It seems like less than six months ago that we crowned Peter Eastgate the new 2008 World Series of Poker champion, and yet it's already that time again to begin thinking about heading to the RIO in Las Vegas for yet another WSOP- this time the 40th anniversary edition.

Harrah's Entertainment officially announced Wednesday that pre-registration for the 2009 World Series of Poker is now available for all 57 of this year's scheduled events.

As Harrah's will once again not be accepting alternates, pre-registration is highly recommended and available either live at the RIO All-Suite Hotel and Casino, or by mail, with all forms and information available for download at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

The first event of the 2009 WSOP (Casino Employees event) will begin on May 27th, with 56 more events to follow including such favorites as the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E (#49), the $10,000 World Championship Heads-Up No Limit Hold 'em (#29) and of course the $10,000 Main Event (#57), which is set to begin July 3rd and continue until July 15th- when play will once again be suspended as soon as the final nine players have been decided. 

This year's series will also feature a special $40,000 buy-in event (#2) in honor of the WSOP's 40th birthday, as well as numerous $1,000 and $1,500 buy-in events, for those of us not willing to spend the value of a nice house in Detroit for a poker tournament.

Also available online is a complete list of the newly revised WSOP rules of conduct, which should be perused by anyone planning on playing in this year's events, particularly those who hope to spend their time at the table screaming profanities into their cell phones, while eating a big plate of noodles, only interrupting themselves long enough to occasionally throw their cards at the dealer.


Story by Mark Anderson