WPT Adds Six Extra Stops To Season XVI

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Wednesday, October 25th, 2017 | Written by Lucy Brown

The immensely popular famous World Poker Tour (WPT) has grown by leaps and bounds since it was first launched in 2002. Now into its sixteenth year, the WPT has already produced a number of great storylines from just four domestic stops this season, but the ever popular tour continues to expand and has announced six additional destinations for Season XVI. These include:

• Berlin, Germany
• Hollywood, Florida (x2)
• Atlantic City, New Jersey
• Niagara Falls, Canada
• Los Angeles, California

Here are some further details on the new WPT stops, and what to expect at these venues.

Germany

The WPT European Championship in Germany will take place at the Speilbank casino in Berlin, with the venue located in Germany’s capital city also having been the host of the 2015 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE). In fact, the venue will kick-off the WPT’s 2018 calendar, with one of its biggest draws being its televised €3,300 Main Event which will run from January 10-15. The tournament buy-in is one of the biggest ever held in the Speilbank region, and is expected to draw a huge field.

Hollywood, Florida

Leaving a chilly Germany in winter, the WPT will then head to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida as part of the Lucky Hearts Open. This will be the first time in three seasons that the tournament has returned to Seminole, with its last Main Event having attracted a field of 1,027 players, and having featured an impressive $3.2 million prize pool. The tournament was eventually won by Brian Altman for $723,000, with this year’s $3,500 Lucky Hearts Open Main Event getting underway on January 19.

Atlantic City, New Jersey

on January 28, the 2018 Winter Poker Open returns to the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with its Main Event expected to surpass the record 1,312 players who entered the tournament the previous year. Having won the 2017 Winter Poker Open for $892,433, Daniel Weinman then went on to win the special end of season WPT Tournament of Champions for a further $381,500.

Niagara Falls, Canada

Final stop on the Eastern seaboard will be the WPT Fallsview Poker Classic situated near to the Niagara Falls in Canada. Over the years the venue has been the site of career defining moments for many a professional player, such as Darren Elias, Anthony Zimmo, Gus Hansen and Carlos Mortensen.

Los Angeles, California

Heading west, the WPT’s next port of call will be Los Angeles’s Commerce Casino, which in previous years hosted a high stakes $10,000 buy-in freezeout tournament offering a huge first place prize in excess of $1 million. After wrapping up on March 1, the L.A. Poker Classic then moves on to Lincoln, California for its fifth consecutive year, with past winners of its $3,500 Main Event including the likes of JC Tran and Harrison Gimbel.

Hollywood, Florida

The WPT’s final two destination for Season XVI will be the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in Hollywood, Florida, making it the tour’s second stop off at the casino this season.

WPT Background

The World Poker Tour has been an unstoppable force since its launch, and continues to gain more and more popularity with each passing year, as is evidenced by latest destinations having been added to its schedule. Since 2002, it has been broadcast to fans all across the world, although initially the only event of the tournament that was ever televised was its last one.

By the WPT’s second season, people from over 150 countries had tuned in to watch the televised show hosted by popular presenters Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, and by 2007 it was the second most watched tournament series of its kind in poker history. World Poker Tour events are now held in 35 casinos throughout the world, with over 20 countries having now hosted the WPT at one time or another.