World Poker Tour
WORLD POKER TOURTM (WPT) SEASON THREE: BELLAGIO FIVE DIAMOND WORLD POKER CLASSIC
Bellagio Five Diamond Attracts 376 Players, More Than $5.4 Million in
Prize Money
Season Three Pots Dramatically Increase From Season Two
Las Vegas, NV (December 14, 2004) - The eighth stop on the WORLD
POKER TOUR (WPT) kicked off today at Bellagio, Las Vegas. This year's
event attracted 376 players for a $5,470,800 prize pool, a $2,426,050 increase
over last year's event which drew 314 players. The winner of this year's $15,000
buy-in event will take home $1,795,218 and will advance to the WPT World
Championship when the Tour's season culminates at Bellagio in April 2005.
The WORLD POKER TOUR is the highest rated series in the history of the
Travel Channel, airing Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Season's Three's total prize pool has already topped the $30 million mark at
$30,456,770, a $13,736,490 increase over Season Two stops to date. The high
stakes No- Limit Texas Hold'em tournaments are increasing the number of players
at every stop on the Tour and are averaging a "poker millionaire a month."
This season's prize pool is anticipated to reach $70 million.
Many recognizable faces were spotted today at the tables, including the likes
of Annie Duke, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, and John Juanda. The public is invited
to be a part of the WPT Final Table television audience when the Five
Diamond World Poker Classic concludes at Bellagio on Saturday, December
18. Fans will be admitted from the WPT Viewing Party located in Ballroom
6. Admission is free and seating is first come, first serve; viewing party doors
open at 3:30 p.m. and seating begins at 4:30 p.m. Fans will also have the opportunity
to attend a second viewing party on Sunday for the taping of a new television
special, WPT Young Guns of Poker. This Season Three special will feature
six of the game's youngest and hottest players. Location and admission times
are identical to those of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
The ninth stop of the WORLD POKER TOUR'S 16-tournament season will be
the PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure from January 5-12 at Atlantis Resort
in Paradise Island, Bahamas. For a complete WPT tournament schedule and
casino contacts, please visit www.worldpokertour.com.
WPT Information Page
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 television series
exhibited on the Travel Channel that is based on a circuit of previously-established
high-stakes poker tournaments that we have affiliated under the "World Poker
Tour" brand. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment,
Inc. (Nasdaq: LACO). Photos and media information can be found online at: www.worldpokertour.com.
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