Olympic legend Michael Phelps has established himself as a ‘human dolphin' in the swimming pool but away from the water, he is something of a ‘shark' and was spotted playing poker at a Mayfair Casino following the Olympics after party.
Encouraging the 23 year old American to showcase his card playing talents, Betfair, sponsors of the World Series of Poker Europe, are inviting the Olympic hero to compete for £1,000,000 in cash and his ninth Gold of the year in the form of a prestigious World Series of Poker bracelet. To encourage Michael to dive-in Betfair have even offered to pay the £10,000 stake required to join the World Series of Poker.
The second WSOPE takes place in London at the Empire Casino in Leicester Square from the 19th September – 2nd October and attracts the best players from around the world. The tournament is the most prestigious event to take place outside of the US and the qualifying set up means that established pros and wildcard amateurs eventually go head-to-head to compete for the £1,000,000 prize and a one-off WSOPE bracelet (WSOPE bracelets are considered to be the Champions League medals of the European poker world).
Qualification for the main event in London – which has a guaranteed £1m first prize – is open to all-comers through a £10,000 buy-in or via exclusive online free rolls and satellites at Betfair.com, making this year's event the most exciting ever.