WH GPII qualifiers

Last year’s William Hill Grand Prix tournament was a resounding success, both for the players involved and the watching TV audience – not an easy thing to pull off.

The competition, won last year by Phil ‘The Unabomber’ Laak, returns this year, with the live action being played out towards the end of the year. With all the action to be televised exclusively by Sky Sports in the UK in early 2007.

Like last year, the tournament will feature a good blend of established pros and online qualifiers, with a player-friendly structure, and as a first for this year, qualifiers from live competition.

William Hill has announced four all-new, land based, qualifying tournaments in the UK and Ireland, which start at Aspers in Newcastle Upon-Tyne on Tuesday 29th August.

The four land based qualifying tournaments are scheduled for:

UK North – Aspers Casino, Newcastle http://www.aspers.co.uk Tuesday 29th August 2006 at 8 pm
UK South – Sportsman Casino, London http://www.thesportsmancasino.com Tuesday 5th September 2006 (start time to be confirmed)
Ireland – Fitzwilliam Card Club, Dublin http://www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com Friday 8th September (start time to be confirmed)
UK Midlands – Broadway Casino, Birmingham http://www.broadwaycasino.co.uk Weds 27th September 2006 (start time to be confirmed)

The William Hill Grand Prix II will be worth £500,000 ($950,000) and following the success of the inaugural Grand Prix in 2005, the sponsor’s are putting even more of their own money in to the pot with a contribution of £164,000 ($320,000).

The William Hill Grand Prix II is filmed for Sky Sports, set in a luxury penthouse with a multi-level poker room that reflects the high production values.

And while the final list of forty-four poker professionals who start the tournament will read like a ‘who’s who’ from the Gods Of Poker, mere mortals can win the chance to sit down and play with the very best by qualifying in online or at the live events.

The 2005 incarnation pulled in the biggest UK TV audience ever for a poker tournament and received big plaudits from pros that have been around the poker block.

Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari described it as: “a top quality tournament – one of the best I’ve ever played in. This was simply magnificent.”

While Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman said: “This is the future of televised poker – this is the high road that I hope they go up.”