World Poker Tour
Encyclopedia
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournament
s and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States
by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO
of WPT Enterprises (WPTE), the firm that controlled the World Poker Tour up to November 2009. In 2008, the WPT started offering bracelets
to its event champions. Players who won a title prior to the release of the WPT Bracelet
, were given one retroactively.
In November 2009, PartyGaming
announced its acquisition of the World Poker Tour from WPTE for $12,300,000.
, has contributed to the Poker boom
in American homes, in local casino
poker rooms and online. The key sponsors of the WPT are casinos and online poker sites.
The WPT television show, which is syndicated internationally, features commentary and analysis by World Series of Poker bracelet
winner Mike Sexton
and actor Vince Van Patten. Interviews and sideline reporting are provided by a female host. Shana Hiatt
served as the show host and sideline reporter in its first three seasons. Courtney Friel
took over the host role for the fourth season, and Sabina Gadecki
for the fifth. Layla Kayleigh
and Kimberly Lansing began serving as hostesses in season six. Poker player and reporter Amanda Leatherman was the host for season seven. For Season 9 (2010/11), Kimberly Lansing has returned to the hosting role.
Following the November 2009 acquisition of the World Poker Tour by PartyGaming plc, the new owners have added a second series of televised WPT events under their Party Poker (PartyPoker) brand name. This series has, to date, focused on televising the European stops of the WPT. Mike Sexton continues to provide commentary, though he is partnered with Denmark-based American commentator Jesse May
rather than Vince Van Patten. The role of female show host and sideline reporter has been served by a number of personalities, often from the country where the event is held. One exception is Canadian born poker player Kara Scott
, who has served as host for a number of the Party Poker branded telecasts of these European WPT events.
in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. The first season aired on the Travel Channel
on American
cable television
in the spring of 2003. The show made its network debut on February 1, 2004 on NBC
with a special "Battle Of Champions" tournament, which aired against CBS
coverage of the Super Bowl XXXVIII
pre-game show. The Travel Channel aired the first five seasons of the Tour. In April 2007, WPTE announced that the series would move to GSN for its sixth season in the spring of 2008. The first WPT tournament to air on GSN, the Mirage Poker Showdown, debuted on March 24, 2008. In July 2008, WPTE announced that the series would move to Fox Sports Net
for its seventh season.
The drawing power of the WPT, and most other poker tournaments, is that anyone who can pay the "buy-in" (an amount ranging from $2,500 to $25,000) or win a "satellite" tournament is able to compete against the top professional players.
In 2004, the World Poker Tour created a Walk of Fame, inducting poker legends Doyle Brunson
and Gus Hansen
, as well as actor James Garner
.
The first three seasons of WPT are available on NTSC
DVD
.
A series of spin-off tournaments, titled the Professional Poker Tour
, began filming in 2004. Broadcast of the series was delayed, which was partly due to a dispute with the Travel Channel over rights. In the fall of 2005, WPTE announced that "a cable channel" (believed to be ESPN
) had withdrawn from bidding for the PPT series, and that WPTE was negotiating with the Travel Channel to air the series. On January 30, 2006, WPTE and the Travel Channel announced that they had dismissed all open lawsuits. The series began regular broadcast July 5, 2006, but was suspended after one season as WPTE couldn't find a television home for a second season.
An interesting side note is that only 4 players have finished in the money at least once in all 8 seasons of the World Poker Tour. These players are Phil Hellmuth
, Erik Seidel
, Mark Seif
, and Surinder Sunar
.
The WPT has become a truly recognizable brand in poker and many believe they were one of the primary sparks to ignite the poker boom in the United States. The strength of the WPT brand can be seen in many products related and un-related to poker i.e. playing cards, poker chips and tables, coffee mugs, clothing, key chains, notepads, watches, etc.
and Vince Van Patten, sit at a booth near the final table, providing commentary and occasionally interacting with the players during the game. However, their specific comments about hole cards are recorded after the tournament takes place because gaming regulations prohibit them from observing a live feed of the "hole card cameras" while on the set.
