Mini-SOP

Big news from Bodog as they launch a new online poker tournament series this summer that will mirror all 25 Hold’em events of the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas at just a fraction of the buy-in.

The Bodog Poker Mini-SOP will run from 30 May to 3 July, with each tournament held on the same date as its counterpart in Las Vegas but with buy-ins equal to just 1% of the actual buy-in of the WSOP Event.

After the completion of the series’ 25 events, Bodog will host a final tournament on July 10 that will award three seats to the 2009 WSOP Main Event, making Bodog the first online poker site to give away seats to next summer’s Main Event.

The Mini-SOP kicks off with a Pot-Limit Hold’em tournament on Friday, May 30, on the same day as Event No. 1 of the WSOP, the $10,000 buy-in World Championship Pot-Limit Hold’em tournament. At 1% of the buy-in of the real deal, Event No. 1 of the Mini-SOP will cost players just $100+$9 to enter.

Players can earn a spot at the Mini-SOP Final on July 10 in several ways. The top four players on the TLB automatically qualify, while places five through 100 on the TLB will compete for one of 18 seats awarded in a Semifinal qualifier held two days before the final.

The remaining five seats to the final will be picked from a random “Wild Card” drawing of players who have entered in at least three Mini-SOP events.