Heartland Poker Tour Launches HPT500 League

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Press Release
Published on:
Mar/31/2014
Heartland Poker Tour Launches HPT500 League

Fargo, ND -  To mark their tenth season, the popular tour and TV show Heartland Poker Tour is rolling out a new opportunity for poker enthusiasts to play on TV.  HPT will launch HPT500, a league concept with players accumulating points towards a seat at a nationally televised Final Table where they will play for a lucrative sponsorship package.  The program will be tested in a few select markets as early as April 1.

League members will have the opportunity to accumulate points in weekly, monthly, and quarterly events.  Weekly events are priced at $80, while monthly events are $200.  Quarterly events come with a $500 buy-in.  Satellites will be available for quarterly events based on demand at each participating casino.  There is no additional fee to members to join the league.  Players may enroll at participating casinos or at HPT500.com.

HPT developed the HPT500 concept with input from casino partners and tour players.  The point system was carefully designed to offer more points for larger fields yet keep many players in the running throughout the year.  Along with prize money, players will receive participation points every time they play and additional points based on results.  HPT will follow and report on the point race with updates at HPT500.com, social media, and through a weekly newsletter.  League members will likely see HPT cameras, on-air talent, and recognizable pro players at events throughout the year.

HPT500 will bring the HPT brand into markets the televised tour is currently not serving, providing marketing support and TV exposure to casino partners. In Northern Wisconsin, Lake of the Torches Casino in Lac Du Flambeau will be a flagship HPT500 location, hosting league events every week April through December.  The top point earner at Lake of the Torches will play on national television.

Red Hawk Casino in Placerville, California was looking for a way to offer popular HPT events.  They appreciate the HPT500 format because it fits perfectly within their intimate and friendly room.  Red Hawk becomes HPT’s fifth casino partner in the state.

Belterra Casino Resort customers in Florence, Indiana are familiar with HPT after the tour’s previous stops at the property.  The full-service resort property, near Louisville and Cincinnati, will become an HPT500 site.

“HPT has been a strategic partner of Belterra’s and the HPT500 adds yet another creative tournament option that our guests can enjoy weekly,” said Joe Barrett, VP of Casino Operations, “We are confident that the weekly, monthly, and quarterly tournaments will be popular, due to the televised annual tournament opportunity and HPT’s marketing and advertising support.”

Because each HPT500 site has its own leaderboard, every location will be represented at the season-ending TV table.  The top point-earner at each property will win an all-expense paid trip to the championship production shoot.  The televised championship will air on HPT’s syndicated network reaching into 115 million U.S. households and beyond.  HPT programming is also available in North Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East.    Players will battle for a sponsorship package that includes buy-ins and a travel and lodging allowance in 2015.  

For more information about becoming a league member or host property, visit HPT500.com.

About Heartland Poker Tour (HPT)

Founded in 2005, HPT is built on a grass-roots philosophy of “Real People, Unreal Money”.  HPT is currently filming Season X and is available in over 100 million homes throughout the United States each week, in addition to widespread distribution throughout Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.  For more information and a schedule of upcoming events, visit www.HPTPoker.com.

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