World Series of Poker Circuit to Make Historic Stop in Oklahoma

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit made history earlier this week with the announcement of an additional stop to its 2010-2011 Circuit schedule, a visit to the great state of Oklahoma.

The WSOP Circuit will visit the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma from January 6th to 25th for the first ever American WSOP event not held in a Harrah’s property. The Choctaw Casino WSOP Circuit stop will feature ten ring events among a flood of 54 tournaments. The Choctaw tournament now brings to 13 the total number of stops on the WSOP Circuit schedule this year, with potentially one more to be added.

Harrah’s officials were impressed enough with the Choctaw Casino Resort to hold a WSOP Circuit event at the location. Its proximity to several large cities in the South – including Dallas, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa – should provide for large and competitive fields. Still, it was the Choctaw Casino Resort itself that made its mark on WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart.

“After visiting the property, it was a must that we brought a WSOP Circuit stop to Choctaw Casino Resort,” Stewart stated during the announcement. “This is a huge poker market that has clamored for high-stakes tournament poker and we’re ecstatic to be hosting a WSOP Circuit in this gorgeous property in Durant come January.”

Steven Loyd, the Choctaw Casino Resort Director of Gaming and Hotel Operations, thinks that the WSOP Circuit stop at the Choctaw casino will be highly successful. “The vibrant poker markets in Texas and Oklahoma deserve a local to regional WSOP Circuit opportunity and Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant couldn’t be a better choice,” Loyd said. “Our location midway between Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and the large population base around Dallas/Fort Worth puts us within easy striking distance of thousands of serious poker enthusiasts.”

“Our beautiful new facility is poker friendly, with a best in class poker room and spacious tournament areas, great food and lodging,” Loyd concluded. “The Choctaw Nation is proud to be the newest member of the WSOP Circuit family.” The recently revamped poker room at the Choctaw Casino Resort is definitely a jewel in their crown. It features a brand new 30-table poker lounge that has its own exclusive floor in the casino.

With their new tournament in Oklahoma, Harrah’s and the WSOP Circuit are following what could become the new trend among tournament poker schedules. The World Poker Tour (WPT), after law changes in Florida that made it more poker-friendly, recently announced an agreement for a multi-year tour stop to be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa. The Seminole Indian tribe, which owns the Hard Rock franchises, will be bringing the first major poker tournament to Florida come 2011.

These major tours – with the WPT and the WSOP moving into Indian casinos to expand their tour’s potential – could mark an new “poker rush” among casinos and poker rooms that do not have any association with a major tournament schedule.