2012-13 WSOP CIRCUIT SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED - RECORD 20 STOPS ON TAP

WORLD SERIES OF POKER® ANNOUNCES
 2012-2013 WSOP CIRCUIT SCHEDULE

New Stops Added to Record-Breaking Tour

Participants Again to Compete For Shot at $1 Million+ and Gold Bracelet;
National Championship Moved to New Orleans

2012-13 WSOP Circuit to be Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof

LAS VEGAS – July 23, 2012 – The ninth season of the WSOP Circuit has been formalized with a record 20 stops on tap for this year’s series with buy-ins ranging from $365 to $1675.

For the first time ever, a stop outside the U.S. will occur with the addition of River Rock Casino in Vancouver, British Columbia this October.  Additional new stops this season include the aforementioned River Rock (October 27 - November 7); the brand new Horseshoe Cleveland (March 14 - 25, 2013); Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut (March 27 - April 8, 2013) and Harrah’s Cherokee in Cherokee, North Carolina (April 4 - 15, 2013). 

A WSOP gold bracelet will be on the line for WSOP Circuit grinders in a season-culminating National Championship event taking place at Harrah’s New Orleans just after the final Circuit stop, from May 21-23, 2013. With Southern Comfort on as the Presenting Sponsor, the WSOP will bring the nationally televised finale to where it all began – for both poker and Southern Comfort – New Orleans, Louisiana.

100 is again the magic number for the WSOP Series of Poker Circuit Events Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof.  Fueled by a $1,000,000 prize fronted by the WSOP, the top 100 players from the Circuit tour who qualify via exemptions or at-large bids will free-roll into the National Championship to battle in the Big Easy against any of the 100 players made eligible based on their performances in 2011 and 2012 open bracelet events.  As was the case in 2011, these players may buy-in for the equivalent equity, or $10,000.

The World Series of Poker Circuit Events Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof will begin August 9 at IP Biloxi in Mississippi with a 12-ring event schedule, with the Main Event set to begin on Saturday, August 18.

The tour continues almost non-stop through December 17, and then after a short holiday break resumes in earnest on January 3 and continues without break through May 20, 2013.  Scheduling the National Championship immediately adjacent to the final event will create a “last shot” phenomenon that is sure to bring excitement to the Crescent City.

Once again a points-ranking system for all ring tournament participants will be used and reward those players who participate in multiple events – with the Top 100 players qualifying for the Southern Comfort 100 World Series of Poker National Championship (May 21-23, 2013 in New Orleans).  There will be 40 automatic qualifiers, with 60 additional players qualifying based on their points earned on the circuit.

The “12 Rings in 12 Days” concept is back, with most stops beginning on a Thursday, and the three-day Main Event beginning on the second Saturday after the start of stop, thereby encompassing a total of 12 official WSOP gold ring events over 12 days, and offering players non-stop poker action at the regional level.

Each stop concludes with a $1,675 buy-in Main Event Championship slated to always start on a Saturday (except for Horseshoe Hammond, where the Main Event begins on a Friday). Also back, the Main Event’s will be played as re-entry, with a morning and an evening flight available to players.   This year, the $1675 will be inclusive of all fees, with the full $1500 going into the prizepool.  The concept of add-on chips will be eliminated at all stops.

Each WSOP Circuit stop Main Event winner will receive an automatic berth into the Southern Comfort 100 World Series of Poker National Championship.  Automatic bids will also go to the “Casino Champions” at each participating venue. A Casino Champion is defined as the player at each stop whom accumulates the most points throughout the 12-event gold ring schedule.

“We’re coming off the best year of participation in the history of the WSOP Circuit and the addition of these new markets really brings our vision to life,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “We want to have the #1 regional tour to go alongside the number one super event in poker.  We believe we have the best offering in terms of value and ROI at these stakes and the most exciting championship format,” added Stewart. “We’re thrilled to add a big-time marketing partner like Southern Comfort 100 Proof, who is a natural fit for this platform and will truly help grow the profile of the tour.”

The 2011-12 WSOP Circuit Tour exceeded 70,000 entries in official ring events, easily making it the #1 domestic poker tour.  Highlights included a record 3,001 players for the opening event at Horseshoe Hammond.  A number of the 2011-12 Main Events exceeded $1,000,000 in prize pool.

All Southern Comfort 100 World Series of Poker Circuit Event stops will feature standardized tournament structures and payouts.  So players going from stop to stop will be treated in a consistent manner at each of the stops.

This year’s tour includes 16 returning venues from the 2011-12 season, plus the addition of River Rock (Vancouver); Horseshoe Cleveland (Cleveland, Ohio); Foxwoods (Connecticut); and Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina).

The 2011-12 WSOP Circuit Tour featured 17 stops, consisting of 204 gold ring events which attracted a record-total of 71,691 entries – the most ever in the history of the WSOP Circuit. 

*The WSOP Circuit Events and culminating championship are subject to tournament rules and restrictions to be released at a later date. The timing, number and location of events are subject to change and all applicable gaming regulations.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport's top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker's longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.  In 2012, the event attracted 74,766 entrants from 101 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $222 million in prize money.  In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe.  The WSOP Circuit Tour is entering its ninth season in 2012-13.  For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit www.WSOP.com.
 
ABOUT SOUTHERN COMFORT
Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was created in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is enjoyed by friends in over 100 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand. Please visit us at SouthernComfort.com and facebook.com/southerncomfort.

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