Las Vegas Weekly

March 16, 2010 · 10:31 AM

Public votes on 20 players for WSOP Tournament of Champions

By Robin Leach

The 6th Annual Heads-Up Poker Championship red carpet arrival at Pure in Caesars Palace on March 4, 2010. 2009 World Series of Poker champion Joe Cada is pictured here.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Just 27 poker players will battle it out for the $1 million prize package in the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions starting at The Rio on June 27. The final table of nine playing No Limit Hold’em should roll July 4.

Five entries into the tournament are automatic. The three previous WSOP TOC winners gain entry, plus the reigning WSOP champion and the reigning WSOP Europe champion get seats at the table. Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Joe Cada and Barry Shulman are the five VIP players for this event.

Twenty players will be selected by public voting, which began yesterday. The vote at WSOP.com continues until midnight June 15, and the Top 20 vote getters will be awarded entry. In the event anyone in the public’s Top 20 is unable to participate, the next highest eligible and available vote getter will be awarded entry.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

The 6th Annual Heads-Up Poker Championship red carpet arrival at Pure in Caesars Palace on March 4, 2010. Annie Duke is pictured here.

To qualify as one of the 20 eligible fan-voted participants, players must be a WSOP bracelet holder, of which there are 521 eligible players. The remaining two seats will be awarded by the WSOP closer the event. ESPN cameras will cover the games, which will air as a two-hour telecast Aug. 3.

“Tournaments like the Tournament of Champions help elevate poker to the level it deserves, and I am honored to participate,” said inaugural TOC victor Annie, who recently won the Caesars Palace poker challenge. “Winning the TOC marks one of the most memorable events in my poker career, and I’m ecstatic that the WSOP is hosting this prestigious event.”

The WSOP Tournament of Champions was started by WSOP in 2004. This year’s TOC features all final nine-player payouts. First place wins $500,000, runner-up gets $250,000, third place earns $100,000, and fourth through ninth place pockets $25,000 each.

Photo: Stephanie Moore/NBC Sports

Annie Duke celebrates winning the 2010 Heads-Up Poker tournament in Caesars Palace on March 7, 2010.

The annual WSOP extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN from The Rio from May 27 through July 17 with 57 coveted gold bracelets up for grabs, the same as last year. It is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $1 billion in prize money.

Last year, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 countries to The Rio and awarded more than $174 million in prize money.

Updated at 11:19 a.m.:

Give the poker community a chance to weigh in on a WSOP event, and boy do they answer the bell. Since announcing the 2010 WSOP TOC yesterday, 40,722 votes have already been cast.

“In just 24 hours, the poker community has spoken loud and clearly, and they should be applauded for their passion,” said Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment Inc. Vice President Ty Stewart. “We really love the idea of turning the fans into executive producers, and they are taking the challenge head on and making sure their voices are heard.”

The voting has been a constant stream of submissions, indicating that as countries become aware of this all-star event, they quickly began the process to ensure that their favorite players were represented. The 40,722 votes represent an average of 1,697 an hour -- or more than 28 votes cast every minute!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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