Think you’re better than our team of WPT Royal Flush Girls? Now’s your chance to prove it and earn great ClubWPT prizes along the way. The Royal Flush Bounty Tournaments will see your favorite Royal Flush Girl take to the tournament tables, putting their poker skills to the test against ClubWPT VIP members.

Eliminate a Royal Flush Girl during one of these events and win a ClubWPT Swag Bag valued at over $100, including an autographed photo of the eliminated Royal Flush Girl.

Bonus Bounty Prize: For every Royal Flush Girl eliminated from a Bounty tournament, the successful player will win:

• ClubWPT Hoodie (available in Black & Grey)
• ClubWPT T-Shirt (Black only)
• ClubWPT Hat
• ClubWPT Backpack
• Autographed photo of eliminated Royal Flush Girl
• 10,000 Tournament Points.

Royal Flush Bounty Tournaments Schedule

WPT LA Poker Classic
Bounty Tournament #1
Saturday, February 25th at 6:30 ET

Hunt for Royal Flush Girls:
Ivy Teves: ‘RFG_Ivy’
Tugba Ercan: ‘RFG_Tugba’

WPT LA Poker Classic
Bounty Tournament #2
Sunday, February 26th at 6:30 ET

Hunt for Royal Flush Girls:
Brittany Bell: ‘RFG_Brittany’
Danielle Ruiz: ‘RFG_Danielle’

World’s Best Poker Players Crowd the Commerce Casino for Televised WPT Main Event

WPT Season X shifts into overdrive starting February 24 as the world-renowned WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic kicks-off at the Commerce Casino. All eyes will be on the high-stakes action at one of poker’s biggest events, which consistently attracts a huge field of top international players.

Now celebrating its phenomenal twentieth anniversary, the LA Poker Classic stands as a must-attend series on every poker professional’s calendar. Those making the journey for the $10,000 buy-in WPT Main Event have come to expect an impeccable tournament with extraordinary payouts. Total prizepools from the past six WPT LAPC tournaments add up to more than $40 million, with a staggering $11.5 million being awarded to the WPT Champions.

Of the past nine WPT LAPC Champions, five have won multiple World Poker Tour titles: Gus Hansen, Michael Mizrachi, Alan Goehring, Cornel Cimpan and Antonio Esfandiari. In addition, Phil Ivey captured his only WPT title at this event during WPT Season VI. Superstars are made in Los Angeles, and one more will be crowned on February 29^th when their name gets etched onto the WPT Champions Cup.

WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage helms the competition at the world’s largest poker casino. With the first-place prize expected to far exceed $1 million, players from around the globe have already registered early. The WPT Welcome Party for the stacked field is scheduled to take place on February 23 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Commerce Casino’s Crowne Plaza Ballroom. On February 28, Commerce Casino will also be hosting a group of WPT Champions Club members in their exclusive Staples Center suite to watch the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

WPT co-hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, guest WPT Anchor Marianela Pereyra and the beautiful Royal Flush Girls will all be in attendance throughout the televised event. Starting at 4:30 p.m. PT on February 29, the final table of the WPT LA Poker Classic will be streamed live and fans can watch all the action at WPT.com. WPT Live Streaming with Tony Dunst and special guest commentators features rich graphics, hole cards and expert analysis for devoted fans of the game.

Less than a week after the event concludes, World Poker Tour heads to San Jose, California for the ever-popular Bay 101 Shooting Star (March 4 – 9). With chip leader bonuses, player bounties and a one-of-a-kind tournament structure, this unique WPT Main Event always delivers top-notch action.

The first episode featuring WPT Main Event action aired last night across the country on FSN and its regional networks. WPT Legends of Poker: Part 1 took viewers from the first opening minute of the $10,000 buy-in tournament, guiding them through the ups and downs of Days 1 to 3 and finally arriving at the WPT televised final table.

Day 1A of the event drew 322 entrants, including WPT Champions Club member Dwyte Pilgrim as well as notable poker pros Faraz Jaka, Matt Affleck, Phil Hellmuth, Season IX WPT Player of the Year Andy Frankenberger, Allen Kessler, Amit Makhija, WPT Season IV Player of the Year Gavin Smith and WPT Raw Deal host Tony Dunst. Day 1B saw 435 players pony up the cash to play in this prestigious event, many of them re-entries from Day 1A.