, the California Cartwright Act, and intentional interference with contract. The professionals (Chris Ferguson
, Andy Bloch
, Annie Duke
, Joe Hachem
, Phil Gordon
, Howard Lederer
, and Greg Raymer
) allege that WPTE's standard release forms, required for participation in WPTE events, are anti-competitive and designed to interfere with their contractual obligations to other companies. The anti-competition claim is based on the fact that WPTE's contracts with the casinos that host its tournaments bar those casinos (and other casinos owned by the same parent companies) from hosting non-WPTE poker events. The claim of interference with contract is based on the releases' claim to perpetual rights to the players' likenesses for any use WPTE wishes. The players claim that this would put them in violation of other contracts (such as Ferguson's Activision Games contract or several players' contracts with online poker sites). Hachem and Raymer dropped out of the lawsuit before its eventual settlement.
finishing second. There are currently no WPT Ladies events scheduled.
players who have played the game well at the highest levels as well as those who have promoted the spread of it through film, television, and literature.
In February 2004, the World Poker Tour Walk of Fame inducted its first members at the Commerce Casino
in a ceremony before top pros and celebrities in town for the World Poker Tour Invitational Poker Tournament. The induction ceremony was staged on the doorstep of Commerce Casino.
No new players have been inducted since 2004.((fact|November 2011}} The original inductees were Doyle Brunson
, Gus Hansen
and James Garner
.
The Player of the Year is determined by a points system, with the player who earns the most points each season is named the WPT Player of the Year.
Through the end of Season 9, no player has been named WPT Player of the Year and also captured the WPT Championship. The closest to date is Season 7 WPT Player of the Year Bertrand Grospellier
, who finished 3rd in that season's WPT Championship.
Starting with season 9, the points system was adjusted to recognize the number of entries and the size of the prizepool for each event.
for winning the season ending WPT Championship for season 5. As of September 2011, this is the 9th largest first place payout for a poker tournament, behind only the latest 8 WSOP Main Events.
Poker tournament
A poker tournament is a tournament where players compete by playing poker. It can feature as few as two players playing on a single table , and as many as tens of thousands of players playing on thousands of tables...
s and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of WPT Enterprises (WPTE), the firm that controlled the World Poker Tour up to November 2009. In 2008, the WPT started offering bracelets
World Poker Tour bracelet
The World Poker Tour bracelet is the World Poker Tour's answer to the World Series of Poker bracelet. Beginning in 1976, the WSOP started awarding bracelets to winners of WSOP events. The WSOP bracelet has become synonymous with greatness...
to its event champions. Players who won a title prior to the release of the WPT Bracelet
World Poker Tour bracelet
The World Poker Tour bracelet is the World Poker Tour's answer to the World Series of Poker bracelet. Beginning in 1976, the WSOP started awarding bracelets to winners of WSOP events. The WSOP bracelet has become synonymous with greatness...
, were given one retroactively.
In November 2009, PartyGaming
PartyGaming
bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc is an online gambling company, formed by the March 2011 merger of PartyGaming plc and bwin. The world's largest publicly traded online gambling firm, it is best known for its online poker room PartyPoker.com and its sports betting brand Bwin. It is...
announced its acquisition of the World Poker Tour from WPTE for $12,300,000.
Television
The year-round WPT television show, building on the annual broadcast of the World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
, has contributed to the Poker boom
Poker boom
The poker boom was a period between 2003 and 2006, during which poker, primarily no limit Texas hold 'em, but also other variations, became considerably more popular around the world...
in American homes, in local casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
poker rooms and online. The key sponsors of the WPT are casinos and online poker sites.
The WPT television show, which is syndicated internationally, features commentary and analysis by World Series of Poker bracelet
World Series of Poker bracelet
The World Series of Poker bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". ...
winner Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton
Michael Richard Sexton is an American professional poker player and commentator. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
and actor Vince Van Patten. Interviews and sideline reporting are provided by a female host. Shana Hiatt
Shana Hiatt
Shana Hiatt is a model and presenter who has appeared in several magazines.-Background:A former Army brat raised primarily in Tabernacle Township, New Jersey, she is best known for hosting the first three seasons of World Poker Tour on The Travel Channel.-Poker:While Hiatt was a non-player prior...
served as the show host and sideline reporter in its first three seasons. Courtney Friel
Courtney Friel
Courtney Friel is an American entertainment reporter for the Fox News Channel. Currently, she contributes to a number of different entertainment related programs for the network's website, FoxNews.com...
