WSOP ANNOUNCES QUALIFIERS & DATES FOR WSOP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Top 100 Performers over Past Two Calendar Years at WSOP Events Announced

Participants Able to Pay $10,000 to Compete For Shot at WSOP National Championship Including $1 Million+ Tournament and Gold Bracelet

Event to Take Place July 6-7, 2012 at Rio with Final Table Taped for ESPN on July 11

LAS VEGAS – March 5, 2012 – David vs. Goliath: A classic theme that has defined some of the greatest moments in World Series of Poker history. It will be seen again at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for the second annual WSOP National Championship on Friday, July 6, 2012.

The tournament will feature the top 100 performers from the record-breaking 2011-12 WSOP Circuit. In all, 17 event winners and 17 casino champions will earn automatic bids with 66 at large bids awarded to those garnering the most cumulative points. With a guaranteed $1,000,000 prize pool, it’s the potential for a big score for players regularly grinding away in $300-$1600 events.

To win the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and claim their national notoriety though, these players are going to have to earn it against some of the game’s greats. As previously announced before the start of this year’s WSOP Circuit season, the tournament will allow the top 100 performers from WSOP and WSOP Europe events during the past two calendar years to buy-in for an equivalent equity of $10,000.

The 100 players who accumulated the most points while playing in the 2010 WSOP, 2010 WSOP Europe, the 2011 WSOP and the 2011 WSOP Europe are eligible to pay a $10,000 entry fee to join the 100 players who have/are qualifying via the 2011-12 WSOP Circuit tour. The 100 qualifiers from the WSOP Circuit will pay no entry fee, but will share in the entire tournament prize pool with $1,000,000 added by Caesars Interactive Entertainment.

See the list of current qualifiers from the WSOP Circuit here: http://www.lnmandiya.com/circuit/2011-qualified.asp (A complete list of the Top 100 in the WSOP World Rankings is found below).

All monies coming from additional buy-in entries will be added directly to the prize pool (no take-out) and the payout for the 200-player capped event will be consistent with other WSOP bracelet events.  

“This marks the first time we will take the best of the best from all our events to compete against one another to determine a true WSOP National Champion,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart.

In order to better determine a true WSOP National Champion, the World Series of Poker announced this new wrinkle for its $1,000,000 freeroll National Championship. The culminating event will take part as part of the 43^rd Annual WSOP and is scheduled to be contested beginning Friday, July 6, 2012.

Day 2 will be played the following day, on July 7, 2012 and the final nine players will resume play on Wednesday, July 11, where ESPN cameras will cover the action for airing later in the month as part of 2012 WSOP television coverage.

The following players are eligible for the WSOP National Championship and can enter the event by simply paying the $10,000 entry fee upon registration. Their cumulative points earned during the past two years are also included in order of 1^st through 100^th by clicking the following link HERE.

The WSOP Circuit tour began September 8, 2011 with a brand new-stop in Bossier City, Louisiana and continues all the way through the May 10-21, 2012 stop at Harrah’s New Orleans.  

Each WSOP Circuit stop Main Event winner receives an automatic berth into the 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.

The WSOP Circuit stops will award 34 players with an exempt seat to the National Championship, while 66 players qualify based upon rankings points.

Thus, the National Championship could feature as many as 200 players – who have proven their excellence at WSOP sanctioned events. One-hundred players will come from the WSOP Circuit, and the other 100 may be made up of those who enjoyed success in the open bracelet events at the 2010 or 2011 WSOP and WSOP Europe.

As expected, the majority of the 100 WSOP World Ranking qualifiers have won gold bracelets, ensuring an exciting mix of well-known superstars and true tournament grinders discovered throughout the season-long journey on the WSOP Circuit Tour.

The remaining 2011-12 WSOP Circuit schedule is as follows, with 10 more stops to try and qualify.

WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2011-2012 CIRCUIT TOUR REMAINING SCHEDULE

*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.