MASHANTUCKET,
Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 2004--Season One of the
PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR(TM) (PPT) is jampacked with a
stellar line-up of All-Star players, 134 of which turned out
for the Tour's inaugural competition on November 9-10 at
Foxwoods Resort Casino. Many of the game's favorites played
a hand in the elite competition, but only six prevailed.
Chris Bigler, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Harrington, John
Juanda, Casey Kastle, and Ron Rose will advance to the PPT
Final Table on Nov. 19 where only one will capture the very
first PPT victory.
That's like saying
you won the first PGA tournament in history, or ensnared the
first Wimbledon title. In addition to being entitled to
bragging rights and becoming the latest answer on the next
generation of Trivial Pursuit, the winner will go home with
$200,000, a $25,000 seat to the WPT World Championship, and
some serious respect from the poker world. The tournament at
Foxwoods is the first of five free-rolls that will offer a
total sponsored prize pool of $2.5 million over the
inaugural 2004-2005 Season. After its debut at Foxwoods, the
PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR will move on to Commerce Casino (Los
Angeles), Bellagio (Las Vegas), and The Mirage (Las Vegas)
in Season One of the Tour.
Launched by WPT
Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE), the creator of the WORLD
POKER TOUR(TM) (WPT), the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR reflects
the evolution of poker as a sport. Whereas anyone can play
on the WPT, only the game's professional elite that qualify
will compete on the PPT. The PPT is unique because players
can earn PPT Tour Cards throughout the WPT season and begin
free-roll tournament play immediately. To be eligible to
play on the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR, players must have
proven themselves in past poker competition: By winning or
making a Final Table at a WPT event or a WPT Championship,
by scoring as a top 10 point leader in WPT
Player-of-the-Year rankings, by winning or placing highly in
the $10K buy-in event at the World Series of Poker, by
securing a spot on either CardPlayer Magazine's Card Player
of the Year Top 10 list or Poker Europa's Top 10, or by
being a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.
THESE ARE THE
PLAYERS WHO MADE THE FIRST PPT FINAL TABLE:
Chris Bigler-
From Fislisbach, Switzerland, Bigler was a business-man
until he discovered his true calling-poker-just six years
ago on a trip to Vegas. He has already made it to more than
one World Poker Tour Final Table, including placing fifth at
the Bellagios' World Poker Classic in Season One.
Jennifer Harman:
To many, Harman is not just the best female player on the
planet, but one of the best payers, period. She is the only
woman who can claim two World Series titles, and is a
regular at the biggest poker game in the world at Las Vegas'
Bellagio. Harman was recently featured on WPT "Ladies
Night," the WPT Final Table of the Ultimate Poker Classic.
Daniel
Harrington: A former attorney who currently resides in Santa
Monica, CA, Harrington began playing poker more than a
decade ago mainly for the excitement and enjoyment of the
game. Harrington has gone from winning state chess
championships to winning a World Series title and placing in
the money at several final tables.
John Juanda: A
thirty-something poker player originally from Indonesia,
Juanda is called a "class act" by fellow poker pros and
amateurs including celebrities, who appreciate his cool
demeanor at the table. He won his first of three World
Series titles in 2002. Juanda became instantly famous when
he placed second in the first-ever WORLD POKER TOUR
tournament: the 2002 Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker
Classic. In both 2001 and 2002, Juanda was runner-up to Card
Player Magazine's Tournament Player-of-the-Year.
Casey Kastle: A
Slovenian American from Chicago, Kastle is the man who
spearheaded the efforts to make poker tournaments
non-smoking. Kastle first got involved with the game of
poker by helping a church group host a charity casino night
where he volunteered to deal at a blackjack table. When the
event concluded, Kastle played in a $2-$4 poker game which
kicked off his love of poker. Kastle placed tenth in last
season's LA Poker Classic.
Ron Rose: This
retired executive calls the Northwest home, though he and
the WPT's own Mike Sexton, have a common link--they both
went to the same high school in Dayton, Ohio. Rose is an
accomplished tournament player and successful businessman
who once held a seat on the stock exchange. The father of
three, Rose captured first place in WPT's Battle of the
Champions that aired on Super Bowl Sunday in 2004.
For more
information on the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR or WPTE, please
visit www.worldpokertour.com.
ABOUT WPT
ENTERPRISES, INC.
WPT Enterprises,
Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE) is a media and entertainment company
engaged in the creation of branded entertainment through the
development, production and marketing of televised
programming based on poker and other gaming themes. To date,
operations have principally revolved around the creation of
the World Poker Tour brand through the production and
licensing of a reality television series exhibited on the
Travel Channel that is based on a circuit of previously
established high-stakes poker tournaments that has been
affiliated under the "World Poker Tour" brand. WPT
Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes
Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:LACO). |
