The land and online popularity of poker shows no sign of slackening
and participation records will be shattered in coming weeks when the
36th World
Series of Poker opens in Las Vegas, US reports said this week.
Tens of thousands of players compete in more than 40 events that will
be held from June 2 to July 15, and the world championship spans the
final nine days.
For the first time, the tournament will be held away from its birthplace,
the former Binion's
Horseshoe Casino, now simply known as Binion's, in downtown Vegas.
Harrah Entertainment, in its second year as owners of the tournament,
will hold all but the final two days of the championship event in
a new 60,000-square foot convention center at the Rio All-Suite Hotel
& Casino, just off the Strip on Flamingo Avenue.
Players gain entry to World Series tournaments either by buying a
seat -- most preliminaries require a buy-in of $1,000 to $2,500 and
the championship is $10,000 -- or by qualifying in so-called satellite
sponsored tournaments in land or virtual poker rooms.