Gold Strike Casino Hosts Boot Camp

23 March 2006

FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida – (PRESS RELEASE) -- WPT Boot Camp will conduct its first two-day poker school just outside Memphis, Tennessee, on April 15-16 at Gold Strike Casino Resort in Mississippi. The featured instructor for this session will be Linda Johnson, The First Lady of Poker, who has one of the most illustrious records for women in poker over the past two decades. She has several top ten finishes at the World Series of Poker, including a 1997 victory. Johnson also was formerly the publisher of Card Player Magazine, is the floor announcer at many World Poker Tour Final Table tapings, and created the Tournament Directors Association.

Attendees of WPT Boot Camp sessions have given the program rave reviews and used their new-found skills to achieve success at poker tables. Previously the only way to gain a wealth of poker knowledge was to invest thousands of dollars and hours in high-stakes poker. But the two-day WPT Boot Camp helps people pick up the card-playing skills that put them on the "Fast Track to the Final Table." Plus, the person who wins the student-only tournament held during each seminar is rewarded with entry into a WPT sponsored satellite tournament.

This fantasy camp is designed to give amateurs an intense emersion into poker strategy. The core of instructors is made up of WPT tournament champions, WPT television commentator Mike Sexton, and other dynamic poker teachers. Each WPT Boot Camp limits enrollment to only 60 students so the learning experience is maximized. The cost is $1,695 per person, and seats can be reserved at WPTBootCamp.com or by calling 866-WPT-BOOT.

Camp attendees are tutored on all aspects of competitive tournament Texas Hold'em Poker. Coursework is carefully constructed to compress poker's learning curve. Sessions feature an integrated curriculum that includes live lectures, archived WPT video footage, game play, and personal secrets from poker superstars. Students receive hands-on training filled with tips and tools to help them better understand the "tells," "reads," and strategies integral to improving their game. For starters, students learn to identify their unique skills and the skills of opponents. They then explore the mathematics of poker, followed by instruction specific to Texas Hold'em. Lastly, students get tutelage on how to approach tournament play.

For advanced poker players, WPT Boot Camp also offers a Champions Event on an exclusive basis. The three-day seminar is limited to 100 students and features instruction from numerous poker professionals. This unique opportunity begins when students receive a refresher course on poker basics before taking VIP seats at the taping of a WPT Final Table. On the following day, students get to rub elbows with a number of poker's top stars and are treated to a full day of instruction. Lastly, attendees get a shot at beating the pros during a private WPT Boot Camp No-Limit Hold'em Tournament. Instructors compete alongside students for the grand prize, entry to a WPT Main Event. Students also have the chance to knock pros out of the game and receive a $500 reward. This special session culminates with an elegant awards banquet where the tournament winner receives the WPT Main Event seat and money for hotel and travel expenses. The victor will also be bestowed with an etched glass trophy and official red WPT Boot Camp Champions Event jacket.

Steven Berman, co-founder of WPT Boot Camp, said, "It's only appropriate for the nation's top poker school to be holding class on the banks of the Mississippi River, which has a rich poker tradition. By bringing the WPT Boot Camp to multiple markets, we make this knowledge accessible to the growing number of poker enthusiasts across the country."

River Gaming is a licensee of WPT Enterprises, Inc., which holds an ownership interest in the WPT Boot Camp.