Held at Emperors Palace Casino, this thrilling event was first added to the WPT schedule in Season XI, attracting 230 entrants, including poker superstars Chris Moneymaker, Liv Boeree, Joe Cada, and Melanie Weisner.
In the end, German poker pro Dominik Nitsche outlasted the star-studded field, becoming the tournament’s first winner and etching his name on the prestigious WPT Champions Cup.
“Last season’s WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic marked the opening of a very strong new market for World Poker Tour,” says WPT President Adam Pliska.
“For a brand new, untested event, we were very pleased with the turnout at Emperors Palace, and we expect an even stronger field when we return to Johannesburg next month.”
Peermont gaming chief operating officer, Bob Yearham says, “Emperors Palace marks yet another milestone in the worldwide growth of high-stakes tournament poker by yet again bringing this significant gaming event to its prestigious gaming tables.
“At the same time the casino is promoting the local poker market and hosting international players, ultimately boosting tourism to South Africa. We are excited to see what this year will bring and look forward to hosting all our gaming VIP’s and international poker celebrities.”
Featuring a R36 500 buy-in, the WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic is certain to be one of the poker highlights of the year.
World Poker Tour and its cameras will return to Emperors Palace again on February 14, for the recently announced WPT Alpha8 Johannesburg event.
Filmed for broadcast on FOX Sports 1 in the US, this top tournament is expected to draw the game’s highest rolling professional players along with some of the most talented amateur enthusiasts from across the globe.
