World Series of Poker® World Championship Set to Begin Today

$10,000 buy-in Main Event Runs July 7-19, 2011 at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

ESPN to Provide Live Coverage; Winner to Become Instant Multi-Millionaire

WSOP thumbLAS VEGAS (July 7, 2011) – The 42nd annual World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Links Beef Jerky at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has been an unqualified success already.

A total of 65,066 entrants have participated in the first 55 WSOP gold bracelet events and been awarded a total of $121,238,460 in prize money. 94 different countries have been represented.

Participation is up 7.4% year-over-year, and on pace to become the largest and richest poker series in its 42-year history.

The 2011 WSOP has already broken 16 world poker records – an all-time high.

“It has been a truly memorable 2011 World Series of Poker,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “When all is said and done we will have awarded nearly $200 million in prize money, crowned 58 new champions and provided a tremendous boost to the local economy. That said, there is nothing like the WSOP Main Event and we hope players and spectators alike will come down to the Rio this week and experience this worldwide global phenomenon in person.”

Only three events remain, two which begin today, and of course the World Championship of No-Limit Texas Hold’em, commonly referred to as the WSOP Main Event, which starts officially on Thursday, with the first of four starting flights.

Thousands are expected to pay the $10,000 entry fee or qualify via a more affordable satellite entry with the hopes of becoming the next Jonathan Duhamel. Duhamel is the reigning World Champion who bested a field of 7,319 players in 2010 en route to his first WSOP gold bracelet victory and the $8,944,310 first place prize. The young Canadian poker ambassador has spent the last year traveling the poker tournament circuit worldwide.

Players can choose from the following start days for the Main Event (all times 12 noon in Las Vegas):

· Thursday, July 7 – Day 1A

· Friday, July 8 – Day 1B

· Saturday, July 9 – Day 1C

· Sunday, July 10 – Day 1D

Those that start on Thursday or Saturday and make it through five levels of play with chips will return on Monday, July 11 for Day 2A.

Fields from Day 1B & 1D on Friday and Sunday are combined to form Day 2B which resumes play on Tuesday, July 12 at 12 noon for those that have chips after Day 1.

Players will play five two-hour levels on both Day One and Two, and then the format switches and players will play four two-hour levels from Days three on. The final scheduled day, July 19, will continue until just nine players remain – known as the Final Table of the WSOP Main Event – or the “November Nine.”

The November Nine will see the action paused until November 5, 2011, when they will return to Las Vegas to contest the remainder of the tournament in front of a live audience.

ESPN television plans comprehensive coverage of the 2011 WSOP Main Event, including telecasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. And for the very first time, coverage with hole cards is planned on a 30-minute delay basis. Players should familiarize themselves with the planned coverage by visiting this FAQ HERE.

The 2011 WSOP will be remembered as the most-participated poker festival ever, as live action, daily deepstack tournaments and satellite offerings have all seen record-setting attendance as well.

To follow the tournament live, please visit WSOP.com

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ABOUT THE WSOP

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.  In 2010, the event attracted 72,966 entrants from 117 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $187 million in prize money.  For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit www.WSOP.com.