Party Poker Premier League Returns With $1 Million Prize Pool

Monday January 28, 2008

Party Poker is excited to announce the return of Party Poker Premier League Poker in February. The groundbreaking format developed by Matchroom Sport, features 12 of the world's best players playing in a unique league for a US$1 million prize pool. The event takes place at 3 Mills Studio, London between 10th - 16th February and will be first broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK in late March.

With a system developed especially to showcase the legendary poker prowess of each player, they will play six times in the preliminary stages. The leading four players will then progress to the final table with the next four battling it out in heads-up matches for the final two seats. Each player will buy-in for US$60,000, with Party Poker adding US$280,000 to make the pool US$1 million, up from US$500,000 last year. Nine of the twelve players from 2007's successful event return with the new faces being "Flying Dutchman" Marcel Luske, Annie Duke and Russia's Alexander Kravchenko. As before, eleven-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will lead a top field that also includes Dave 'The Devilfish' Ulliott, Tony G, Andy Black, Ian Fraser, Roland De Wolfe, Vicky Coren, Juha Helppi and Eddy Scharf.

Bookmakers Party Bets has opened a market on the tournament and make Devilfish the 5-1 favourite. Last year, Finland's Juha Helppi won the title on his birthday, with Scharf finishing second and Hellmuth third.

A Party Poker spokesman said: "Premier League Poker was an outstanding success last year with both players and viewers. Devilfish's recent form makes him the favourite to win, a status that he is bound to embrace much to the annoyance of Hellmuth and Tony G."

Eddie Hearn, Poker Director of Matchroom Sport said: "We are delighted to announce the line up for Premier League Poker II. It's great to welcome back the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Devilfish, Tony G and last year's champion Juha Helppi and we are also thrilled that Annie Duke, Marcel Luske and Alex Kravchenko will be joining the field. This is one of the strongest line up's assembled in poker and with the buy in increased to US$60,000, coupled with vast international tv distribution, Premier League Poker is now established the as the world's leading televised poker event."

Before filming of the event gets underway on Sunday 10th February there is a pre-tournament party on the evening of Saturday 9th February at the Montague on the Gardens Hotel in Bloomsbury, London. Party Poker and Matchroom Sport also have a limited number of hotel rooms to give away to media who are interested in attending.

Party Poker is a popular member of PartyGaming Plc's growing suite of online games that includes Party Casino, Party Bingo, Party Bets, PartyGammon, Gamebookers and Empire Poker.