The World Poker Tour(WPT) was started in 2002 as a series of Poker Tournaments by Steven Lipscomb and is credited with having helped Poker gain popularity in the new millennium. Despite its elite status among Poker tournaments, its’ easy entry stipulation where one can play in the tournament by paying up the ‘buy-in’ which could range from $2500 up to $25,000 or by winning a satellite tournament has made it all the more popular amongst aficionados. It even honoured top players by developing a walk of fame at the Commerce Casino. The winner of the WPT gets the coveted WPT Champion of the year Bracelet and a Multi-Million Dollar Cash prize.
The WPT Cam was a revolutionary introduction by the WPT during their live games in 2003. It was a small camera, the size of a lipstick container that showed audiences the players’ hold cards, adding to the drama of the game as audience watched players bluff their way to the top. With their expert commentary and innovative introductions, the WPT is largely credited with having spread the love affair that is Poker, from casinos to living rooms.
The tournament initially consisted of televised games of Texas Hold’em Poker held in various casinos’ around the United States. It now has gone quite global and hosts tournaments around the world at Casinos in Spain, France, Malta, Slovenia, Ireland, Italy and the Czech Republic with the final Championship held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The players with the most points through the year will be awarded the player of the year. In addition, WPT Free rolls are on offer giving the opportunity to take part in the WPT by winning a free package. The No Limit Texas Hold’em Is still the popular game of choice at the WPT.
Similar to the WSOP, the WPT has continental counterpart poker tours, namely the European Poker Tour (EPT), North American Poker Tour (NAPT), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) and the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) all of which are sponsored by Pokerstars. These events have Buy-ins in United States Dollars except for the EPT which deals in Euros and the APPT where the buy-in currency depends on the event location.