PokerWorks

For the third year running, the World Series of Golf is scheduled for another few days of golf with wagers, challenges, and a television crew to record the antics of this off-the-wall golf tournament. The 2009 event will run from May 11 to 15 at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort and will be sponsored again by Full Tilt Poker.

The World Series of Golf will again have a $10,000 buy-in for a maximum of 125 players, and the top 25 finishers will be rewarded with a cash prize, with the ultimate top prize of $300,000 going to the winner. Along with the entry fee guaranteeing a spot on the course, paid players will also be given four nights of accommodation at the Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip and invitations to exclusive parties. Only amateurs will be allowed to play, though that is no guarantee that a great deal of practice golf will be had prior to the tournament.

As in years past, the rules consist of players being sectioned off into groups, with the winner of each group being the one who advances to the next round. To win a round consists of betting and raising the wagers on each tee and garnering the most points. Those who lose all of their betting chips during a round are eliminated, and others move on until only one player is left. Thus, the similarities to poker are obvious and the skills are quite important.

Daniel Negreanu plans to attend, as do numerous other well-known poker pros. With Full Tilt Poker as one of the World Series of Golf sponsors, there are likely to be many Full Tilt Pros on the course. Last year’s event boasted an 80-player field with players like Erick Lindgren, Allen Cunningham, Erick Lindgren, Phil Ivey, Tom Schneider, Phil Gordon, and Chris Ferguson. There were numerous celebrity competitors as well, including Ray Romano and John Daly, but in the end, it was Lindgren who came in second and Andrew Johnson, a car salesman from Michigan, who won the event.

The first year’s events were aired on CBS Sports television, but World Series of Golf organizers have since opted out of the CBS deal, as WSG president Terry Leiweke noted that a cable channel broadcast would bring more flexibility to the shows. Therefore, it was announced in late April that WGN America will air the show. There will be 13 one-hour episodes on WGN beginning on June 27 and 28, with Saturday coverage beginning at 1pm ET and Sunday starting at 11am ET. Encore presentations will be aired on September 19 and 20 at times to be announced as it nears.

To register for the event or obtain more information, visit www.WorldSeriesOfGolf.com.

And to learn, chat, and play with the pros - poker professionals and sometimes golf enthusiasts - download Full Tilt Poker and use the bonus code “POKERWORKS” to cash in on a 100% bonus on any deposit amount up to $600. While there may not be any golf advice on the website, there is plenty of poker advice and action to go around.