Just as quickly as recently enacted legislation in Florida, which removed restrictive betting limits in its casinos, created high stakes poker action around the state, speculation formed as to which major tour would be the first to capitalize on the Sunshine State’s new liberal laws.  Now, less than 2 months later, it seems the answer to that question is known.

According to a recent article in Florida’s The Sun Sentinel, the World Poker Tour will be the first in, and has signed a deal allowing West Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to host a major $10,000 buy-in event at the end of April, 2011. 

This event, which will be televised like most major WPT tournaments, is likely to draw many of the standard beloved pros that populate the tour, including a healthy contingent of pros that actually hail from the state like Jason Mercier, Noah Schwartz and remarkably three of this year’s World Series of Poker November Nine, John Dolan, John Racener and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.

The April 27th event appears to be just the first of many future tournament collaborations between the WPT and Florida’s Seminoles, thanks to a recently signed 5 year contract which guarantees at least one major WPT tournament will take place per year, at one of the two major Seminole Hard Rock Casino locations.

For more information on the World Poker Tour visit www.worldpokertour.com.