LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The top 10 players in the world, as ranked by the Global Poker Index™ (GPI), descended upon Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas for the third Epic Poker League Main Event. Following five days of action packed tournament play amongst a stacked field, it was Chris Klodnicki emerging as the victor, taking $801,680 and the Champion’s ring back home to Philadelphia, Pa. With this win, Klodnicki increases his lifetime earnings to $2,818,881.

In the final hand of the night, Lichtenberger went all-in on a flop of 8c7d3d with AK off suit. Klodnicki called, holding A4 of diamonds for an Ace-high flush draw. Klodnicki paired the four on the turn and that was enough to beat Lichtenberger.

“It was a trip getting through this Epic Poker League Main Event which had a really tough field,” said Chris Klodnicki. “I enjoyed the Mix-Max format which caters to top poker players, and while draining, I liked how the tournament progressed. Epic puts players first.”

The third Epic Poker League Main Event featured an elite field and Joe Tehan, Scott Clements, Andrew Lichtenberger and Michael Mizrachi all made the final table alongside Klodnicki.

Klodnicki and runner-up Lichtenberger, both secured their spots in the season-ending $1,000,000 Epic Poker League Championship Freeroll, which is open to the 27 players with the highest earnings in the four regular season Epic Poker League Main Events. With their respective earnings of $801,680 and $514,480 Klodnicki and Lichtenberger are each guaranteed one of those 27 seats. They join the first Main Event Champion David “Chino” Rheem and runner-up Erik Seidel, as well as the second Main Event Champion Mike “Timex” McDonald and runner-up David Steicke. The Epic Poker League Season One Leaderboard can be viewed at www.epicpoker.com.

“The third Epic Poker League Main Event featured a talented field with all of the top 10 GPI players in attendance,” said Annie Duke, commissioner of the Epic Poker League. “The action at the tables throughout the tournament was thrilling and viewers be captivated by the high-level of play and amazing hands these top pros exhibited.”

Among the stunning hands throughout the third Main Event, viewers can tune in to see Joe Tehan knock out Vanessa Rousso and Faraz Jaka with an incredible bluff on CBS Television Network and Discovery Communications’ Velocity. The next air dates of the Inaugural Season include Fri., Feb. 10, 2012 (10-11 p.m. ET) on Velocity, followed by the CBS broadcast on Sun., Feb. 26, 2012 (1-2 p.m. ET).

The Epic Poker League Inaugural Season includes four rake-free $20,000 Main Events, each with $400,000 in added money, and a $1,000,000 freeroll Championship Event for the top 27 players in the League. To be eligible to compete, Main Event players must earn membership determined by a rigorous set of objective criteria http://www.epicpoker.com/events/league-documentation.aspx. A complete roster for players that have qualified for Season One of the league can be found on the Epic Poker website at: http://www.epicpoker.com/players/player-directory.aspx.

The four professional league Main Events feature different formats of No-Limit Texas Hold’em, including six-handed play and a special multi-format tournament. Each event week includes a Pro/Am Event, a Charity Event, and a $20,000 buy-in rake-free Main Event (http://www.epicpoker.com/events/tournament-landing.aspx).

2011-12 Epic Poker League Season One Tournament Schedule

Pro/Am

Charity Event

League Main Event

Event #4

Jan. 27 - 30, 2012

Jan. 29, 2012

Feb. 9 - 12, 2012

Championship

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Feb. 13 - 14, 2012

About Federated Sports + Gaming (FS+G)

FS+G is a leading poker entertainment company that serves players and fans through nationally televised events, interactive digital programming and social media gaming.

The company is breaking new ground in poker with the launch of the Epic Poker League - an exclusive tournament series designed to serve more than 200 of the world’s top live tournament players, as determined by a set of objective, analytically rigorous qualifying criteria. In its first year, the Epic Poker League is staging four $20,000 rake-free Main Events for its members and awarding to its champion a $1 million cash prize.

Through its ownership of Heartland Poker Tour (HPT), FS+G also serves poker players and fans across the United States. Built on a grass-root strategy of “Real People, Unreal Money,” HPT provides poker enthusiasts across the country with a televised tournament experience that prides itself on affordable buy-ins. HPT has hosted more than 82,000 entrants, awarded more than $29 million in prize money, produced more than 170 hours of television content, and staged nearly 90 events since 2005.

FS+G has developed and made available for poker players and fans everywhere the Global Poker Index™(GPI©), a patent pending system to rank and track the weekly performance of the world’s top 300 live tournament poker players. The GPI is distributed weekly through www.globalpokerindex.com, published in both the print and online editions of USA TODAY, and through EpicPoker.com. For additional updates and features from Epic Poker, visit the Facebook page; follow along on Twitter @EpicPoker and play Epic Poker online, anytime, anywhere with the new Facebook game available now.

FS+G has offices in Los Angeles, Fargo, N.D., and Washington D.C. For tournament schedules and information please visit www.federatedinc.com, www.epicpoker.com, www.HPTpoker.com and www.globalpokerindex.com.

About Palms Casino Resort

Palms Casino Resort, heralded as one of Las Vegas’ hippest resorts, is an all-encompassing, one-stop destination. The boutique property boasts three distinct towers and a diverse mix of bars and restaurants across a 95,000-square-foot casino. Amenities include the legendary Playboy Club; Ghostbar; Rain Nightclub; The Pearl Concert Theater; Moon Nightclub; N9NE Steakhouse; Nove Italiano; Little Buddha; Simon Restaurant & Lounge; The Palms Pool & Bungalows; Palms Spa and AMP Salon; Drift Spa & Hammam; Brenden Theatres, a 14-theatre Cineplex; the Fantasy Suites, including the Hardwood Suite, the only hotel room in the world with its own basketball court; and over 60,000 square-feet of meeting space. The Palms has played host to MTV’s Video Music Awards, Real World: Las Vegas and Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown, and E!’s Girls Next Door feature the resort on a regular basis. Palms Casino Resort is located just west of the Las Vegas Strip and I-15 on Flamingo Road. For reservation information, call toll free at (866) PALMS-RES, (866) 725-6773, or visit www.palms.com. For groups of 15 rooms or more, contact the Sales Department at (866) PALMS-MTG or (866) 725-6768.

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Source: Federated Sports + Gaming