Penn National Gaming announces schedule for Hollywood Poker Open

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Penn National Gaming, Inc. announced today the schedule for Season 4 of the Hollywood Poker Open (“HPO”). Penn National’s HPO tournament series kicks off with the first regional tournament beginning Nov. 12 at Hollywood Casino - Lawrenceburg and will conclude in June 2016 with the Tournament Championship at the M Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The guaranteed prize pool for the HPO has tripled each year since the inaugural 2012 season, and the prize pool for Season 4 is expected to be the largest ever with an estimated Championship Tournament prize pool of over $2 million.

Poker players from across the country will compete for the HPO’s big-money prize pools from November through next May at five HPO regional tournament series locations. Promotions are planned for each regional tournament series location (see schedule below) and the Tournament Championship. In each of the past three seasons, Penn National properties across the nation sent more than 200 “seat winners” to the HPO Tournament Championship in Las Vegas.

“Interest in the HPO continues to grow as it becomes more and more competitive and exciting,” said HPO Tournament Director Bill Bruce. “As we have in the first three seasons of the HPO, our regional tournament series will determine hundreds of winners that will compete in the Tournament Championship in Las Vegas. The HPO tournament series attracts all levels of poker players with fields featuring a diverse mix of traveling poker professionals and local promotion winners. The HPO offers our regional gaming patrons a tremendous opportunity to compete for large prize pools and the chance to be crowned the ultimate champion.”

This past June, Kevin Stammen of Coldwater, Ohio, outplayed nearly 700 other players from across the United States and around the world to pocket nearly $350,000 as the winner of Season 3’s Hollywood Poker Open Tournament Championship. Stammen is expected to defend his title in Season 4 against an impressive list of ranked poker professionals, rising stars and seat winners from Penn National properties across the country. He will also have to fend off HPO host and poker legend Chris Moneymaker.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to host the Hollywood Poker Open tournament series,” said Moneymaker. “Each year the HPO continues to grow and further cements its reputation as one of the leading poker tournaments in the country.”

Hollywood Poker Open Season 4 Regional Tournament Series Schedule:
November 12–22, 2015: Hollywood Casino - Lawrenceburg (Indiana)
February 25 – March 6, 2016: Hollywood Casino - Toledo (Ohio)
March 10–20, 2016: Hollywood Casino - St. Louis (Missouri)
April 28 – May 8, 2016: Hollywood Casino - Columbus (Ohio)
May 12–22, 2016: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races (West Virginia)

Hollywood Poker Open Season 4 Tournament Championship:
June 2016: M Resort Spa Casino (Nevada)