took over the host role for the fourth season, and Sabina Gadecki
Sabina Gadecki
Sabina Gadecki is an American actress and model. Gadecki acted as host for the fifth season of the World Poker Tour with Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton, which aired on the Travel Channel network....
for the fifth. Layla Kayleigh
Layla Kayleigh
Zara "Layla" Kayleigh is a British-American TV personality who used to host The Feed segment of G4's Attack of the Show! and co-hosts MTV's America's Best Dance Crew where she is the backstage correspondent. She has modeled for Maxim Magazine and King Magazine. Kayleigh currently resides in...
and Kimberly Lansing began serving as hostesses in season six. Poker player and reporter Amanda Leatherman was the host for season seven. For Season 9 (2010/11), Kimberly Lansing has returned to the hosting role.
Following the November 2009 acquisition of the World Poker Tour by PartyGaming plc, the new owners have added a second series of televised WPT events under their Party Poker (PartyPoker) brand name. This series has, to date, focused on televising the European stops of the WPT. Mike Sexton continues to provide commentary, though he is partnered with Denmark-based American commentator Jesse May
Jesse May
Jesse May is an American poker commentator and player.Jesse May was raised in Madison, New Jersey, where he first became hooked on poker playing with friends. In 1988 he started attending The University of Chicago, but he found that classes were clashing with his poker games, and so dropped out...
rather than Vince Van Patten. The role of female show host and sideline reporter has been served by a number of personalities, often from the country where the event is held. One exception is Canadian born poker player Kara Scott
Kara Scott
Kara Scott is a Canadian TV personality, journalist and poker player.Born in northern Alberta, Canada, Scott moved to the United Kingdom in 1999 and worked in the UK media until 2009 when she moved to California...
, who has served as host for a number of the Party Poker branded telecasts of these European WPT events.
Background
The tour had its debut season in the latter part of 2002 and early part of 2003, climaxing with the WPT Championship in April 2003 at the BellagioBellagio (hotel and casino)
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The first season aired on the Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
in the spring of 2003. The show made its network debut on February 1, 2004 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
with a special "Battle Of Champions" tournament, which aired against CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
coverage of the Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
pre-game show. The Travel Channel aired the first five seasons of the Tour. In April 2007, WPTE announced that the series would move to GSN for its sixth season in the spring of 2008. The first WPT tournament to air on GSN, the Mirage Poker Showdown, debuted on March 24, 2008. In July 2008, WPTE announced that the series would move to Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
for its seventh season.
The drawing power of the WPT, and most other poker tournaments, is that anyone who can pay the "buy-in" (an amount ranging from $2,500 to $25,000) or win a "satellite" tournament is able to compete against the top professional players.
In 2004, the World Poker Tour created a Walk of Fame, inducting poker legends Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
and Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen
Gustav "Gus" Hansen is a professional Danish poker player who lives in Monaco. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, the 2007 Aussie Millions main event and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament...
, as well as actor James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
.
The first three seasons of WPT are available on NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
A series of spin-off tournaments, titled the Professional Poker Tour
Professional Poker Tour
The Professional Poker Tour was a series of televised poker tournaments, spinning off from the World Poker Tour television series. It billed itself as the first professional poker league, and was limited to players who have established themselves on the World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker,...
, began filming in 2004. Broadcast of the series was delayed, which was partly due to a dispute with the Travel Channel over rights. In the fall of 2005, WPTE announced that "a cable channel" (believed to be ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) had withdrawn from bidding for the PPT series, and that WPTE was negotiating with the Travel Channel to air the series. On January 30, 2006, WPTE and the Travel Channel announced that they had dismissed all open lawsuits. The series began regular broadcast July 5, 2006, but was suspended after one season as WPTE couldn't find a television home for a second season.
An interesting side note is that only 4 players have finished in the money at least once in all 8 seasons of the World Poker Tour. These players are Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
, Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.In 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
, Mark Seif
Mark Seif
Mark Seif is an Egyptian American attorney and professional poker player.-Personal life:Seif was born in Cairo, Egypt before moving with his family at the age of two, to Southern California...
, and Surinder Sunar
Surinder Sunar
Surinder Sunar is a British professional poker player based in Wolverhampton, who gained fame as a three-time finalist in the Late Night Poker television series....
.
