The World Poker Tour’s cast and crew are gearing up for the first televised European event of Season XI, travelling all the way from the WPT Legends of Poker in Los Angeles, California to the heart of Paris, France for the WPT Grand Prix de Paris at the elegant Aviation Club de France.
One of the longest running and most prestigious events on the World Poker Tour calendar, this year’s tournament begins on 10 September and features a €7,500 buy-in with re-entry on Day 1B. The winner of this tournament will claim the champion’s share of a multi-million Euro prize pool and have their name engraved on the WPT Champions Cup alongside past winners such as David Benyamine, Surindar Sunar, Theo Jorgensen, and Season X champion Matthew Waxman who took home more than €500,000 last year. Notable names who confirmed their attendance include WPT Champions Club members Michael Mizrachi, David “Chino” Rheem, Scott Seiver, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Marvin Rettenmaier, Davidi Kitai, Guillaume Darcourt and Matthew Waxman. Other recognizable faces include Tony G, Jason Mercier, Kyle Julius, Dan O’brien, Fabrice Soulier, Daniel “Jungleman” Cates and Dominik Nitsche.
Commentators Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten will be joined in Paris by anchor Kimberly Lansing and the WPT Royal Flush Girls who will be on hand during play down and for the final table, which will be recorded for broadcast in the United States on FOX Sports Net in early 2013 before airing elsewhere in the world. Mike and Vince will call the final table action on 15 September, while Jesse May will host WPT’s final table live stream starting at 4:30pm CET on www.WorldPokerTour.com. Live streaming will also be available in French, with Bruno Fitoussi in the host seat.
WPT Champions Club members will be able to indulge in a fantastic array of off-the-felt activities while in the City of Lights, including an exclusive six course ‘Menu Dégustation’ at the world-famous restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, which faces the Arc de Triomphe and is only footsteps away from the Aviation Club de France. Seating for this dinner, scheduled for Thursday, 13 September, is limited, so WPT Champions Club members who want a memorable taste of France should contact Hermance Blum at [email protected] to add their name to the guest list. Later that evening, all players in this year’s tournament are also invited to join the WPT cast at a special, VIP players party at Queen, which is known as one of Paris’ hottest night clubs.
The action doesn’t stop after the WPT Grand Prix de Paris final table wraps up on 15 September, as World Poker Tours immediately moves to the Portomaso Casino for WPT Malta starting 16 September. Sponsored by WPTPoker.com and Goldbet.com, this €3,300 tournament, with re-entry on Day 1B, is easily accessible via a direct flight from Paris*.
Last year, Phil Hellmuth and Tony G engaged in a heated battle during WPT Malta and, with both players already confirming their attendance at this year’s event, sparks are sure to fly once again. Other pros expected to play include Fabrice Soulier, Jason Mercier, and WPT Champions Club member Marvin Rettenmaier, the only player in WPT history to win back-to-back events.
Players tuning into the final table live stream on Thursday, 20 September will be in for a special treat, as both Phil Hellmuth and Tony G have committed to calling the action starting at 2:30pm CET on www.WorldPokerTour.com, provided they are not playing at the final table.
*Direct flights available on Airmalta.com from €250 (subject to availability)
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