With 757 total entrants (322 on Day 1A and 435 on Day 1B), the total prizepool came out to $2,570,015. The final 81 players finished in the money, and first prize is worth $758,085. There were 181 players eliminated on Day 1A, and 116 players of those re-entered on Day 1B. Some of those re-entrants survived Day 1A, but forfeited their chips to try again on Day 1B. The 757 total entrants counts some players more than once; there were actually only 641 unique individuals in this event.

Day 2 ended with 99 players left in the field with retired school teacher Ken Aldridge leading the way and Will Failla two spots behind him. On Day 3, the money bubble burst and notable names taking home a check included Jamie Gold, Smith, Tran, Little, Cody Slaubaugh, Matt Berkey and WPT crew member Keith Kozar. The day ended with 21 players remaining and Jeff Vertes leading the way.

When the final six that would comprise the WPT TV final table were set, the field had shed several more talented players like Christina Lindley, James Carroll, Dan Heimiller and bubble boy Ray Henson.

The start of the WPT Legends of Poker final table marked the beginning of the tenth season of final table commentary by WPT Hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten. See their introduction of the final table players below:

Joining Mike and Vince for final table commentary and analysis were WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing and WPT Sideline Reporter Matt Savage.

The final table started with some serious fireworks as Owais Ahmed pushed all-in on the very first hand with pocket sixes, testing Adam Aronson, who folded his hand not wanting to get into it so early in final table play. There were several more hands that highlighted this first episode of WPT Season X and one of the biggest involved some interesting Razzy-worthy acting from Jeff Vertes, which resulted in a minor blow up from Will Failla. You can see that hand in our previous profile on Vertes: WPT Season X Player Profile: Jeff Vertes.

Ahmed was the first player eliminated from the Legends of Poker final table, earning $77,100 for his sixth place finish. With five players remaining, Aronson doubled up through Failla on the last hand of the episode, capping a great start to the historic tenth season of WPT on TV.

Make sure to tune in next week, or set your DVRs, at 8:00pm and 11:00pm local time* on FSN for WPT Legends of Poker: Part 2 as we get closer to crowning a new Legend of Poker.

* check local listings

During WPT Legends of Poker: Part 1, which airs this Sunday at 8pm & 11pm local time* on FSN, viewers are introduced to Canadian poker player Jeff Vertes. Chipleader after Day 2, this is Vertes’ deepest run in a major poker tournament and his first appearance on a WPT broadcast. In the clip above, Vertes pits himself against NY poker pro Will Failla in a hand that brings out an Oscar-worthy performance from Vertes and a minor meltdown from Failla.

Check out the clip and make sure to tune in to watch, or set your DVR for, the full episode at 8pm and 11pm local time* on FSN.

*Check local listings

With WPT LA Poker Classic just around the corner – play gets underway on February 24, 2012 – several members of the WPT family got on camera to invite players to join the rest of the WPT family at the Commerce Casino for one of the biggest events on the World Poker Tour calendar. See the invites below and make sure to follow all of the action live on the WPT Live Updates page and follow the WPT Live Updates Twitter feed.

WPT Royal Flush Girls Danielle, Tugba and Ivy

WPT Host Vince Van Patten

Following the impressive 30% rise in household ratings last season, brand new episodes of World Poker Tour will now be broadcast on FOX in Boston and Philadelphia for the first time ever. Here are the scheduled times and channels for WPT viewing in these cities:

Boston – Every Sunday on WFXT FOX 25 at Midnight ET

World Poker Tour will also continue to air on Fox Sports Net and FSN’s affiliated networks including Comcast SportsNet New England. Check your local TV listings.

Philadelphia – Every Sunday on WTXF FOX 29 at 11:00pm ET

World Poker Tour will also continue to air on Fox Sports Net and FSN’s affiliated networks including Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Check your local TV listings.

Over the past year, fans gravitated en masse to the program’s innovative changes. As a result, each tournament on WPT Season X will be featured in three separate episodes for an expanded run that showcases more poker, more excitement, and more behind the scenes footage.

