Harrah’s Entertainment informed that casinos in Europe, Latin America and Australia are awarding tournament winners seats in the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, whose prize pool is expected to exceed us$ 70 million. The most recent operator to sign an agreement with Harrah’s Licensing Company, is Holland Casino for their Master Classics of Poker. In Holland Casino Amsterdam the winner of the us$ 6,000 Texas Hold’Em freezeout on November 9-11 will be awarded cash and a seat in the World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas awarded more than us$ 103 million in prize money, and 560 poker players shared nearly us$ 53 million during the Main Event alone. WSOP has seen a doubling of both number of entrants and total prize money each of the past three years.

LOS ANGELES, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Joe Hachem, the 2005 World Series of Poker champion, signed an agreement with PokerStars.com, the world's largest tournament poker site. Hachem, who won the record $7.5 million top prize at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas in July, will represent PokerStars.com as a sponsored poker player and ambassador.The signing of Hachem gives PokerStars.com a triple crown. Currently, 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker and 2004 WSOP champion Greg Raymer both serve exclusively as PokerStars.com representatives. The addition of Hachem means that PokerStars.com has locked up the last three poker author, is also a part of Team PokerStars.Joseph Hachem, age 39, was born in Lebanon. He emigrated to Australia as a child, and now lives in Melbourne with his wife and four children. He has played actively at PokerStars.com since 2001. In the past four years, Hachem has entered hundreds of poker tournaments at PokerStars.com and has played many thousands of poker hands.

October 31, 2005 - Camp Fire USA, Texoma Council is hosting a "Texas Hold 'Em for Texoma Youth" poker night Nov. 12. The fundraiser will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2027 South Austin Avenue in Denison."This is something new for us as a fundraiser," said Sandra Ashby, Camp Administrator." Poker is very popular and it sounds like it will be a lot of fun. We hope the public will join us for our first annual Texas Hold Em for Texas Youth' poker night. Not only will it be a fun night, but it will benefit the area's children as well. You just can't lose by being a part of this!"All poker proceeds from the $50 buy-in will benefit Camp Fire USA's youth programs such as "Baby Think It Over," club programming and outdoor education for Texoma youth. Participants must be 21 years old.Registration begins at 6 p.m. Games begin at 7 p.m., and prizes are guaranteed to the top three finishers.Refreshments will be served.To register or for more information regarding this poker event call the Camp Fire USA office at (903) 465-2790.

MASHANTUCKET--The American poker craze is far from over. Just ask Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Foxwoods officials announced Wednesday the casino will expand and upgrade its poker room with a nearly 50 percent increase in poker tables. The expansion, which will bring the table total to 114, is scheduled to open next spring.

The announcement comes as the casino begins hosting the World Poker Finals today, where diehard gamblers and hopeful poker players already have begun signing up for buy-in satellite tournaments. Foxwoods hosts televised poker tournament events with million-dollar stakes each year, in addition to its smaller weekly tournaments.

Kathy Raymond, director of poker operations, said Foxwoods has been discussing a poker expansion for "a while," after observing the growth of the poker industry. The poker room will increase by one-third after it trades floor space with 650 slot machines directly below it.

On weekends, the poker room's 76, 10-seat tables are at about 100 percent capacity, Mark Rathbun, poker room day shift manager, said. Weekday capacity runs about 85 percent. In a typical 8-hour work shift, Rathbun sees about 2,000 players in the poker room.

The new smoke-free room and tables will be designed to accommodate more players and ease game sign-up lines. New poker tables will include technological upgrades such as LED table components, automatic card shufflers and electronic seat monitoring system to speed the seat turnover rate.

Foxwoods is now the only poker venue in New England, casino officials said. Mohegan Sun replaced its 39 poker tables with slot machines in 2003.

LAS VEGAS (PRESS RELEASE) -- Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET) today announced the schedule for the 2006 World Series of Poker. Harrah's will stage the world's richest poker tournament at its Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for the second year in a row.
Satellites and live action begins June 25, 2006, and the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship Event starts July 28, 2006. In all, the 2006 World Series of Poker will consist of 44 separate events in which players can compete for coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelets.
"The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious poker tournament in the world and every poker enthusiast is invited to enter and become part of its time-honored tradition," said Jeffrey Pollack, Harrah's vice president of sports and entertainment marketing. "We're thrilled to be back at the Rio. Last year, the team there did a magnificent job and we know that players and fans alike will be treated to an outstanding experience in 2006."
Last year's World Series of Poker shattered all participation and prize money records for a live poker tournament. The 45 events generated 32,341 player entries and more than $106 million in gross prize money. Joseph Hachem of Melbourne, Australia, won the World Series of Poker Championship and an unprecedented $7.5 million.
Harrah's also announced the Rio will host the Second Annual World Series of Poker Lifestyle Show July 27 through July 30. A trade show featuring exhibitors from around the globe, the World Series of Poker Lifestyle Show will showcase a broad array of new poker products, websites, books and clothing. Last year, more than 50,000 people, including celebrities and athletes, visited the show.

(PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- The World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, Ultimate Poker Challenge, everywhere you turn these days, people are watching and playing poker. The popularity of poker has exploded since unknown at the time player Chris Moneymaker turned a $40 buy-in online into a World Series of Poker Championship, and 2.5 million dollars. In the Phoenix community, poker is huge.

The vast number of people looking for live or online poker tournaments and home games in Phoenix has created an opportunity for local website PhxPoker.com. PhxPoker.com provides an online community where local poker players can come to find organized tournaments and games. PhxPoker.com also provides poker news, and lots of poker-related content for poker enthusiasts.

"We have partnered with several of the top online poker rooms, and are currently sponsoring several poker tournaments for our members," said PhxPoker.com CEO Chad Mattox.

October 19, 2005

A poker player from Bermuda gave some of the top names in the high stakes poker game a run for their chips when he made it to the final table of the US Poker Championships .

Chris Furbert finished in sixth place in the No Limit Texas Hold'em event held in Atlantic City - winning a whopping $76,387.

He was one of nine poker players to survive from the starting field of 225 who were all playing for a first prize of $831,532.

Lady Luck seemed to be on Mr. Furbert's side as he took seat number three at the final table on October 9 with a starting chip count of 443,000.

But despite some spirited poker play , he was knocked out by the eventual tournament winner, James Caporuscio.

Both Mr. Furbert and the eventual winner went "all in" before the flop while each holding Ace-King.

Mr. Furbert and Mr. Caporuscio looked set to split the pot until the final card, "the river", was turned and Caporuscio hit a flush.

Before heading to the final table, Mr. Furbert told ESPN correspondent Steve Rosenbloom he had won a $225 satellite poker event at the Trump Taj hotel to get into the event.

Mr. Furbert also told ESPN it was the first time in five tries that he had got into a $10,000 buy-in poker event .

Mr. Furbert shared the final table with several well known poker pros including Men "The Master" Nguyen, who finished in the fifth spot, and John Juanda, who finished eighth. The poker tournament will eventually be broadcast on ESPN TV.