The Suite Blog >> WSOP Europe 2008 - Betfair Hosting Online Satellites

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March 26, 2008 - The 2008 World Series of Poker Europe may be several months from now, but you can bet your bankroll that thousands of poker players have already marked it on their calendar's. That's right, casino giant Harrah's announced this month the dates of their second annual tournament. Although dates and times are always subject to change this early on, the plan is to start shuffling the cards and stacking the poker chips on September 19 and wrapping things up on October 1, 2008.

In other words, come mid-September, be on the lookout for some of the best poker action in all of Europe, not to mention the best poker players in the world. As with last year's inaugural activities, London Clubs International will host the event at three of their popular casinos: St. James, Casino at the Empire, and Marble Arch. The presiding sponsor will be all-in-one internet betting site (sports, games, poker and online casino games), BetFair, whose very own poker room will no doubt be buzzing with online satellite tournaments very soon.

As a matter of fact, online qualifications at Betfair have already begun. Considering how great a turnout last year's tournament had - surpassing all expectations - Harrah's and Betfair are expecting an even busier and more competitive run this time around.

If you may recall, it was the young guns who overran the 2007 WSOP Europe. The oldest player at the final table was 35, while the average age of 24 was the youngest ever. Remember the nineteen-year-old, Annette Obrestad, who ousted veterans like Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth Jr. and became the youngest player to ever win a WSOP bracelet?

Well, WSOP Europe is predicting this year's tournament to be even more competitive than last year. World Series of Poker Commissioner, Jeffrey Pollack, said he expects the young guns to get a tougher run for their money this year. Some people may put last year's final table outcome on luck, but the fact of the matter is that an increasing number of younger, more dedicated players are being spawned out of the poker boom. Veteran pros got a wakeup call last year, and will no doubt be seeking to redeem themselves at the WSOP Europe 2008. I personally can't wait to see what happens.

As for the day-to-day schedule of the tournament, this is still in the works. The structure and format will be very similar to last year's tournament, which both the players and host found to work out smoothly.

Originally published: March, 2008 | Categories: Online Poker