WSOP Champ Greg Raymer Helps Man Propose Marriage at World Tavern Poker Open

Over 75,000 registered poker players competed in hundreds of establishments from four countries around the world in the past six months to converged in Vegas for the World Tavern Poker Open, a National Championship of the World Tavern Poker league.

2004 World Series of Poker Champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, spokesperson for the World Tavern Poker Tour, also attended the event.

Over 500 players competed in spring and summer championship events, which was held at Binions over the November 1-5 weekend.

The qualifying Texas Hold-em tournaments were held in many states where gambling is restricted or illegal, however gambling is forbidden at World Tavern Poker sanctioned events.

Participating venues paid a nominal fee for training, support and access to the leagues registration and scoring system, and the taverns provided prizes to the winners.

Each quarterly season, regional tournaments are held in locations across the country to determine who will qualify for their seat at the national championships.

This is the second year that Binions has held the fall spring/summer "Open" event.

New this year, players who placed in the top of each nightly tournament qualified for a quarterly tournament of champions at their location. The winner of each tournament of champions in the past year received a seat at a national tournament of champions.

On November 2, three people agreed to split the Tournament of Champions prize pool, including York, PA resident Connie Spaw, who is shown in the attached video being carried on the shoulders of players from the York area to the Binions poker room.

Halloween costume contests, a barbecue bash, and a musical comedy act by Michael Filipelli of Jeanne and the Pianoman, who premiered a new poker-themed single called "Hold 'em Prison Blues", were enjoyed by hundreds of poker players in attendance.

A faux contest involving a woman playing a single game of cards against Greg Raymer with oversized playing cards also took place, with the woman's boyfriend holding the river card, which gave Greg the winning hand, but had, "Will You Marry Me?" written on the card.

The next World Tavern Poker Open is expected to take place in Atlantic City in the early spring of 2008.