The World Series of Poker Academy, poker's premier series of instructional schools where participants learn first-hand from the world's greatest poker players, announced today details for its first-ever event in Los Angeles. Scheduled for September 6 and 7 at The Bicycle Casino, the two-day, comprehensive poker school and experience will feature world-class instruction by WSOP bracelet winner Annie Duke, 2008 WSOP Heads-Up World Champion Kenny Tran, acclaimed poker tells expert Joe Navarro, noted poker professional and instructor Alex Outhred and many, many more.

"The WSOP Academy is coming off another amazing summer at the World Series of Poker that saw one of our Academy grads again at a final table just days after attending our camp. And we're now excited to offer our first academy experience in Los Angeles and welcome 2008 WSOP bracelet winner Kenny Tran, one of LA's most noted poker professionals, to our family of instructors," said Brandon Rosen of Post Oak Productions, the company that produces the WSOP Academy.

"Like all of our WSOP Academy events, our Los Angeles event will give players the confidence and skills they need to be a threat at the table, whether they're playing in a home game with friends or at the World Series of Poker against the best in the game."

The WSOP Academy Los Angeles event will provide participants with in-depth seminars, live hand demonstrations, interactive workshops and customized handbooks while covering all aspects of No-Limit Texas Hold 'em strategy, from playing position and calculating pot odds to the importance of aggression and changing gears.

The upcoming WSOP Academy event will also mark the first speaking appearance in Los Angeles for acclaimed poker tells expert Joe Navarro. After 25 years with the FBI, working in the areas of counterintelligence and counterterrorism, Navarro has become one of the foremost authorities on reading the nonverbal communications that people exhibit when they are lying. Applying his expertise to poker, Joe has revolutionized the science of detecting and interpreting tells and is eager to share his knowledge with WSOP Academy participants.

"I look forward to working with WSOP Academy students in Los Angeles to help them see inside their opponents and change the way they view the game," said Navarro. "I plan on spending time working with players individually and spotting tells that they are giving off at the table. I truly believe that this type of personalized attention can save a player a lot of money in the long run."

Beyond just delivering the best in poker instruction, the WSOP Academy Los Angeles event will also offer a total-immersion poker experience that gives participants the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hang out and play poker with many of the biggest names in the game. Among the highlights include a private poker tournament held at the end of the first day in which participants battle it out for $5,000 seat to the WSOP Circuit event of their choice and other prizes.

"The Academy's tournament is an exciting way for our participants to put into action what they've learned over the day and test their wits at the table against the world's best like Annie Duke and Kenny Tran," said Rosen.

The WSOP Academy Los Angeles event is the latest in the groundbreaking series of poker camp programs presented by the WSOP Academy. From sessions that focus on all aspects of No-Limit Texas Hold 'em to special editions like the WSOP Academy Main Event Primer and WSOP Academy H.O.R.S.E. Edition, the WSOP Academy offers amateur poker players of all skill levels the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn directly from the champions of the game, and for one recent graduate, to become a champion herself. Sally Boyer, a Utah woman who attended the first ever WSOP Academy Ladies Event in 2007, went from camp participant one day to world champion the next when she beat out the largest field ever assembled for a ladies-only event to win the 2007 World Championship Ladies Event.

The cost of the WSOP Academy Los Angeles event is $1,499. Space is limited to 100 participants, and the event is expected sell out well in advance. Additional details for this event and all other Academy events are available at www.wsopacademy.com or by calling 1-800-989-WSOP.