The WPT has become a truly recognizable brand in poker and many believe they were one of the primary sparks to ignite the poker boom in the United States. The strength of the WPT brand can be seen in many products related and un-related to poker i.e. playing cards, poker chips and tables, coffee mugs, clothing, key chains, notepads, watches, etc.
ClubWPT
In 2008, the WPT launched a new product called ClubWPT. It is a subscription based club where members can pay a monthly fee to play in tournaments.Commentary
The show's hosts, Mike SextonMike Sexton
Michael Richard Sexton is an American professional poker player and commentator. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
and Vince Van Patten, sit at a booth near the final table, providing commentary and occasionally interacting with the players during the game. However, their specific comments about hole cards are recorded after the tournament takes place because gaming regulations prohibit them from observing a live feed of the "hole card cameras" while on the set.
Sherman Act lawsuit
In July 2006, seven poker professionals sued WPTE, alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust ActSherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
, the California Cartwright Act, and intentional interference with contract. The professionals (Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
, Andy Bloch
Andy Bloch
Andrew Elliot Bloch is a professional poker player. He holds two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a JD from Harvard Law School.-Poker:...
, Annie Duke
Annie Duke
Annie Duke is a professional poker player and author who won a bracelet in the 2004 World Series of Poker $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Event and was the winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, where she earned the Winner-Take-All prize of $2,000,000...
, Joe Hachem
Joe Hachem
Joseph Hachem is a Lebanese-Australian professional poker player known for winning the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. He was the first Australian to win the main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.The next year, Hachem won his...
, Phil Gordon
Phil Gordon
Philip Stewart Gordon is an American professional poker player, commentator and author.-Personal life:Gordon was born in El Paso, Texas. He spent his formative years in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gordon began attending Georgia Tech at the age of 15 while still attending high school...
, Howard Lederer
Howard Lederer
Howard Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
, and Greg Raymer
Greg Raymer
Gregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.-Early life:...
) allege that WPTE's standard release forms, required for participation in WPTE events, are anti-competitive and designed to interfere with their contractual obligations to other companies. The anti-competition claim is based on the fact that WPTE's contracts with the casinos that host its tournaments bar those casinos (and other casinos owned by the same parent companies) from hosting non-WPTE poker events. The claim of interference with contract is based on the releases' claim to perpetual rights to the players' likenesses for any use WPTE wishes. The players claim that this would put them in violation of other contracts (such as Ferguson's Activision Games contract or several players' contracts with online poker sites). Hachem and Raymer dropped out of the lawsuit before its eventual settlement.
Settlement
In April 2008, WPT Enterprises, Inc. settled with the five remaining players of the lawsuit that was brought against them, Chris Ferguson, said about the settlement, "We are happy to have come to an agreement that is fair to all players, and to have put in place a new release that clears up ambiguities in how players' images may be used. We are especially happy that this new release will apply to all poker players who wish to participate in WPT tournaments and events."WPT Ladies
In January 2008, the WPT announced a set of tournaments for women, known as WPT Ladies. The first season had five events, with buy-ins ranging from $300 to $1,500. Nancy Todd finished first in the Ladies Championship with Vanessa SelbstVanessa Selbst
Vanessa Selbst is an American professional poker player who has made five final tables, including two heads-up semi-finals, at the World Series of Poker and won the 2008 World Series of Poker $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Selbst also won the main event of the 2010 and 2011 PokerStars.net North...
finishing second. There are currently no WPT Ladies events scheduled.
WPT Walk of Fame
The World Poker Tour Walk of Fame is designed to honor those pokerPoker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
players who have played the game well at the highest levels as well as those who have promoted the spread of it through film, television, and literature.
In February 2004, the World Poker Tour Walk of Fame inducted its first members at the Commerce Casino
Commerce Casino
Commerce Casino is a cardroom located in the Los Angeles suburb of Commerce. With over 240 tables on site, Commerce Casino is the largest cardroom in the world...
in a ceremony before top pros and celebrities in town for the World Poker Tour Invitational Poker Tournament. The induction ceremony was staged on the doorstep of Commerce Casino.
No new players have been inducted since 2004.((fact|November 2011}} The original inductees were Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
, Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen
Gustav "Gus" Hansen is a professional Danish poker player who lives in Monaco. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, the 2007 Aussie Millions main event and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament...
and James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
.
