Los Angeles, CA (June 1, 2019) – The World Poker Tour® today announced the backbone of the Season XVIII WPT® Main Tour schedule, featuring 13 events in the United States, four international events as part of the second season of partnership with partypoker LIVE, and the first five final tables to be played at HyperX Esports Arena and filmed for FOX Sports Regional Networks.
“As the World Poker Tour nears the end of a record-breaking Season XVII, the WPT is proud to present our players and fans exciting events to look forward to in Season XVIII, including the return to HyperX Esports Arena for TV final tables,” Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour, said. “Season XVII was ground-breaking for the World Poker Tour. With WPT events held for the first time in Russia, Vietnam, and New Zealand, we continued to set records across the globe. The WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open and WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic drew record-setting fields. Erkut Yilmaz won two WPT titles on his way to winning the Hublot WPT Player of the Year award. As always, the best is yet to come, and we are thrilled to begin preparing for another season of premier global poker events.”
Season XVIII of the World Poker Tour opens at The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens, CA for the $5,000 WPT Gardens Poker Festival from July 20-25. Players can also look forward to a brand-new BMW X1, courtesy of The Gardens Casino, to be awarded as a prize to the eventual champion.
Next, the WPT returns to the Bicycle Casino for the $5,000 buy-in WPT Legends of Poker from August 31-September 4. In Season XVI, Art Papazyan started his march toward becoming the Hublot WPT Player of the Year by winning the WPT Legends of Poker. Papazyan defeated a field of 763 entries to take home the more than $668,000 first-place prize by defeating WPT Raw Deal Host Phil Hellmuth heads up.
The World Poker Tour then heads to the East Coast for two events in September. The WPT Borgata Poker Open will take place from September 15-20 at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Season XVII Hublot WPT Player of the Year Erkut Yilmaz won this $3,500 buy-in event versus a field of 1,075 entries last September.
Following the WPT Borgata Poker Open, WPT Maryland at Live! Casino takes place from September 28-October 2 at Live! Casino & Hotel. Tony Ruberto won his second WPT title at this event in Season XVII.
While WPT Maryland at Live! Casino takes place, WPT UK will go off at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham, UK from September 30-October 6. The £3,300 buy-in event marks the return of Dusk Till Dawn to the WPT schedule for the first time since Season XV, and is in partnership with partypoker LIVE.
The WPT travels to Florida a few weeks later for the $5,000 buy-in WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble at bestbet Jacksonville from October 11-15. Tony Tran took down the Season XVII edition against 356 entries to win more than $340,000.
The WPT heads north to Canada next and Playground Poker Club for WPT Montreal from October 28-November 3. The partypoker LIVE-partnered event is a CAD $3,300 buy-in event. Patrick Serda is the defending champion following his win last year for CAD $855,000 against a field of 792 entries.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino comes back into the fold in November for the WPT Seminole Rock & Roll Poker Open. The first season of the $3,500 buy-in event on the WPT schedule brought in a large field of 898 entries and was won by Pavel Plesuv, who took home more than $500,000 for his triumph. The event will take place from November 29-December 4.
The 2019 portion of the WPT calendar concludes at Bellagio Hotel and Casino from December 16-20 for the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. The WPT and Bellagio set a record for most entries in a $10,000 buy-in event in WPT history when 1,001 registered in Season XVII. Dylan Linde is the defending champion and won $1.631 million for his victory.
The World Poker Tour opens 2020 in Russia for the second WPT Russia Main Event in partnership with partypoker LIVE at Casino Sochi. The Season XVII event drew 503 entries and was won by Denys Shafikov. WPT Russia takes place from January 20-26 and includes a ₽198,000 ($3,025) buy-in.
In 2020, the World Poker Tour starts the year in the United States at The Gardens Casino for the $10,000 buy-in WPT Gardens Poker Championship. The event takes place from January 11-15, with the final table to be played at HyperX Esports Arena at Luxor Hotel & Casino on March 31. Frank Stepuchin won the first WPT Gardens Poker Championship in Season XVII and scored $548,825 against a field of 253 entries.
The WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open is up next from January 26-30 at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey with a $3,500 buy-in. WPT and Borgata set a record in Season XVII for most entries in a WPT event at Borgata with 1,415, the third-largest field in a WPT Main Tour event of all-time. Viny Lima won the event at the televised final table played at HyperX Esports Arena to win more than $728,000. The Season XVIII final table will be played on April 1 at HyperX Esports Arena.
The WPT travels back to Europe and King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic for WPT Germany, which takes place from February 17-23. The €3,300 buy-in event is part of the partnership between WPT and partypoker LIVE.
Next up, the WPT returns to California for the WPT L.A. Poker Classic at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles from February 29-March 4 with a $10,000 buy-in. The WPT L.A. Poker Classic televised final table will be played on April 2 at HyperX Esports Arena. David Baker is the defending champion after defeating 546 players to win $1 million.
The WPT stays in California as it heads to Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, CA for WPT Rolling Thunder. The event is a $5,000 buy-in and takes place from March 7-10. Erkut Yilmaz won his second WPT title of Season XVII at WPT Rolling Thunder to claim the more than $300,000 first-place prize.
The WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and WPT Choctaw represent the second group of WPT final tables to be played at HyperX Esports Arena.
The WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown takes place from April 30-May 5, and is the 10-year anniversary of the partnership between WPT and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. In Season XVII, WPT and Seminole Hard Rock partnered for the fourth-largest event in WPT Main Tour history when 1,360 entries attended. James Carroll defeated Eric Afriat heads up at HyperX Esports Arena to win his second WPT title in Season XVII.
WPT Choctaw returns for another season in the spring of 2020 from May 15-18, with a $3,700 buy-in event on tap. Craig Varnell won WPT Choctaw inside HyperX Esports Arena in Season XVII to become the first player with both a WPT500 and WPT Main Tour title.
Both events will have their final tables at HyperX Esports Arena, with the timing to be announced at a later date.
“The WPT and its wonderful players and casino partners celebrate an incredible Season XVII. We are excited for another great schedule of events in Season XVIII along with our return to HyperX Esports Arena,” said Angelica Hael, VP of Global Tour Management for the World Poker Tour. “We once again thank our players for supporting the major changes in Season XVII and look forward to continuing to provide the best playing experience.”
More events for Season XVIII of the World Poker Tour are scheduled to be released at a later date.
For those interested in winning their way to a WPT Main Tour stop, play for your chance on ClubWPT.com. Eligible VIP Members can play for over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, including seats to WPT events. No purchase is necessary for the ClubWPT.com sweepstakes and the service is void in states where prohibited. For full terms and conditions, go to ClubWPT.com.
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World Poker Tour (WPT) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 17th season, which airs on FOX Sports Regional Networks in the United States. Season XVII of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com.
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