The World Series of Poker is the most popular and anticipated series of events in the poker industry. Poker players dream of participating and winning the coveted main event prize. Champions are made every year and many of the best poker players in the world have won a World Series of Poker bracelet. Because the tournament has seen so many champions made, the WSOP hosts a Tournament of Champions each year.
The Tournament of Champions sees the best of the best competing against each other. Players must have won a World Series of Poker bracelet and be voted on by the public. The game will take place on June 27th to July 4th. The event will be a $1 million dollar free roll tournament and twenty seven players will be competing in the tournament.
Fans can now vote on who they would like to see compete in the Tournament of Champions by visiting the World Series of Poker website. Poker fans can look through the long list of World Series of Poker bracelet winners to see who they would like to vote for. The winners are listed by how many bracelets they have won. Names can also be sorted at the site in alphabetical order or searched for directly by player name.
Voting has already begun and some of the big name players already are in the top fifty with votes. Those included are: Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Vitaly Lunkin, Eli Elezra and David Slansky are in the running to participate in the tournament.
Twenty players will earn seats via the voting process while the other seven seats are already filled. Joe Cada the 2009 Main Event winner and Barry Shulman the winner of the 2009 Main event Europe are automatically entered into the tournament. Annie Duke, Mike Matusow and Mike Sexton are also automatically entered in the tournament as well. They won the 2004, 2005 and 2006 tournament of champions so they earn their seat for being winners. The last two players to earn seats will earn their place via online qualifier.
The winner of the Tournament of Champions will earn $500,000 while second place will earn $250,000. Third place will take home $100,000 and fourth through ninth place will earn $25,000 each. The rest of the field will have to go home empty handed.
Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment vice president Ty Stewart commented on the voting process by stating: “We’re thrilled to reinvent (the Tournament of Champions) around a model that should elevate the game by engaging millions of poker fans. We have received a lot of input from players and their affinity for the TOC, and we are excited for them and the fans and hope it’s here to stay.”
Annie Duke also commented on the event: “Tournaments like the Tournament of Champions help elevate poker to the level it deserves and I am honored to participate. 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.”