Saturday | 12 noon | 39 | No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/22/2008 | Sunday | 12 noon | 40 | 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 | 6/22/2008 | Sunday | 5:00 PM | 41 | Mixed Hold'em (limit/no-limit) (3 Day event) | $1,500 | 6/23/2008 | Monday | 12 noon | 42 | Seniors No-Limit Hold'em World Championship (3 day event) | $1,000 | 6/24/2008 | Tuesday | 12 noon | 43 | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/25/2008 | Wednesday | 12 noon | 44 | No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys (3 day event) | $1,000 | 6/25/2008 | Wednesday | 5:00 PM | 45 | 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) (3 day event) | $2,500 | 6/26/2008 | Thursday | 12 noon | 46 | No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) | $5,000 | 6/26/2008 | Thursday | 5:00 PM | 47 | Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event) | $1,500 | 6/27/2008 |
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