With extended playdown coverage, fans will experience the complete story of the tournament leading up to the riveting final table. As the action moves off the felt, viewers will get an exclusive look into the lives of WPT’s cast in the brand new segment On the Road filmed by Joey Carson, executive producer of The Simple Life.

Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten will call the final table action for an amazing tenth year. The iconic co-hosts will be joined once again by Kimberly Lansing, the beautiful and charismatic WPT Anchor. Of course, the fabulous Royal Flush Girls will also be returning to the broadcast, much to the delight of their passionate fans. Raw Deal Analyst Tony Dunst will continue to challenge the pros and educate the amateurs with insightful commentary, while the hip segment WPT Ones to Watch features a new cast of young up-and-coming players.

The tenth season of World Poker Tour is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a unique online membership site which offers inside access to the WPT, exclusive VIP benefits and unlimited poker action with zero risk. ClubWPT.com awards more than $100,000 in monthly sweepstakes cash and prizes including entry into World Poker Tour events. No purchase is necessary for the ClubWPT.com sweepstakes and the service is void in states where prohibited. For full details go to ClubWPT.

This Sunday, a brand new episode of World Poker Tour premieres on FSN at 8:00pm and 11:00pm local time* and for the first time during WPT Season X will feature new tournament action. WPT Legends of Poker: Part 1 kicks off at the Bicycle Casino with extended playdown coverage and exciting footage from the WPT Final Table.

Sunday’s episode includes interviews with players as they bust out and the strategy of those remaining as they play their way through the tough field at WPT Legends of Poker. Players move in and out of the spotlight as their fortunes improve or take a turn for the worse, like chipleader Matt Berkey, who was chipleader after Day 1A, and Ken Aldridge, who led after Day 2 and goes on to make the televised WPT Final Table. Viewers also get to see how their favorite players fair during the first days of the tournament as well as the impressive play of several former WPT Players of the Year.

Many thrilling playdown hands are featured, including a sick bad beat on Greg “FBT” Mueller and a three-way all-in between Owais Ahmed, David Daneshgar and Josh Pollock, two of who go onto join Aldridge at the televised WPT Final Table. At that final table, viewers will see some Oscar-worthy acting, blow-ups, double-ups and wild chip count swings.

Make sure to tune in this Sunday evening to see which poker player will take the first steps toward winning WPT Legends of Poker and getting their name engraved on the WPT Champions Cup.

*Check local listings

World Poker Tour CEO Steve Heller

Recently, PokerNews.com sat down with WPT CEO Steve Heller to discuss the changes made to the WPT business model and how it could potentially change if online poker is legalized in the U.S.

Excerpt from the article:

Read more: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/02/the-insiders-wpt-ceo-steve-heller-online-poker-legislation-11992.htm

“I’m not sure I’m the person to be predicting what the government is going to do, or any one of 51 or 52 governments is going to do in the United States. But we certainly have some optimism that you will see regulated online poker in some form somewhere during 2012. It think it feels to most of the industry like there’s a lot of momentum toward the government understanding that regulated online poker is the best solution for online poker.

What we’re really focused on is getting quality legislation and encouraging the government to interact with the industry and make sure that the legislation integrates all of the knowledge in the industry on how to best serve players, protect players, and satisfy the consumer interest.”

Read the full article at the link below:
The Insiders: WPT CEO Steve Heller on Online Poker Legislation, WPT Expansion, and More

No Love Lost on Valentine’s Day during Intense Final Table at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida

When play began at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open, amateurs and pros alike gathered cheerfully in hopes of becoming the newest WPT Champion. The strong field of 295 entrants included many of poker’s top professionals and as the week wore on, nearly all would hit the rail. During the live streamed WPT final table on Valentine’s Day, passion for poker trumped love for fellow players as intense showdowns and gut-wrenching hands characterized the action. The strenuous final table saw more than 300 hands before 24 year-old student Matt Juttelstad captured his first World Poker Tour® title with a dramatic straight over straight.

As champion of the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open, Matt Juttelstad takes home the first-place prize of $268,444 including entry into the $25,000 WPT World Championship at Bellagio, Las Vegas this May. In addition, Juttelstad etched his name onto the stunning WPT Champions Cup, received the individualized WPT Champions Trophy and the Tiffany & Co.® WPT Champions Award. The Royal Flush Girls also congratulated the newest member of the WPT Champions Club with a special Valentine’s Day cake.

