Not wanting to rest on their laurels, Harrah's has once again announced a new addition to the WSOP family of tournaments on the heels of the 2010 WSOP.  The inaugural event will kick off October 24th through 31st at the Emerald Resort and Casino in South Africa.

What's at Stake and Who Will Play

The WSOP Africa will be a pair of tournaments that will officially be a direct extension of the World Series of Poker Circuit series that travels around the United States.  The WSOP Circuit awards a gold ring to the winner of their events.  The slogan of the WSOP-C is "First the Ring, Then the Bracelet."

"This is the biggest news in poker," according to Martin Rice, the CEO of Emerald Resort. "Poker has, over the past half-decade, accelerated in popularity. Our Emerald Poker Series, and its growing fields, is testament to the unlimited success of the sport. It was only natural to follow-on its popularity with the greatest tournament on the planet."

With the event being a circuit event, expect the field to be primarily filled with international stars and up and coming stars from the area.  Don't expect a lot of players from the U.S. in these events, especially since they do not involve bracelets.

What Are the Events?

The first event is 3 day PLO with rebuys event.  The initial buy-in is $1,100 with rebuys at $300 for three hours and one add on of $400.  The field will be capped at 200 players.  Each player will start with 2,500 chips.

The second event is a 4 day $5,000 NL Holdem event.  Each player will start with $40,000 in chips and the field will be capped at 500 players.  While it hasn't been announced, since this is a circuit style event, this event very well may award a seat into the 2011 WSOP.

While the WSOP hit a home run with the WSOP Europe, it will be interesting to see if the WSOP Africa will have the same impact, especially since the series is a circuit series and not a bracelet series.  Of course, if this series proves popular, expect to see the WSOP expand into other areas of the world in the very near future.

/compncards