If you can’t make it out to Las Vegas for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), there are several ways you can experience the action from the comfort of your own couch. Harrah’s officials have announced that the official websites of ESPN360 and Bluff Magazine will carry the final tables of 24 events online. In addition, you can check out the progress of your favorite online poker players by reading the WSOP coverage on PocketFivesLive.com. In other recent news from Las Vegas, it was announced that Mitch Garber, the former CEO of Party Gaming, will head the newly-formed Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment and be charged with growing the WSOP brand overseas. Party Gaming, of course, is the parent company of PartyPoker.Let’s start with the announcement that 24 final tables will appear on the internet. ESPN360’s and Bluff Magazine’s websites will host the streaming coverage, which begins on June 2nd. That day, the final table will play out in the $1,000 buy-in Stimulus Special tournament, which is likely to draw one of the largest crowds in WSOP history. WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack commented in a press release distributed late last week, “We are proud to provide the culminating action of so many prominent events to a worldwide audience in real time. This online initiative will complement our spectacular television package on ESPN and deliver even more of this year’s milestone WSOP to fans who want the most immediate coverage possible.” Other events will play out under the following schedule:
Event 5: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha (June 3), Bluff
Event 7: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em (June 4), Bluff
Event 10: $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha/Pot Limit Hold’em (June 5), Bluff
Event 11: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em (June 6), ESPN360
Event 15: $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed (June 8), ESPN360
Event 17: $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em (June 9), Bluff
Event 19: $2,500 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed (June 10), ESPN360
Event 20: $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em (June 11), Bluff
Event 22: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Shootout (June 12), ESPN360
Event 24: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em (June 13), Bluff
Event 29: $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Heads-Up (June 15), ESPN360.com
Event 30: $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha (June 16), Bluff
Event 33: $10,000 Limit Hold’em (June 17), ESPN360
Event 34: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em (June 18), Bluff
Event 35: $5,000 Pot Limit Hold’em (June 19), ESPN360
Event 36: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em (June 20), Bluff
Event 40: $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha (June 22), ESPN360
Event 41: $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout (June 23), ESPN360
Event 45: $10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em (June 25), Bluff
Event 47: $2,500 Mixed Hold’em (June 26), ESPN360
Event 49: $50,000 HORSE (June 30), ESPN360
Event 51: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em (June 29), Bluff
Event 54: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em (July 1), Bluff
The word that ESPN360 and Bluff will be streaming events isn’t the only breaking news coming from Harrah’s. The company also revealed that Mitch Garber, the former head of Party Gaming, will lead the newly-launched Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment and grow the WSOP brand overseas. Garber will become the new entity’s CEO and be flanked by Pollack, who will become the President of Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment. Pollack will also remain the WSOP Commissioner, a role that he has held since 2006. A separate press release noted that Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment “will explore the use of interactive gaming technologies to expand the reach of Harrah's brands globally.” It will utilize Total Rewards, one of the industry’s flagship customer retention and loyalty programs, to help establish the brand outside of the United States.When Harrah’s brought Garber onboard last month, many in the industry speculated that the company may enter the online poker space. Players outside of the United States may remember the for-profit casino of the World Poker Tour (WPT), which shut down in November and sent its clientele to InterPoker, which makes its home on Boss Media’s International Poker Network (IPN). Along with InterPoker, other IPN sites include Devilfish Poker’s Cardroom 2, Fortune Poker, Paradise Poker, and Poker Heaven. PartyPoker was once the largest online poker room in the world prior to its departure from the U.S. market in 2006. Its parent company is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY.”
Last, but certainly not least, PocketFivesLive.com will provide coverage of online poker players in the upcoming WSOP starting on Thursday with Event #2, the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the series. PocketFivesLive.com will provide the latest chip counts, key hands, and anecdotes from Sin City. We’ve sent a crack team of five Tournament Reporters led by Court Harrington (pictured at right) to the Rio and look forward to members of the online poker community dominating once again. Last year, PocketFivers won eight of the 55 bracelets up for grabs.We’ll look forward to reporting on everyone’s progress from the WSOP.
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