More than ten WPT Champions entered the non-televised WPT Main Event including fan favorite Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, WPT Player of the Year frontrunner Will “The Thrill” Failla and two-time WPT Champion Jonathan Little. Young Florida professionals such as Jason Mercier, Justin Zaki (21^st – $8,629), Darryll Fish (23^rd – $8,629) and Noah Schwartz (18th – $10,067) were in full force during the tournament. Schwartz had to sweat more than just players and cards, as he was scheduled for Jury Duty but luckily did not receive the call.

When the final table began, Gigi Gagne held a large chip lead and was looking to become the first female Champion of an open WPT Main Event. As the action broadcast online, WPT Live Streaming with Tony Dunst featured two very special guests, Season X WPT Ones to Watch Dan O’Brien and WPT TV Commentator Mike Sexton. Gagne took a big hit early on as she lost an all-in showdown to Keith Ferrera, although having him dominated until an unlucky river card fell. Juttelstad would soon gain the chip lead and maintained poll-position for much of the night, eventually knocking out Uri Kadosh in 3^rd place ($105,463) to setup the final showdown with a resurgent Gagne. Holding a three-to-one chip lead, Juttelstad bided his time for nearly thirty hands. The thrilling conclusion saw Gagne move all-in on the turn with a 5-high straight only to have Juttelstad snap-call with one better, the 6-high straight.

Next up on WPT Season X is the world-renowned Los Angeles Poker Classic at Commerce Casino. As one of poker’s biggest events, the LAPC continues to attract huge turnouts year after year. During WPT Season IX, 681 players entered to create a massive prize pool of more than six and a half million dollars. This year’s WPT Main Event runs from February 24 – 29 with a $10,000 buy-in and features a Welcome Party for all participants on the night of February 23. Commerce Casino will also be hosting select WPT Champions Club members in their Staples Center suite for a Clippers game on February 28. In early March, the ever-popular Bay 101 Shooting Star kicks-off in San Jose, California. With chip leader bonuses, player bounties and a one-of-a-kind structure, this special tournament always delivers top-notch action.

WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open was hosted by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The venue has quickly become one of the poker’s top destinations, as players around the world enjoy the tropical weather and expansive property. World Poker Tour returns to Hollywood in April for the second edition of the televised Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Last season’s tournament attracted 433 entrants and a prize pool of more than four million dollars. The following week, World Poker Tour remains in Florida for the debut of the televised WPT Jacksonville BestBet Open. Additionally, two WPT Regional Series events in Florida are scheduled for March. The first takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock in Coconut Creek and is followed by a three day tournament at the Derby Lane Poker Room in St. Petersburg.

Final Table Standings

1 – Matt Juttelstad – $268,444
2 – Gigi Gagne -$158,194
3 – Uri Kadosh – $105,463
4 – Sharon Levin – $73,344
5 – Todd Jacobson – $54,649
6 – Keith Ferrera – $42,185

Player of the Year Standings

1 – Will Failla – 1,650
2 – Vitor Coelho – 1,500
3 – Bobby Oboodi – 1,400
3 – James Dempsey – 1,400
5 – Soi Nguyen – 1,250
6 – Andrey Pateychuk – 1,200
6 – Jin Hwang – 1,200
6 – Matt Waxman – 1,200
6 – Vanessa Selbst – 1,200
10 – Daniel Buzgon – 1,150

One of the benefits of becoming a VIP member of ClubWPT.com (WPT’s VIP subscription-based membership website*) is the chance to play for WPT Main Event packages that give winners a seat in a WPT tournament and the chance to become the next player to have their name engraved on the WPT Champions Cup. That’s exactly the chance that Troy Syrjanen won when he qualified for a seat at WPT Legends of Poker on ClubWPT.com.

On top of that chance, Troy will also get to see himself on the next episode of WPT Season X when WPT Legends of Poker: Part 1 airs this Sunday at 8:00pm and 11:00pm local time** on FSN. Above is a quick preview of what you can expect to see from Troy this Sunday, and make sure to check out the ClubWPT Corner piece we did with him last month.

* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO WIN. See Terms and Conditions for details.
** Check local listings