PokerWorks

Word is that more than 150 teams have already registered for the July WSOP Dream Team Poker tournament in Las Vegas, and even more players continue putting together their trios as the July 12th start date quickly approaches. Numerous well-known poker pros have secured their seats so far, and sports celebrity Jose Canseco has registered his team as well. The third annual Dream Team Poker event looks to boast of an exciting mix of pros and amateurs to make for the biggest Dream Team event thus far.

The event is set to take place at the Rio Convention Center in Las Vegas on July 12 and 13, with the massive Brasilia Room ready to take on all of the teams. Held in conjunction with the 40th Annual World Series of Poker, though not a bracelet event, the Dream Team Poker tournament will play out over the course of two days in the style to which the poker community is becoming accustomed. In teams of three, players compete for best team performance as well as individual finishes to play for prizes on both levels.

For the cost of $500 + $60 per person, which equals $1,680 per team, players contribute to the prize pool for the teams and the players. Teams win based on the combined score of a team’s players, as the place in which one exits equals their score (100th place equals 100 points), and the two best scores on each team are added to make for the team’s score. The highest score gives one team the victory. And individuals play for the best finish as they would in any tournament.

A number of well-known poker pros have already signed up and registered a team name, such as Daniel Negreanu playing for Team PokerVT and Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok teaming up with one more player to form Team PokerRoad.com. Other recognizable faces signed up in advance include David Williams, Justin Bonomo, Evelyn Ng, Gavin Smith, Pam Brunson, Liz Lieu, Jerry Yang, Marsha Waggoner, Barbara Enright, Paul Darden, Jamie Gold, Kenna James, Susie Isaacs, Tom McEvoy, TJ Cloutier, Lacey Jones, and Tom Franklin.

As part of the celebrity contingent of the tournament, Jose Canseco has registered to play for team “On Tilt” with partners Shane McDowell and Josh Clark. The former Major League Baseball player, author, and television personality is no stranger to poker tables, having participated in numerous tournaments and cash games throughout the past few years. One of his most notable performances was in 2007 when he entered the ladies-only event at the Commerce Casino, which happened prior to California changing its laws regarding exclusionary events.

Anyone still interested in registering for the Dream Team Poker event can do so in person at the booth established at the Rio in the Convention Center rotunda area. Team jerseys are displayed on the wall and Dream Team associates are available to assist with registration from 10am to 9pm on all days but Sunday when hours change from 9am to noon.