Hundreds of hopeful poker players will hear the famous words "Shuffle up and deal" on September 19 when the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe gets underway.

Everyone who took part deemed the inaugural series a huge success but this year, Harrah's has added an extra event in a bid to attract even more players.

In the 2007 WSOPE only three tournaments took place - the £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. Event, a £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament and finally, the No-Limit Texas Hold'em Europe Main Event with a £10,000 buy in.

In keeping with the World Series of Poker held annually in Las Vegas, where there are numerous high buy-in events sandwiched between smaller, more affordable tournaments, the 2008 WSOPE has added a £1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament to start proceedings.

The new event will give many players who either cannot afford the £10,000 entry fee for the Main Event or have not been able to satellite in, the chance of a lucrative payday and a coveted WSOP bracelet.

There are far less prestigious poker events in the UK that currently offer a tournament with a £1,000 entry fee and they regularly attract 300 or more players so one could safely assume that with a WSOP bracelet on offer, Event 1 of the 2008 WSOPE will surpass the 382 entrants to last year's £10,000 Main Event.

Event 2 will be a £2,500 H.O.R.S.E tournament that starts on September 22, followed by the £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event on September 24.

The £10,000 Main Event begins on September 27 with the new champion crowned four days later on October 1.

Current WSOPE champions Thomas Bihl (H.O.R.S.E.), Dario Alioto (PLO) and Annette Obrestad (NLHE) will be making the trip to London in order to defend their titles but, with the prize pools and field sizes sure to be larger than last year, they will be hard-pressed to repeat their success this time around.