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THE THIRD ANNUAL JACK BINION WORLD POKER OPEN RETURNS TO TUNICA WITH A DATE CHANGE AND A NEW $10,000 BUY-IN EVENT.
TUNICA, Miss. - Horseshoe Casino & Hotel and Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi are hosting the Third Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open on January 5 through January 26. The 2002 tournament dates have been changed from the last two years, which were held in the spring, to accommodate another expected increase in attendance. The tournament has quickly established itself as one of the most successful poker tournaments in the world and is attended by both nationally and internationally renowned poker players.
This year's Championship Event will be held from January 23 to 26 and features a guaranteed total prize pool of $1 Million ($10,000 buy in), exceeding last year's Championship event purse that was $708,100. There are 19 separate events over the January 5-26 dates that will lead up to the Championship Finale.
John Gibson from Union City, GA became the 1st entrant into the first ever $10,000 buy-in Championship Event to the Jack Binion World Poker Open by qualifying at Horseshoe's Mid America Poker Classic in August 2001.
Last year, 29-year old stock trader and part time professional poker player from Alhambra, CA, John Juanda, captured the No Limit Hold'Em Championship event at the Second Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open. He took a first place prize of $283,000 at the climax of the biggest poker tournament ever held in the American South.
Master poker players from around the world competed for a total purse valued at more than $3 million in 18 different events. John Bonetti, Phil Hellmuth Jr., and Scotty Nguyen were among the 3,500+ entrants to the tournament.
On Friday, April 13, 2001 the final championship table, directed by Jim Albrecht, and commentated by famous actor/comedian Jerry Van Dyke, gathered for the championship of the Second Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open. John Juanda, Scott O'Bryan, a seasoned tournament player, Toto Leonidas, a poker professional, Robbie Frank, 30-year old first-time tournament player, Brain Moore, also a first time tournament player from Memphis, and An Tran, professional competitor from Las Vegas, commenced play for hours of fierce competition.
In the final hour of the tournament, Juanda went head-to-head with Scott O'Bryan, who took home $141,620 in prize money. "Everybody at the final table played their hearts out, but I felt pretty good about my chances," Juanda said. "I tried not to gamble too much or make too many mistakes. I wanted to play carefully and give luck a chance to work for me." The 2001 Jack Binion World Poker Open can be seen on ESPN on September 10 (ESPN2) at 10:00 P.M. ET, September 14 (ESPN) at 7:00 P.M. ET, October 27 (ESPN2) at 1:00 A.M. ET, and on November 18 (ESPN) at 3:30 P.M. ET.
World-renown poker consultant Jim Albrecht will be returning as tournament director for the event. Albrecht has managed poker rooms in Las Vegas and served as the tournament director for the World Series of Poker.
Play begins at Gold Strike Casino Resort's well-appointed ballroom with live action and satellites on Saturday, January 5, 2002. All tournaments will be open to the public to persons ages 21 or older, and buy-ins vary from $300 to $10,000 for each event. Each event will be played in normal "freeze-out" style with play continuing until one player possesses all of the tournament chips. Tables will be combined as players are eliminated and the last remaining player at the final table will be declared the winner of the event. With approximately 66 tables available for tournament play, these tables will also be available for live action play after each scheduled event.
The press invitational tournament will be held on Sunday, January 6 and is open to qualified media and celebrities. The tournament will feature a $2500 prize pool posted by Horseshoe Casino & Hotel and Gold Strike Casino Resort to be donated to the winner's favorite charity. Jeffrey Goldberg, Associate Publisher of the Memphis Magazine and Memphis Flyer, won the Second Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open Media/Celebrity Tournament. Goldberg donated the $2500 to the Downtown Porter Boys and Girls Club in Memphis. This invitational tournament offers members of the press the opportunity to feel the excitement of high-staked tournament action. For more information on this event, contact Jennifer Bennett at Gold Strike Casino Resort at (662) 357-1168, Sheila Stafford at Horseshoe Casino & Hotel at (662) 357-5582 or Kristi Miller at Horseshoe Casino & Hotel at (662) 357-5691.
For more information or for room reservations for the Third Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open, call Teresa at 1-800-303-7463, ext. 5760 or 662-357-5500. Horseshoe Casino & Hotel and Gold Strike Casino Resort are located 15 minutes south of Memphis, Tenn. in Tunica, Miss., the third largest gaming destination in the country.
Contact:
Jennifer Bennett (662) 357-1168
Sheila Stafford (662) 357-5582
Kristi Miller (662) 357-5691
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