Player of the Year
While the winner of the season ending WPT World Championship (simply the WPT Championship before season 9) is deemed that season's WPT Champion, the WPT also determines a Player of the Year to recognize the player who achieves consistent high finishes in WPT events throughout the entire season.The Player of the Year is determined by a points system, with the player who earns the most points each season is named the WPT Player of the Year.
Through the end of Season 9, no player has been named WPT Player of the Year and also captured the WPT Championship. The closest to date is Season 7 WPT Player of the Year Bertrand Grospellier
Bertrand Grospellier
Bertrand Grospellier , also known as ElkY is a poker player and former pro gamer from France who has won a World Poker Tour , a World Series of Poker bracelet and a European Poker Tour title...
, who finished 3rd in that season's WPT Championship.
Points system
During the first 8 seasons, only the 6 players at the final table in each Open event, plus the last (7th) player eliminated before the final table, earned points as follows:- Winner: 1000 points
- Runner-up: 700 points
- 3rd place: 600 points
- 4th place: 500 points
- 5th place: 400 points
- 6th place: 300 points
- 7th place (TV bubble): 200 points
Starting with season 9, the points system was adjusted to recognize the number of entries and the size of the prizepool for each event.
- Generally, 10% of the participants in each event will finish in the money (ITM), so the system now gives Player of the Year points to all ITM players.
- The maximum number of points awarded to the event winner are now scaled to the size of the prizepool, with 600 points to the winner of an event with a prizepool smaller than $500,000 and 1400 points to the winner of an event with a prize pool larger than $4,000,000. The WPT Championship, no matter the prizepool, also starts at 1400 points to the winner.
- The system still operates on a descending scale, though the scale provides a minimum of 50 points to all the 'bottom' ITM players in any event.
WPT Player of the Year, by Season
The players earning WPT Player of the Year honors have been:- Season 1: Howard LedererHoward LedererHoward Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
- Season 2: Erick LindgrenErick LindgrenErick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
- Season 3: Daniel NegreanuDaniel NegreanuDaniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...
- Season 4: Gavin Smith
- Season 5: J. C. TranJ. C. TranJ. C. Tran is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player, based in Sacramento, California....
- Season 6: Jonathan LittleJonathan LittleJonathan Little is an American professional poker player who won both the World Poker Tour's Season VI Mirage Poker Showdown and Season VII Foxwoods World Poker Finals and won the WPT Season VI Player of the Year award.- Biography :Little was a student at the University of West Florida studying...
- Season 7: Bertrand GrospellierBertrand GrospellierBertrand Grospellier , also known as ElkY is a poker player and former pro gamer from France who has won a World Poker Tour , a World Series of Poker bracelet and a European Poker Tour title...
- Season 8: Faraz JakaFaraz JakaFaraz Jaka is an American professional poker player and businessman who was World Poker Tour Player of the Year for Season VIII . He has reached two WPT final tables, two WSOP final tables and his lifetime tournament winnings exceed $4 million...
- Season 9: Andy FrankenbergerAndy FrankenbergerAndy Frankenberger is a professional poker player from New York City.Frankenberger won the WPT Season 9 Legends of Poker event in 2010, then followed that up with another WPT final table at the Festa al Lago event later that year...
Tournament Results
- World Poker Tour season 1 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 1 results- Five Diamond World Poker Classic:* Casino: Bellagio, Las Vegas * Buy-in: $10,000* 5-Day Event: May 27, 2002 to June 1, 2002* Number of Entries: 146* Total Prize Pool: $1,416,200* Number of Payouts: 18...
(2002–2003) - World Poker Tour season 2 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 2 results- Grand Prix de Paris:* Casino: Aviation Club de France, Paris * Buy-in: €10,000* 4-Day Event: July 10, 2003 to July 13, 2003* Number of Entries: 96* Total Prize Pool: €894,400 * Number of Payouts: 9...
(2003–2004) - World Poker Tour season 3 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 3 results- Grand Prix de Paris:* Casino: Aviation Club de France, Paris * Buy-in: €10,000* 5-Day Event: July 17, 2004 to July 21, 2004* Number of Entries: 205* Total Prize Pool: €1,957,750* Number of Payouts: 27...
