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Poker's Aces in World Poker Tour Season Finale

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- (Press Release) -- Capping an extraordinary second season of events that have attracted more than $30 million in total prize pools, the World Poker Tour (WPT) will draw many of the game's leading players to its WPT Championship from April 19-23, where it will conclude its second season by crowning this season's champion. The final table action will air in June as part of the weekly World Poker Tour series on Travel Channel, Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). The Championship's spellbinding poker action will be held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and the tournament's prize pool is anticipated to be in the range of $5 to $10 million.

With poker fever at a perceived frenzy in this country, the WPT Championship will focus all eyes on some of the most stylish, calculating and cut-throat poker in the world. And the winner's share of the prize purse could exceed $2 million. The tournament will showcase the play of international stars, winners from each of the WPT's compelling second season events, a handful of talented amateurs and even a select few celebrities. The cost to get in the door is $25,300 per seat--the priciest ticket in televised poker.

This year, 190 players have already pre-registered for the Championship, and many more are expected to sign up in the next few weeks and on-site at Bellagio. If the increases in player registrations from other WPT tournaments in season two are any indication, current registration numbers could more than double by the opening of play at the event. The total registrations to date already exceed the 2003 field.

"The World Poker Tour has seen record numbers of players and fans turn out at our events and the WPT Championship is expected to follow suit by setting a new WPT record for the largest single tournament prize money in WPT's history," says Steve Lipscomb, creator and President of the WPT. "Millions of fans are waiting to see who comes out on top - a seasoned pro or a wildcard amateur. In the world of high stakes poker, anything is possible with the turn of the cards."

The WPT Championship field is eclectic and intriguing--filled with unique personalities whose one common trait is that they play poker uncommonly well. When tournament play begins on April 19, players will hail from all over the world and range from a dot-com multimillionaire to a mother of four to a philanthropist who gives all his poker winnings to charity. Risking a half-million dollars a hand is nothing to these high stakes heroes.

Here are some of the contenders to watch:

-Dashing young former magician Antonio Esfandiari who now works more wonder with cards than just magic tricks

-Three-time WPT winner Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen, who is feared and respected for his aggressive style of play

-The tour's leading money winner in 2004, 26-year-old Erick Lindgren

-Seasoned veterans like T.J. Cloutier and newly-inducted WPT Poker Walk of Famer Doyle Brunson

-Millionaire player Barry Greenstein who gives away his sizeable WPT poker winnings to children's charities

-Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, known for wearing a hooded grey sweatshirt and sunglasses to the table

-Dot-com mogul Paul Phillips who keeps those chips coming in--not the silicon variety, but the poker winnings

-The four "killer angels" at the table known so because they may look angelic, but play a mean game of world class poker--Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman, Clonie Gowan and Evelyn Ng

Under the format created by the World Poker Tour (WPT), anyone that pays the entry fee of $25,300 can enter the WPT Championship. If you're good enough, it's worth the risk. Just ask Alan Goehring, the former Wall Street analyst who pulled off an upset and surprised many by edging out the field to win last year's WPT Championship. He'll be back to defend his title against a field that includes many of the top pros as well as actors Jon Favreau, Mimi Rogers, Richard Karn and Ming-Na, who won their $25,000 berth by outlasting other celebrities in the recent WPT Hollywood Home Game shows.

A number of amateurs will also gain precious spots at the table via wins in satellite tournaments run by Bellagio and the World Poker Tour's Satellite Program casinos around the country. Any one of these unknown players could also stun the field and take home the riches.

The World Poker Tour, approximately 80% owned by Lakes Entertainment, is again the television hit of the season on Travel Channel. More than five million people tune in each week to watch the high stakes drama of the tense competition where millions of dollars change hands across the table, all chronicled by "WPT Cams," that reveal the players' hidden cards. The show is the highest rated series in the history of The Travel Channel.

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