(Click Here for the Latest Online Poker News Stories)
Copyright 2005 PokerStars
September 9, 2005
HEADLINE:
'King of Beers' Signs as Official WORLD POKER TOUR(R)
Sponsor for Action-Packed Season IV
BODY:
First of 15 Scheduled Events Attracts a Record 3,062 Players,
Doubling Participation From 2004
If anything can be compared to the hugely-successful World Series
of Poker and World Poker Tour, it is certainly the World Championship
of Online Poker (WCOOP) at PokerStars.com. Now entering its fourth
consecutive year, the WCOOP attracts poker
players from more than 50 countries around the globe, making this
the most accessible and international of all poker competitions.
The first event of the 2005 WCOOP kicked off with a $500 buy-in
No-Limit
Texas Hold'em tournament. An all-time record 3,062 players
entered the event, making the event the largest major online poker
tournament ever. In fact, the staggering number of entries makes
the WCOOP one of only two major poker events which has attracted
more than 3,000 players. The main event of the 2005 World Series
of Poker remains as the other.
"I am thrilled with the response to this year's WCOOP,"
said Nolan Dalla, Director of Communications for PokerStars.com.
"Poker continues to boom and shows absolutely no signs of
slowing down. This is especially true for online
poker. WCOOP gives all players a unique opportunity to compete
for a world championship title from any computer in the world.
With so many players and so many different tournaments -- this
is the Olympic Games of poker."
Until now, the previous record turnout for a major online
poker tournament was 1,642 participants, which was set by
the same PokerStars event last year. By nearly doubling in size,
the total prize pool amounted to a whopping $1,531,000. First
prize paid $306,200. In all, 324 players received prize money
-- second in number only to the 2005 World Series of Poker.
The 2005 WCOOP will continue to run through September 18 at http://www.pokerstars.com.
The guaranteed $8 million dollar prize pool offers the single-largest
guaranteed prize in online poker history, making the tournament
one of the richest sporting events in the world. Poker fans everywhere
can watch the excitement of each final table from their personal
computers simply by logging in. PokerStars.com also offers live
radio coverage of all final tables at: http://www.pokertalkshow.com/html/wcoop.html.
Guest commentators will include former World Series of Poker champions
Greg Raymer (2004), Chris Moneymaker (2003), and Tom McEvoy (1983).
Other popular guests will join the broadcast during the two week
run of the WCOOP.
The WCOOP concludes with the main event on September 18, a No-Limit
Texas Hold'em Tournament with a $2,500 entry fee and a guaranteed
minimum $2.5 million dollar prize pool. For more information,
visit the 2005 WCOOP Information Page at: http://www.pokerstars.com/2005wcoop/main.html
About PokerStars PokerStars (http://www.pokerstars.com), is
the world's most innovative online poker site. PokerStars was
the first site to introduce features that became industry standard
such as sophisticated multi-table tournaments, integrated game
statistics, players' notes, personalized images, time bank for
tournaments and big bet ring games, satellite tournaments, multi-table
sit and go tournaments, and much more.
To date, PokerStars has dealt over two billion hands and run
more than twelve million poker tournaments, awarding over $1 billion
in prize money. PokerStars' support team is truly unique, as help
and assistance is available around the clock from people who know
and understand the game of poker and the importance of impeccable
customer service.
The PokerStars.com site is also one of the most secure. PokerStars
uses industry-leading security software to ensure the integrity
of the system, including encryption, card shuffle randomness and
preventative measures against cheating and collusion. Money covering
player's balances is held in segregated accounts managed by the
Royal Bank of Scotland, ensuring that PokerStars can fulfill its
obligations to players at all times.
PokerStars is an official member of the World Poker Tour, and
the title sponsor of the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the PokerStars
Caribbean Adventure. PokerStars is the site where the 2003 and
2004 World Champions of Poker won entries into the World Series
of Poker, thus earning the trademark, "Where Poker Players
Become World Champions."
SOURCE PokerStars
Web Site: http://www.pokerstars.com
Downloaded from
the World Wide Web on September 9, 2005:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-08-2005/0004103220&EDATE=
|
(Click Here for the Latest Online Poker News Stories)
|