The World Poker Tour (WPT) released the 2012 portion of next season’s schedule Wednesday, touting its expanded international selection of tournaments. Season XI will begin in August after taking a break following the Season X-ending WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, which starts this weekend.
The first two events on the schedule are new venues to the World Poker Tour. The Merit-Grand Casino will serve as host to the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic August 4-9. Players who want to compete in the season opener and then turn around and play in the next event will have to hop on a plane quickly, as the WPT Parx Open Poker Classic will begin August 10th at the Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.
Two of the later stops in 2012 are also new. WPT Copenhagen will be held November 12-17 at Denmark’s Casino Copenhagen, followed less than two weeks later by WPT Mazagan at the Mazagan Casino, Mazagan Beach, and Golf Resort in Morocco November 26-December 1.
The year will end with the long-standing Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio December 17-22. The Season XI tournaments to be held in 2013 will be announced at a later date.
One interesting quirk in the schedule is the occurrence of two WPT events on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean at the same time. Both WPT Malta and the Borgata Poker Open (Atlantic City) will begin on September 16, giving players the option to travel to the tournament that’s closest to home (or whichever they simply like best). WPT Malta will end September 20, while the Borgata Poker Open will span one additional day.
All of the Main Events on the Tour this year will be re-entry events in which players who bust out on the first Day 1 flight can try again on the second Day 1 flight, provided they buy-in again, of course. Five of the eleven events – WPT Parx Open Poker Classic, Legends of Poker, WPT Grand Prix de Paris, Borgata Poker Open, and the Five Diamond World Poker Classic – will be televised.
World Poker Tour Season XI 2012 Schedule
WPT Merit Cyprus Classic: Merit-Grand Casino, Cyprus ♦ August 4-9 ♦ $4,000+$400
WPT Parx Open Poker Classic: Parx Casino, Bensalem, Pennsylvania ♦ August 10-15 ♦ $3,300 + $ 200
Legends of Poker: The Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, California ♦ August 24-29 ♦ $3,500 + $200
WPT Grand Prix de Paris: Aviation Club de France, Paris ♦ September 10-15 ♦ €7,500
WPT Malta: Casino at Portomaso, Malta ♦ September 16-20 ♦ €3,000 + €300
Borgata Poker Open: Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa, Atlantic City, New Jersey ♦ September 16-21 ♦ $3,300 + $200
Jacksonville bestbet Fall Series: bestbet Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida ♦ November 9-13 ♦ $3,500
WPT Copenhagen: Casino Copenhagen, Denmark ♦ November 12-17 ♦ 24,000 DKK + 2,250 DKK
WPT Mazagan: Mazagan Casino, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Morocco ♦ November 26-December 1 ♦ €3,200 + €300
WPT Prague: Corinthia Hotel Prague, Czech Republic ♦ December 3-9 ♦ €3,300
Five Diamond World Poker Classic: Bellagio Casino, Las Vegas Nevada ♦ December 17-22 ♦ $10,000 + $300