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The second annual World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair has arrived, and so have the biggest names in poker from all across the world. With ESPN set to televise this year’s WSOPE Main Event in the U.S. and across Europe, the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe will become the most broadly televised poker tournament ever – and the first European poker tournament to receive TV coverage in the United States.

“We had tremendous success at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe, but are convinced the changes to this year will result in an even better tournament,” said WSOP Director of Marketing Ty Stewart. “Registration is tracking ahead of last year and the lineup of names and the addition of another bracelet event have brought an electric buzz to start off this tournament.”

This television exposure and the chance to win the most prestigious prize in all of poker – a WSOP gold bracelet – is drawing the biggest names in poker. Among the players registered to participate in the 2008 WSOPE include Phil He11muth, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, Annette Obrestad, Howard Lederer, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Erik Seidel, Michael Mizrachi, David Benyamine, Allen Cunningham, Vanessa Rousso and many many more.

Last year, 18-year-old Norwegian Annette Obrestad bested a star-studded field to win the inaugural WSOPE Main Event and take home the largest prize ever for a female in any sporting contest, £1 million. Obrestad, who celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday, returns to defend her crown, against what promises to be another tough field of the game’s best poker players.

The 2008 WSOPE features four gold bracelet events, a £1500 no limit hold’em that opens the tournament today and tomorrow (two start days), plus a £2500 H.O.R.S.E. event (9/22), a £5000 pot limit Omaha (9/24) and the Main Event (9/26), a £10,000 no limit hold’em world championship.

Betfair, presenting sponsor of WSOPE and the only online authorized and official online location where players can win seats for World Series of Poker Europe, continues to run satellites and qualifiers on their website, www.betfairpoker.com with a last chance qualifier scheduled to run tomorrow (Sunday) at 6pm.  Players can still register in person, through the first two levels of each event, on-site at The Casino at the Empire in Leicester Square, the sole location for this year’s WSOPE. Satellites and cash games will also be held at The Casino at the Empire during the entire WSOPE (September 19-October 2).

“Betfair are delighted with the launch of the WSOPE. The player feedback has been tremendously positive and we look forward to this being the largest and most successful tournament in Europe this year,” said Ben Fried, head of poker for Betfair.