(2004–2005) - World Poker Tour season 4 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 4 results- Mirage Poker Showdown:* Casino: The Mirage, Las Vegas * Buy-in: $10,000* 4-Day Event: May 23, 2005 to May 26, 2005* Number of Entries: 317* Total Prize Pool: $3,074,900* Number of Payouts: 27* Winning Hand: Q-Q...
(2005–2006) - World Poker Tour season 5 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 5 results- Mirage Poker Showdown:* Casino: The Mirage, Las Vegas * Buy-in: $10,000* 4-Day Event: May 14, 2006 to May 17, 2006* Number of Entries: 384* Total Prize Pool: $3,724,800* Number of Payouts: 36* Winning Hand: K-5...
(2006–2007) - World Poker Tour season 6 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 6 resultsBelow are the results of season six of the World Poker Tour .Towards the end of season 6 the World Poker Tour announced that they would award a Tiffany designed titanium and diamond championship bracelet for all previous 96 players....
(2007–2008) - World Poker Tour season 7 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 7 results- Spanish Championship:* Casino: Casino Barcelona, Barcelona * Buy-in: €5,000* 5-Day Event: Friday, May 23, 2008 to Tuesday, May 27, 2008* Number of Entries: 253* Total Prize Pool: €1,278,396...
(2008–2009) - World Poker Tour season 8 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 8 results- WPT Venice:* Casino: Casino Di Venezia, Venice, Italy* Buy-in: $5,302 + $530* 5-Day Event: May 6, 2009 to May 10, 2009* Number of Entries: 397* Total Prize Pool: $2,035,237* Number of Payouts: 45...
(2009–2010) - World Poker Tour season 9 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 9 resultsBelow are the results of season nine of the World Poker Tour - WPT Grand Prix de Paris:* Casino: Aviation Club de France, Paris, France* Buy-in: €10,000* 5-Day Event: May 8 – 15, 2010* Number of Entries: 247...
(2010–2011) - World Poker Tour season 10 resultsWorld Poker Tour season 10 resultsBelow are the results of season 10 of the World Poker Tour .- WPT Spanish Championship:* Casino: Casino Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain* Buy-in: €3200 + €300* 5-Day Event: May 25–29, 2011* Number of Entries: 216...
(2011-2012)
Record winnings
The largest win in a WPT event is the $3,970,415 paid to Carlos MortensenCarlos Mortensen
Juan Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the only Hispanic Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.Mortensen moved from Spain to the United States in...
for winning the season ending WPT Championship for season 5. As of September 2011, this is the 9th largest first place payout for a poker tournament, behind only the latest 8 WSOP Main Events.
Regular Events
Progression of the "highest payout" through the history of the WPT, starting with the win by Gus Hansen in Event 1 of WPT Season 1.| Season | Event | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #1 - Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2002 | Gus Hansen Gus Hansen Gustav "Gus" Hansen is a professional Danish poker player who lives in Monaco. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, the 2007 Aussie Millions main event and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament... |
$556,480 |
| 1 | #6 - World Poker Open 2003 | Dave Ulliott Dave Ulliott David A. Ulliott , known by the nickname Devilfish, is an English professional gambler and poker player. Formerly, Ulliott was a minor figure in the Hull underworld, but went on to become a World Series of Poker bracelet-winner, and a mainstay of televised poker... |
$589,175 |
| 2 | #5 - World Poker Finals 2003 | Hoyt Corkins Hoyt Corkins Hoyt Bricken Corkins is an American professional poker player.He also has three children in Chelsei Corkins, Brittney Corkins, and Ashley Roundtre... |
$1,089,200 |
| 2 | #6 - Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2003 | Paul Phillips Paul Phillips (poker player) Paul Phillips is an American entrepreneur and poker player.-Programming:Phillips wrote the Boa web server while attending the University of California, San Diego, but no longer maintains it... |
$1,101,980 |
| 2 | #8 - World Poker Open 2004 | Barry Greenstein Barry Greenstein Barry Greenstein is a professional poker player. He has won a number of major events, including three at the World Series of Poker and two on the World Poker Tour. Greenstein donates his profit from tournament winnings to charities, primarily Children, Incorporated, earning him the nickname "the... |
$1,278,370 |
