Stratosphere Named Vegas Home of HPT
Las Vegas, NV – (Press Release) – Heartland Poker Tour, one of the longest-running brands in poker, is making its annual trip to Sin City and its going to the top. The nationally-televised tour set its sights on the casino with the most breathtaking view in Vegas: The Stratosphere Casino, Hotel, & Tower. The iconic property will host a nationally-televised HPT event November 8th-17th.
“Our Las Vegas stops are always popular and we expect a full house at Stratosphere,” said HPT Director of Operations Jen Mastrud, “Our next Vegas champion will truly be on top of the world.”
The Stratosphere Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and boasts a spectacular panoramic view of the Las Vegas Strip. Located on the famed Strip, Stratosphere is home to an 80,000-square-foot casino, affordable accommodations, delicious dining, and live entertainment.
Stratosphere features 2,427 guest rooms and suites, uniquely themed restaurants, and the Tower shops. It offers thousands of state-of-the-art gaming options, from slots and table games to an action-packed Race & Sportsbook.
No stranger to Las Vegas, HPT attracted the attention of the poker community in 2010 when they chartered private jets to fly 200 players to town from all over the U.S. The tour went on to have back-to-back sellout events in Sin City two years in a row. Last November, pro James Carroll picked up over $100k in Vegas as HPT’s cameras rolled. The event at Stratosphere will utilize over 40 tables for three Main Event starting flights, multiple qualifying events, and side action.
HPT and Stratosphere will partner with one of America’s largest organized bar leagues, The Free Poker Network (FPN), to bring hundreds of players to the event from across the country. Stratosphere will host FPN’s year-end championship event in conjunction with HPT’s series of events.
Since HPT’s last visit to Vegas, HPT added three seats at the nationally-televised Final Table. Previously, the field competed for one of six coveted seats in front of the cameras. Going to a nine-handed TV table means more players get a shot at their moment of glory.
Along with the new Final Table set, HPT announced other major upgrades to their show and tour for Season IX. One of the most celebrated changes is the addition of well-known poker pro Maria Ho to the commentator desk, where she will join longtime fan-favorite Fred Bevill. Also, popular pro Daniel Negreanu developed a highly-praised tournament structure exclusively for HPT.
HPT’s stop at Stratosphere will be produced in two one-hour episodes and will air nationwide later this year on a syndicated network covering over 100 million U.S. households and reaching into Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
The tournament schedule and structure will be available soon at www.hptpoker.com
