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Sacre bleu!
The World Series of Poker Europe is moving to France!
The corporate owner of the World Series of Poker, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, announced today that the WSOPE, which has been held in London, England, since its inception in 2007, will be held this year in Cannes, France.
Cannes is best known for its annual film festival and is located on the wealthy French Riviera in southern France, just a stone's throw from Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The 2011 WSOPE will be held at two Cannes casinos, the Casino Barriere de Cannes and Hotel Majestic Barriere.
The two French casinos combined will have double the space that three combined London casinos had when the event was held in England, meaning twice as many entrants will be able to participate in the '11 WSOPE.
In addition, this year's WSOPE will have seven separate tournaments that will offer a gold WSOPE championship bracelet, making it the largest WSOPE ever in that regard.
The WSOPE has grown in popularity, size and money awarded every year since it was first held in 2007 and won by unknown teen player Annette Obrestad of Norway, who at 18 was too young to play in the regular WSOP in Las Vegas but not in Europe.
The dates for the 2011 WSOPE will be October 7-21, 2011.
In a news release issued today, Caesars Interactive Entertainment chief executive officer Mitch Garber stated: "This is a unique agreement between two casino leaders with great brands. Lucien Barriere Hotels & Casinos is a well-run organization and we are excited to work with them to access the French market with high-quality and reputable poker events both in their hotels and casinos."
Many seasoned poker pros from Las Vegas are expected to travel to France for this year's WSOPE and they will need to stay focused to avoid distractions.
Cannes has topless beaches and is just a few miles from the world's most famous casino, the Monte Carlo casino in Monaco.
By Tom Somach
Gambling911.com Staff Writer