| 2 | #9 - LA Poker Classic 2004 | Antonio Esfandiari Antonio Esfandiari Antonio Esfandiari is a professional poker player, known for his elaborate chip tricks.-Early life:When he was 9 years old his family moved to San Jose, California... |
$1,399,135 |
| 3 | #7 - World Poker Finals 2004 | Tuan Le Tuan Le Tuan Le is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player, known for his aggression and risk-taking.... |
$1,549,588 |
| 3 | #8 - Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2004 | Daniel Negreanu Daniel Negreanu Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big... |
$1,759,218 |
| 3 | #11 - LA Poker Classic 2005 | Michael Mizrachi Michael Mizrachi Michael David Mizrachi is an American professional poker player who won the 2010 World Series of Poker $50,000 Players Championship.. Mizrachi also has two World Poker Tour Titles, and finished 5th in the Main Event of the 2010 World Series of Poker.-Personal life:Mizrachi was born in Miami,... |
$1,859,909 |
| 4 | #7 - World Poker Finals 2005 | Nick Schulman Nick Schulman Nick Schulman is an American professional poker player from Manhattan, New York. Nick Schulman is also a professional-calibre pocket billiards player. He grew up playing pool at Amsterdam Billiards, in New York City... |
$2,142,000 |
| 4 | #12 - LA Poker Classic 2006 | Alan Goehring Alan Goehring Alan Goehring is a retired American junk bond analyst and trader from Henderson, Nevada. At the age of 37, he became a professional poker player.... |
$2,391,550 |
| 5 | #14 - LA Poker Classic 2007 | Eric Hershler | $2,429,970 |
| 6 | #11 - Doyle Brunson Classic 2007 | Eugene Katchalov Eugene Katchalov Eugene Katchalov is an American professional poker player raised in Brooklyn, New York since age 10.Katchalov, a graduate with a business degree from NYU, is the winner of the largest payout for a non-championship event in the World Poker Tour , earning $2,482,605 with a win of the 2007 Doyle... |
$2,482,605 |
WPT Championships
Each WPT season culminates with the $25,000 buy-in WPT Championship (adjusted to WPT World Championship starting with season 9).| Season | Event | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WPT Championship - Season I | Alan Goehring Alan Goehring Alan Goehring is a retired American junk bond analyst and trader from Henderson, Nevada. At the age of 37, he became a professional poker player.... |
$1,011,866 |
| 2 | WPT Championship - Season II | Martin De Knijff Martin De Knijff Martin de Knijff is a professional sports bettor and high-stakes poker player from Gothenburg, Sweden.His last name is from his Dutch father. His mother is Swedish... |
$2,728,356 |
| 3 | WPT Championship - Season III | Tuan Le Tuan Le Tuan Le is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player, known for his aggression and risk-taking.... |
$2,856,150 |
| 4 | WPT Championship - Season IV | Joe Bartholdi Jr Joe Bartholdi Jr Joseph N. Bartholdi, Jr. is an American professional poker player, based in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Early years:... |
$3,760,165 |
| 5 | WPT Championship - Season V | Carlos Mortensen Carlos Mortensen Juan Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the only Hispanic Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.Mortensen moved from Spain to the United States in... |
$3,970,415 |
| 6 | WPT Championship - Season VI | David Chiu David Chiu (poker player) David Chiu is a Chinese American professional poker player, based in Rowland Heights, California, who has won four World Series of Poker bracelets. He is also the winner of the 2008 World Poker Tour's WPT World Championship, and the first winner of the Tournament of Champions of Poker.Chiu was a... |
$3,389,140 |
| 7 | WPT Championship - Season VII | Yevgeniy Timoshenko Yevgeniy Timoshenko Yevgeniy Timoshenko is an American poker player. Born in 1988 in Kharkiv, Ukraine Timoshenko moved to Mukilteo, Washington when he was 8 years old... |
$2,149,960 |
| 8 | WPT Championship - Season VIII | David Williams David Williams (card player) David Anthony Williams is a professional poker player and popular Magic: The Gathering player.-Personal life:Williams was born in Arlington, Texas. He briefly attended Princeton University before switching to study economics at Southern Methodist University... |
$1,530,537 |
| 9 | WPT World Championship - Season IX | Scott Seiver Scott Seiver Scott Seiver is a professional poker player from Cold Spring Harbor, New York now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2008 World Series of Poker $5,000 No Limit Hold'em event and is the winner of the $25,100 buy-in High Roller event at the 2010 L.A... |
$1,618,344 |