Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., owner of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), announced this week that the 2008 WSOP will for the first time begin and end with $10,000 buy-in world championship events and feature a total of eight $10,000 championships.=A0

In addition, Harrah’s said, the 55-event schedule for 2008 includes a total of eight $1,500 buy-in no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournaments, which usually draw the largest fields except for the main event.

Also, the WSOP has also added a second start day for the first of the $1,500 no-limit competitions to accommodate the expected number of entrants, Harrah’s said.

“This is our most exciting schedule yet,” said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the WSOP.

“Both amateur and professional poker players will have new opportunities to compete for a WSOP bracelet and can choose from the widest variety of games and buy-ins ever offered in one poker tournament and certainly at the WSOP.

“We’re holding steady at 55 events this year, but, we’ve mixed it up a bit to keep it interesting for our players and fans.” =9D

According to Harrah’s, the 2008 WSOP is scheduled to begin May 30, 2008, with the $10,000 buy-in world championship of pot-limit Texas hold ‘em, and end July 16, 2008, with the final table of the $10,000 buy-in world championship of no-limit Texas hold ‘em, also known as the WSOP main event.

The six other $10,000 buy-in events, all world championship competitions, include heads-up no-limit Texas hold ‘em, 7-card stud, limit Texas hold ‘em, Omaha hi-lo split 8 or better, pot-limit Omaha and a new mixed event, which is to feature eight variations of poker: limit and no-limit Texas hold ‘em, Omaha hi-lo and pot-limit Omaha, 7-card stud, razz, 7-card hi-lo split and 2-7 triple draw lowball, Harrah’s said. =A0=A0 For more information about the WSOP, visit its website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)