The poker sector received another record breaking sponsorship this week when The Gaming Club, part of Belle Rock Gaming group and a major online casino and poker room, in conjunction with Las-Vegas-Casinos.US, announces its sponsorship of The World Poker Championship in a two year deal.
The group claims that the agreement is the largest poker sponsorship deal ever made in Europe and is worth in excess of one million Euros. Starting with the 2004 tournament, the event will take place in Dublin, Eire, over 23rd - 27th June and will be broadcast as a ten part television series on Sky Sports later in the year.
To be called The Gaming Club World Poker Championship, the tournament will see the cream of the world's poker professionals, including 9 times World Series Champion Phil Hellmuth, 2004 British Open champion Dave Devilfish Ulliott, The Hendon Mob and Europe's leading female poker player Lucy Rokach pitting their skills against a hungry new breed of challengers from all over the world. The competition boasts the biggest ever first prize in land-based Pot Limit Hold'em seen by many as the most skilful variation of poker at $250,000 and a massive total prize fund of over $730,000, based on a maximum of 128 players.
The tournament format and payout structure has been devised by international poker legend and two-time World Series Champion Mel Judah, who is tournament director. 128 players will be split into a series of two-table heats consisting of eight players per table, with the eventual winner of each 16-man heat going through to the final. The eight runners up will then contest a semi final to join the winners at a nine-man final table for the chance to bag the $250,000 top prize. Every player who reaches the semi final will be in the money under the pay out structure, meaning one in eight entrants will walk away wealthier than when he or she sat down.
Carmen Media CEO and Chairman, Tim Johnson commented on behalf of Las-Vegas-Casinos.US: "Our customers are playing more and more poker online, and so sponsorship of the World Poker Championship by the Gaming Club gives us the opportunity to offer them something really special. The prizes and the competition will be world beating, and those who can't make it to Dublin: either as players of spectators will be able to share in the excitement by watching it on the Sky Sports television coverage."