Foxwoods Set to Host

Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut is gearing up for its 11th annual World Poker Finals, Oct. 27-Nov. 17.

Calls are coming in daily to reserve rooms at the gaming resort, which has set aside a block of rooms in its three hotels on the property and has made overflow arrangements with nearby lodging facilities.

There will be some familiar faces at the tournament, including those of Tournament Director Mike Ward, Poker Room Director Kathy Raymond, and Gaming Events Manager Lena Boles, who handles tournament registration. But, there will be a change or two.

New to this year's tournament will be the casino's participation in the World Poker Tour, and that will add television to the happenings. The final table of the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em championship will be taped for television viewing in 2003. Foxwoods is a charter member of the Tour.

The championship event winner will receive a $25,000 buy-in for the World Poker Tour Battle of Champions.

As is the case with any top TV show, there will be an audience. As many as 300 spectators will watch the action in arena-style seating. Reservations will be needed, and may be obtained by calling 1-800-PLAYBIG (752-9244).

With tournament buy-ins ranging from $300 to $10,000, there are events for every level of tournament player. Two new events are on the tournament menu: half stud/half hold'em, and H.O.S.E., both of which are $300 buy-in events. Foxwoods will be adding $96,000 in prize money to the events, $25,000 of which will be added to the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em championship event. Best overall player awards will be presented to the top three point getters, with the winner receiving a coveted Rolex watch. As always, there will be giveaways for each tournament entrant. Satellite and supersatellite events will begin on Friday, Oct. 25 and will continue throughout the tournament. For the second year in a row, the World Poker Finals will include a "Seniors" championship event, which will be hosted by Oklahoma Johnny Hale. The minimum age to enter this event is 50.

While attending the tournament, players will be able to take advantage of additional entertainment in the form of six casinos that feature more than 6,700 slot machines, 350 table games, the world's largest bingo hall, keno, and the spectacular Ultimate Racebook. The 58-table nonsmoking poker room features tableside food and beverage service, and the action will be nonstop during the tournament, with stud, hold'em, and Omaha games at every conceivable limit. The property's 25 restaurants include six gourmet and seven for casual dining, along with many fast-food outlets. Foxwoods' theatre district boasts a 4,000-seat arena, the BB King Dance and Nite Club, the Fox Theatre, and live concerts at the Atrium and Intermezzo lounges. Headliners during the tournament will include Randy Travis, Kenny Loggins, Bill Cosby, and Alice Cooper.

The World Poker Finals has in past years established itself as one of the top major tournaments in the world. This is in no small part due to the efforts of Tournament Director Ward. Mike has configured the structures, limits, and payouts in such a way as to satisfy both the professional and novice tournament player. He has been an active participant in the national Tournament Directors Association and has been instrumental in the development of standardized rules that players will see put into effect at this year's event. Both tournament players and poker industry personnel know and respect Mike for his knowledge, integrity, and fairness. Another shining star at the tournament is Lena Boles, who flawlessly orchestrates the registration process for the huge fields of players who participate in these events. This year she will be assisted by Kimberly Lake. It will be Kim's first World Poker Finals event and she is looking forward to meeting everyone. Additional shining stars, too many to mention, are the hundreds of dealers, supervisors, and poker associates who will be concentrating all of their efforts into making everyone's experience at the World Poker Finals a memorable and satisfying one.

Poker Director Kathy Raymond has been speaking daily with many tournament players. The consensus is that this year's tournament will be the most successful tournament in Foxwoods' history, and it is definitely not one to be missed. The poker room staff and the entire Foxwoods staff are looking forward to hosting this premier event on the major tournament trail.