Big Changes for 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit Tour

It's not too early for poker players to start thinking about the World Series of Poker Circuit Event, which will be held in The Venue at Horseshoe Casino October 15 through October 27.

The event in Hammond will be the third stop of an expanded full-fledged national tour with stops throughout the United States. The tour, now in its seventh season, kicks off August 19 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa followed by a tournament at Horseshoe Southern Indiana starting October 2.

The 2010 schedule will include at least 12 tour stops, with a handful of others expected to be announced in the months ahead.

There are some significant changes in store for participants, including this blockbuster: The buy-in for the Main Event (outside of regional championships) has been lowered to $1,500 from $5,000 in previous years in an effort to encourage larger fields and more players attending multiple stops on the tour.

Additionally, participants will be competing for a shot at the WSOP Circuit National Championship, which includes a $1-million Las Vegas Tournament and a coveted gold championship bracelet, the first time ever an official WSOP bracelet will be awarded outside the annual World Series of Poker competition in Las Vegas and the annual WSOP Europe in London.

Other noteworthy changes and improvements include:

· A cumulative rankings system throughout the season that awards points for each official WSOP Circuit "Ring" open event, with four different ways to automatically qualify for the Circuit National Championship matching 100 players which will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in May 2011 and televised nationally.

· Four regional WSOP Circuit Championships with a $10,000 buy-in event plus two hours of national television coverage per stop.

"The new model is exactly what the WSOP is all about, giving poker players of all bankrolls the chance to compete for the kind of fame, fortune, and respect that comes only with a WSOP bracelet and a national television audience," said Ty Stewart, WSOP vice-president.

Horseshoe Hammond will be the site of one of the four nationally televised regional championships along with Harrah's Atlantic City, Harrah's Rincon, and Harrah's New Orleans. The final nine players in each event will be awarded an automatic seat in the national championship.

The 100-player field that will make up the Circuit National Championship will be competing for a prize pool of $1-million with the final 10 players receiving prize money.

The game format for the championship will be No Limit Hold'em and there will be no buy-in required for any of the 100 players who qualify.

For more information please visit www.wsop.com

(John Brokopp's Beat the Odds tips air Sundays at 8:20am, 2:50pm and 10:42pm on WBBM Newsradio 780)

CASINO NEWS: Players or spectators who register online (www.gatewaygreen.org) for Chicago Gateway Green's Fifth Annual Texas Hold'em "Gaming for Green" Poker Tournament presented by Horseshoe Casino on August 5 will receive $350 in gift cards including: A $25 gift card to Japonais Restaurant and Lounge, a $25 gift card to Mercadito Restaurants, a $100 gift card toward table service at Enclave, a $100 gift card toward champagne table service at Cuvee, a $60 gift card to Akira, and a $65 haircut for $25 at Verto Salon.

The tournament, which will be held at Galleria Marchetti, 825 W. Erie Street in Chicago, starts at 5:30 p.m. Prospective players buy in for a $150 donation ($125 before July 31) which gives them $5,000 in tournament chips. Those who don't wish to enter the poker tournament can pay a $40 spectator admission for the opportunity to participate in other games of chance, including roulette, craps and blackjack.