Poker Pros To Return Home For Inaugural World Poker Tour Canadian Open(TM)

NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ - WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ-WPTE) and Fallsview Casino Resort announced today that the anticipated field of 300 local and U.S. players at the inaugural WPT Canadian Open(TM) will also include three of Canada's premier poker pros - Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Smith, and Isabelle Mercier.

Adding more excitement to the much-anticipated event, the three recently confirmed that they will return to their native country to celebrate the first ever Canadian stop on the WPT circuit and compete for the first Canadian Open title.

"It is certainly fitting that these three, who have risen to prominence on the WPT, are coming home to pay tribute to the millions of Canadian poker fans who have watched them become worldwide celebrities on their TV sets," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. "Daniel, Gavin and Isabelle's participation in this ground breaking WPT event represents the importance of establishing a tournament that Canadians can call their own."

It was also announced today that the WPT Canadian Open is completely sold out - a remarkable accomplishment for a first-time tournament.

The WPT Canadian Open begins on October 22 and runs through October 24 at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Immediately following the event is the WPT North American Poker Championship(TM) (NAPC), which runs from October 25-28. The NAPC final table will be played on October 29 followed by the WPT Canadian Open final table on October 30. Both will be played in front of a television audience. The WPT Canadian Open will give many players a chance to experience a large-scale professional poker event at a lower buy-in cost than a large-scale main event and is the first major event of its kind in Canada.

About the players:

Toronto-native Daniel Negreanu is one of the world's most well-known and successful tournament poker players. Nicknamed "Kid Poker" per his ability to bet and play poker at a very young age, his numerous accomplishments include being named the Season III WPT Player of the Year(TM), 2004 CardPlayer Magazine's Player of the Year, 2004 World Series Of Poker® (WSOP) Player of the Year, and 2004 ESPN(TM) Player of the Year. In 2004 alone Negreanu made it to 11 final tables, won two WPT events, and won his third WSOP bracelet in Limit Hold 'em. His tournament winnings to date total over $8.4 million.

Gavin Smith came to prominence in poker by winning No Limit Texas Hold 'em and Seven Card Stud events at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. in 1999 and 2000. Smith won the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown(TM) in Las Vegas in 2005, and made two other WPT final tables (the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship in Las Vegas and the World Poker Open in Tunica, Miss.) that year, earning him the Season IV WPT Player of the Year(TM) award. Smith's total tournament winnings exceed $3.2 million.

French-Canadian Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Montreal and then moved to Paris, France, to work and earn a master's degree. While in school, Mercier worked as the poker room manager at the Aviation Club de France and ended up playing poker full-time. Mercier made a name for herself by finishing second at the No Limit Texas Hold 'em tournament at the Masters Classic of Poker 2002 in Amsterdam and by winning WPT Ladies' Night® II, in 2004. In 2005, Mercier cashed three times in the WSOP. To date, her total tournament winnings exceed $500,000.

About Fallsview Casino Resort

Built on a cliff overlooking the world-famous Horseshoe Falls, Fallsview Casino Resort is the largest and most elegant gaming resort facility in Canada and the crown jewel in Niagara's stunning array of wonders. It features a casino with over 3,000 slot machines and 142 gaming tables, a 374-room luxury hotel, a full-service spa and fitness centre, a 1,500-seat showroom, dozens of dining and shopping options, over 30,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

About WPTE

WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE - News) is a company engaged in the creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour®, a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and more than 150 markets globally. With the WPT in its fifth season, WPTE has launched a second series on the Travel Channel, the Professional Poker Tour(TM), which focuses on the play of poker's leading stars. WPT also operates a real-money online gaming website, www.wptonline.com, which prohibits wagers from players in the U.S. and other restricted jurisdictions. WPTE currently licenses its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games, and giftware. The company is also engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. WPTE is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: LACO - News).

Press Release, Casino Niagara - 2006-10-19 04:57:57