Already carrying a calendar full of events all over the world, the World Poker Tour seems to have no problem adding new tournaments to its packed schedule. For Season XI, the WPT is doing just that with the inclusion of two new events – one of which marks a first for the WPT – to bring the season tournament total to 13.
The two new tour stops are the WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic in Johannesburg, South Africa and WPT Montreal in Quebec, Canada, the dates of which have been penciled in for October 22-26 and November 23-26, respectively.
“We are thrilled to be adding two exciting new events to our Season XI schedule,” said WPT CEO Steve Heller in a statement released to the media. “As our first event in the Southern Hemisphere, WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic is a ground-breaking step into uncharted territory for World Poker Tour, while WPT Montreal marks a long-awaited return to one of the great poker centers in the world.”
The Emperors Palace Poker Classic will be held at the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Convention Entertainment Resort in Johannesburg, South Africa. Similar to what we’ve gotten accustomed to with the WPT, the five-day event will be highlighted by a $3,300 + $300 buy-in tournament with a re-entry option. On top of that, there should be plenty of other non-poker related activities on tap and to be really, really obvious about it, enough parties to make hangovers a common morning occurrence.
A month after that, the WPT’s other new tourney will open its doors in Montreal, Canada. The event, creatively dubbed as WPT Montreal, will take place at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec and will run for four days from the 23rd to the 26th of November. WPT Montreal, which is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, by the way, will also be the first time the WPT has organized an event in the Great White North since 2008. Tournament buy-in for WPT Montreal has been set at CAD $3,000 + $300 buy-in, not chump change by any means, but certainly worth the price of admission if you’re into high-level poker competition with some of the best pros in the world, including Playground Poker reps Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, and Erik Cajelais.
Season XI of the World Poker Tour is set to kick off with the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, which will be held at the Merit-Grand Casino in Cyprus from August 4 to 9. The season then kicks into high gear for the next few months, culminating with the Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas from December 3 to 8.
Check out the full tournament schedule below with their respective site, dates, and tourney buy-ins:
WPT Merit Cyprus Classic – Merit-Grand Casino, Cyprus – August 4 – 9, 2012 – $4,000 + $400
WPT Parx Open Poker Classic – Parx Casino, Bensalem, Pennsylvania – August 10 – 15 – $3,300 + $ 200
Legends of Poker – The Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, California – August 24 – 29 – $3,500 + $200
WPT Grand Prix de Paris – Aviation Club de France, Paris – September 10 – 15 – €7,500 ($9,400)
WPT Malta – Casino de Portomaso, Malta – September 16 – 20 – $3,000 + $300
Borgata Poker Open – Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa, Atlantic City, New Jersey – September 16 – 21 – $3,300 + $200
Emperors Palace Poker Classic – Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Convention Entertainment Resort, Johannesburg – October 22 – 26 – $3,300 + $300
Jacksonbille bestbet Fall Series – bestbet Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida – November 9 – 13 – $3,500
WPT Copenhagen – Casino Copenhagen, Denmark – November 12 – 17 – 24,000 DKK + 2,250 DKK ( €3,500 / $4,400 ) (Cap of 400 players)
WPT Montreal – Playground Poker Club, Quebec – November 23 – 26 – CAD $3,000 + CAD $300
WPT Mazagan – Mazagan Casino, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Morocco – November 26 – December 1 – €3,200 + €300 ($4,400)
WPT Prague – Corinthia Hotel Prague, Czech Republic – December 3 – 9 – €3,300 ($4,100) with 10% withheld
Five Diamond World Poker Classic – Bellagio Casino, Las Vegas Nevada – December 3 – 8 – $10,000 + $300
