WPT CEO Steve Heller Aiming Far and Wide for Season 11

Season 10 of the World Poker Tour (WPT) hasn’t even drawn to a conclusion, yet organisers of the series have already revealed details about the first half of the Season 11 schedule – and proclaimed that the WPT is committed to extending its global reach.

Certainly, after also announcing the initial dates for next season’s WPT Regional and National Series, there can be little doubt that chief executive officer Steve Heller is accurate in his claims that this will be the biggest WPT season ever.

Several new stops have been added to next season’s WPT calendar, with the WPT Mazagan taking in Morocco, the WPT Copenhagen pulling into Denmark, and the WPT Parx Open Poker Classic taking place in Philadelphia.

With this in mind, Heller reinforced his stance, stating that, while Season 11 of the main tour will feature new stops in the US and abroad, the WPT is also determined to expand their Regional and National Series with the aim of delivering the WPT experience to as many players and fans as possible.

Eleven WPT Stops – So Far

Eleven stops have been announced so far – although more will be added to take in the first half of 2013 – with main event buy-ins kicking off at $3,500 all the way up to $10,300 for the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic at The Bellagio in Las Vegas in mid-December.

As always around this time of year, there is a near-two-month break in WPT action as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) takes centre stage in Las Vegas.

However, the first leg of the WPT’s 11th season begins on August 4 – just a few weeks after the WSOP stops before the main event final table is played out from October 28 to 30 – for the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, with the non-televised $4,400 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event ending on the ninth.

Just one day later, the tour will then cross all the way over to the USA for the first ever WPT Parx Open Poker Classic in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. This stop will offer a $3,500 buy-in main event, which will be televised on the 15th once the final table has been reached.

Five Final Tables to be Televised

However, it’s not all-change for the tour, with favourites such as the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, the Borgata Poker Open and the Legends of Poker still included on this new schedule.

Additionally, four other final tables from the 11-event schedule will be televised – and they are the Legends of Poker in California (August 24 to 29), the WPT Grand Prix de Paris (September 10 to 15), the Borgata Poker Open in New Jersey (September 16 to 21) and the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic at The Bellagio (December 17 to 22).

2012 WPT Season 11 Schedule (First Half)

Leg 1: August 4 to 9, WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino ($4,000+$400 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 2: August 10 to 15, WPT Parx Open Poker Classic, Parx Casino, Bensalem, Pennsylvania ($3,300+$200 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event, televised final table)

Leg 3: August 24 to 29, Legends of Poker, The Bicycle Casino,
Bell Gardens, California ($3,500+$200 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event, televised final table)

Leg 4: September 10 to 15, WPT Grand Prix de Paris, Aviation Club de France (€7,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event, televised final table)

Leg 5: September 16 to 20, WPT Malta, Casino at Portomaso,
Portomaso, St Julian’s (€3,000+€300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 6: September 16 to 21, Borgata Poker Open, Borgata,
Atlantic City, New Jersey ($3,300+$200 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event, televised final table)

Leg 7: November 9 to 13, Jacksonville bestbet Fall Series, BestBet Jacksonville, Florida ($3,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 8: November 12 to 17, WPT Copenhagen, Casino Copenhagen, Denmark (DKK24,000+DKK2,250 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 9: November 26 to December 1, WPT Mazagan, Mazagan Casino, Casablanca, Morocco (€3,200+€300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 10: December 3 to 9, WPT Prague, Corinthia Casino, Czech Republic (€3,300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 11: December 17 to 22, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, The Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada ($10,000+$300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event, televised final table)

Casablanca Calling Come Mid-July

Meanwhile, the WPT Regional and National calendar will feature 13 venues in several countries as organisers aim to encourage greater participation to match the numbers gained by main tour tournaments.

Buy-ins range from as little as $440 all the way up to $2,250 for entry into the No-Limit Hold’em main event that will be run as part of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Bay Open in Tampa (June 8 to 11).

While the majority of stops will pull into US states Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin and Florida, North Africa and Europe also get a look-in, with Morocco hosting a €1,650 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event as part of the July 12 to 15 WPT National Mazagan stop in Casablanca.

Spain will host the WPT National Series Madrid in Torrelodones from June 28 to July 1, and will also feature a €1,650+€150 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event, while the WPT National Series Venice will arrive in the Italian city on July 19 for five days of action.

2012 WPT Regional and National Schedule (First Half)

Leg 1: June 7 to 10, WPT Regional Florida, Seminole Coconut Creek Summer Slam, Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek ($400+$40 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 2: June 8 to 11, WPT Regional Florida, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Bay Open, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa ($2,000+$250 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 3: June 28 to July 1, WPT National Series Madrid, Casino Gran, Torrelodones, Spain (€1,500+€150 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 4: July 12 to 15, WPT National Mazagan, Mazagan Casino, Casablanca, Morocco (€1,500+€150 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 5: July 13 to 15, WPT Regional Florida, WPT Derby Lane Rebound Series, Derby Lane, St Petersburg ($1,475+$125 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 6: July 19 to 23, WPT National Series Venice, Casino di Venezia Ca Vendramin Calergi, Italy (€1,500+€150 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 7: July 29, WPT Regional Wisconsin, Mid-Summer Classic, Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee ($500+$50 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 8: August 24 to 27, WPT Regional Florida, Seminole Hard Rock Summer Splash, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood ($2,000+$200 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 9: September 7 to 10, WPT Regional Florida, Jacksonville bestbet Summer Series, BestBet Jacksonville ($1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 10: September 22 to 24, WPT Regional Nevada, Western Poker Challenge, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Reno, Nevada ($1,500+$150 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 11: October 18 to 21, WPT Regional Colorado, Colorado Poker Showdown, Isle Casino, Black Hawk, Colorado ($1,850+$140+$10 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 12: October 25 to 29, WPT National Series Barcelona, Casino Barcelona, Spain (€1,500+€150 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)

Leg 13: November 23 to 26, WPT Regional Florida, Seminole Hard Rock ‘N Roll Poker Open, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood ($2,000+$200 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry main event)