WPT® Emperors Palace Poker Classic Features $3,500 WPT Main Event, $6,000 High Roller, and Unparalleled Off-the-Felt Activities
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Los Angeles, CA (October 2, 2014) — For the third consecutive season, World Poker Tour® returns to Johannesburg, South Africa for the WPT® Emperors Palace Poker Classic. The $3,500 buy-in WPT Main Event kicks off on November 14, headlining a jam-packed 11-day poker festival from November 6-16 at Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Convention Resort that features a $1,500 buy-in six-max tournament, a $6,000 buy-in high roller, and a winner-take-all $2,200 buy-in five-max shootout.
Last year, local Daniel Brits outlasted a field of 191 entries to win the Season XII WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic Main Event, earning $132,128, and German Dominik Nitsche was victorious in Season XI, beating a field of 230 entries to win $206,153. Several top professionals have already been confirmed for the Season XIII WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic, including WPT Champions Club™ member Chris Moorman, Season VIII WPT Player of the Year Faraz Jaka, 2012 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jesse Sylvia, and three-time WSOP bracelet winner and WPT Monster Invitational third-place finisher Vanessa Selbst.
“I’m really excited for the WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic,” said Selbst. “The side tournaments and the WPT Main Event promise to be great events, and I’ve always wanted to be able to explore South Africa. A poker trip for the WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic seems like the ideal way to do it!”
No-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha cash games ranging from $1/$2 to $25/$50 are available every day, and daily satellites for the WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic begin on October 17. Players can qualify for the WPT Main Event for as little as 600 Rand (roughly $53). To view the entire satellite schedule, click here.
Off of the felt, players can enjoy breathtaking safaris at Ivory Tree Lodge, Black Rhino Park, and Sabi River Resorts; world-class golf at Arabella Country Estate and Hermanus Golf Course; a cultural tour of the historic town of Soweto; and mouth-watering dining at Cube Tasting Kitchen, moyo, and the dozens of fine dining and contemporary eateries available at Emperors Palace.
“I’m delighted with the early response from both local and international players for the upcoming WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic. We have more than 50 satellites scheduled, so we will have a great mix of players from all around the world with varying poker styles and skills,” said Shuffle Up Poker CEO Gary Lentin. “We have added a Maxi-Stack and Turbo accumulator to the nine side events, which are very popular, and we are offering a VIP hostess service and an accommodation discount to all international players that use WPT as a booking reference.”
Players can save on hotel accommodations the longer they stay in South Africa. Guests staying for the full 10 days can receive 35% off, guests staying for seven days can receive 25% off, and guests staying for four days can receive 15% off their hotel rate. Discounted rooms must be booked through Kayla Beytel – [email protected]. Additional information on all of the activities and amenities available can be found at www.shuffleuppoker.com.
“Emperors Palace is pleased to welcome back the World Poker Tour for the WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic,” said Peermont Gaming Chief Operating Officer Bob Yearham. “Since we began our relationship with the WPT, Emperors Palace has taken poker in South Africa to its highest and best level ever. Over the past three years, we’ve attracted the most entrants ever, hosted the biggest poker players in the world, and paid out over 40 million Rand in prize money to our players.”
WPT President Adam Pliska adds, “Johannesburg, South Africa has captured the imagination of our players, and Emperors Palace is world-class venue that offers a unique blend of poker and adventure. Our international players have enjoyed traveling to the Southern Hemisphere the past two seasons, exploring the stunning safaris and venturing to different cultural hot spots when they are not playing. With an even more diverse schedule of events this year, the Season XIII WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic is primed to be another extraordinary event.”
For more details on World Poker Tour events, sponsors and promotions, please visit www.WPT.com.
WPT Media Contact
Rich Ryan – [email protected]
About World Poker Tour
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 13th season, which airs on FSN in the United States. Season XIII of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States. ClubWPT.com also sponsors Season 2 of the new WPT Alpha8 series of super-high roller poker tournaments which is currently in production and which airs on FOX Sports 1 in the United States. WPT participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. WPT Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of bwin.party digital entertainment plc. For more information, go to WPT.com.
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