World Poker Tour Announces First Half of Season XII Schedule
The World Poker Tour has announced the schedule for the first half of its upcoming Season XII, and between August and December 2013, the WPT will visit four continents. In addition, the WPT and FOX Sports Network have reached an agreement that guarantees distribution of WPT’s televised events through 2017.
“Our strategy of global expansion is now being fully realized,” said WPT President Adam Pliska. “From 18 events in Season VIII to nearly 60 Main Tour, Regional, and National events in Season XI, World Poker Tour will provide FSN with nearly 100 hours of original programming over the course of this agreement. With the greater support and distribution that our new deal provides, World Poker Tour is now guaranteed to make up a major share of the best-in-class, U.S. television poker real estate for years to come.”
FOX Sports Network Vice President of Programming David Sussin added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with World Poker Tour for the next three years. World Poker Tour has delivered record viewers over the past two seasons, and that is a testament to the consistent quality of the show and WPT’s position as the world’s premiere provider of poker programming.”
Season XII of the WPT, which will once again be sponsored by ClubWPT.com, will kick off on Aug. 16, 2013, with the WPT Cyprus at the Merit Crystal Cove Casino, and continue to make stops throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean throughout the rest of the year.
"I'm very proud of the work we've done to grow the World Poker Tour over the past few seasons," said World Poker Tour Executive Tour Director Matt Savage, who will work to ensure the success of every WPT tournament. "With our new schedule and expanded global presence, it's more important than ever to provide our partners and players with the best experience possible at every stop the WPT makes. I'm looking forward to working with both constituencies to make this happen and to continue our worldwide growth."
Here’s a look at the first half of the WPT Season XII schedule:
| Event | Venue | Dates | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|
| bwin WPT Merit Cyprus Classic | Merit Crystal Cove Casino Cyprus | Aug. 16 – Aug. 21 | $4,400 |
| WPT Legends of Poker* | Bicycle Casino Bell Gardens, CA | Aug. 29 – Sept. 4 | $3,700 |
| WPT Borgata Poker Open* | Borgata Atlantic City, NJ | Sept. 15 – Sept. 20 | $3,500 |
| bwin.fr WPT Grand Prix de Paris* | Aviation Club de France Paris, France | Oct. 25 – Oct. 30 | €7,500 |
| WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic | Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Johannesburg, SA | Nov. 7 – Nov. 11 | $3,600 |
| WPT Jacksonville bestbet Fall Poker Scramble | bestbet Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL | Nov. 15 – Nov. 19 | $3,500 |
| WPT Caribbean | Casino Royale Maho Bay, St. Maarten | Nov. 19 – Nov. 24 | $3,500 |
| PartyPoker.net WPT Montreal* | Playground Poker Club Quebec, CA | Nov. 29 – Dec. 5 | C$3,850 |
| WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Poker Classic* | Bellagio Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 6 – Dec. 11 | $10,300 |
| bwin WPT Prague | Card Casino Prague, CZ | Dec. 15 – Dec. 21 | €3,300 |
| WPT South Korea | Ramada Plaza Jeju, South Korea | Dec. 16 – Dec. 19 | $3,500 |
Finally, here’s the WPT Regional and National Event Tour stops:
| Event | Venue | Dates | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPT Regional Florida: WPT Summer Tampa Bay Open | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, FL | June 7 – June 9 | $1,500 |
| WPT Regional Florida: WPT Fall Tampa Bay Open | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, FL | Sept. 12 – Sept. 15 | $1,500 |
| WPT Regional Nevada: WPT Western Poker Challenge | Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Reno, NV | Sept. 20 – Sept. 23 | $1,650 |
| PMU.fr WPT National Marrakech | Casino de Marrakech Morocco | Oct. 3 – Oct. 6 | €1,500 |
| bwin.es WPT National Barcelona | Casino Barcelona Barcelona, Spain | Oct. 10 – Oct. 14 | €1,650 |
| WPT Regional Florida: Stax Poker Lounge Fall Poker Classic | Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Coconut Creek, FL | Oct. 30 – Nov. 4 | $500 |
| WPT National China | MGM Grand Sanya Hainan, China | Nov. 5 – Nov. 10 | Invitation Only |
| Bwin.fr WPT National Gruissan | Casino Le Phoebus Gruissan, France | Nov. 7 – Nov. 10 | €1,550 |
| WPT Regional Florida: Seminole Hark Rock & Roll Poker Open | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, FL | Nov. 29 – Dec. 2 | $1,650 |
| WPT Regional Florida: Seminole Hard Rock WPT Tampa Bay Open | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Bay, FL | Dec. 12 – Dec. 15 | $1,500 |
*Event will be televised.
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