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Resort launching poker tourney

Friday, Feb. 22, 2002 | 10:54 a.m.

The Bellagio will be launching an annual series of high-stakes poker tournaments starting in April, an official with the MGM MIRAGE property said.

Doug Dalton, the Bellagio's director of poker operations, said the first and second tournaments will be timed with the famed World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe. Poker tournaments at the World Series begin April 19 and run through May 24; the Bellagio will host its first $3,000 buy-in tournament April 17-19, and a $10,000 buy-in tournament several days after the World Series ends.

But Dalton denied the Bellagio was attempting to steal the spotlight from Binion's.

"This is a Bellagio thing. It has nothing to do with trying to steal business with anybody. There is no reason for us to want to try to take over this (the World Series)," Dalton said.

Dalton said he plans to hold up to nine high-limit tournament games throughout the year, "interweaved" with big poker tournaments around the world. He's also considering hosting a $25,000 buy-in tournament, which would be the highest buy-in of any poker tournament in the world.

"We just feel, with our clientele, that there is a market for larger buy-in tournaments," Dalton said.

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