Over a thousand league poker players from across the world will come to The Orleans Casino & Resort this November for the 2018 World League Poker Championships (WLPC), a 5-day tournament series with nearly $100,000 in cash and prizes on the line.
Players will be coming from the top poker leagues in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. World Tavern Poker, the largest league in the US with over 350 venues and nearly 225,000 registered players, hosts the event in Las Vegas every year.
“It truly is the biggest poker series for league players,” said Mike Matsinger, the founder of World Tavern Poker. “We’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and we’re thrilled to partner with leagues such as Redtooth Poker, the biggest league in Great Britain, and Red Hot Poker, the biggest league in Canada.”
“The WLPC brings bar poker players together unlike any other event. We truly are a worldwide league poker community.”
It goes far beyond the action on the felt. While the poker will be plentiful from November 3 until November 8, the camaraderie and atmosphere is what truly creates lasting memories. There are parties every night, including a main party with a “Sci-Fi” theme where all participating players will enjoy food, drink, and plenty of entertainment.
The main event of the series, the World League Poker Championship itself, will see 300 players compete for north of $25,000, as well as the title of World Champion. There’s also the WLPC International Cup, a 24-player invite event where 8 players each represent their country for the ultimate in bragging rights: a giant trophy to bring home to their nation and their home bars.
The United States will be defending the WLPC International Cup as Kim Mercer, a World Tavern Poker player from New Jersey who also won the WLPC Main Event in the same series last year, bested the 24-player field to earn $1,000, a WLPC replica cup, and the WLPC International Cup for her country.
“This is the fifth WLPC tournament and from the previous events, I can tell you it’s unlike any other poker tournament you’ve ever experienced,” said Matsinger. “You’re playing with people who play at bars every night of the week from all corners of the US, Canada, and Great Britain.”
“But no matter where you’re from, we are all one big poker family. Players plan their yearly vacations around this event. If you enjoy playing poker and hanging out at the bar, you just have to experience this.”