LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bringing World Poker Tour® (WPT) history full circle, the WPT will film its 100th episode and wrap its 5th anniversary season next week at Bellagio--where the very first WPT episode was shot five years ago.

"We couldn't ask for a more fitting way to celebrate these incredible milestones," said Steve Lipscomb, President, Founder, and CEO of WPT. "Bellagio is a key charter member who helped us launch the World Poker Tour and create a global phenomenon. To come full circle back to where it all started and film the biggest event of the year, shoot our 100th episode, and conclude our 5th season... it's just truly amazing."

The television milestones will take place April 27 as WPT tapes the final table of the season's biggest and richest tournament, WPT World Championship. Boasting a $25,000 buy-in, the Championship brings together hundreds of world-class poker pros who battle it out in a week-long tournament for a piece of the multi-million dollar prize pool and the prestigious Championship title. Last year's first place winner, Joe Bartholdi of Las Vegas, beat a field of 605 players to take home $3.7 million. The Championship kicks off Saturday, April 21.

WPT will also film a special final table on April 28, Poker by the Book, Chapter II, which will pit pros who have authored books on poker instruction against each other to see who will school whom. This exciting final table will feature top pros Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Dan Harrington, Barry Greenstein, Johnny Chan, and Tom McEvoy. Audience members will receive a copy of the most recent book written by each player.

Members of the public are invited to sit in a television audience to watch the final tables filmed on the WPT set. To receive free tickets, please check-in at the Bellagio Ballroom at 3pm on April 27th for the Championship and April 28th for Poker by the Book.

All-new WPT Season V action airs every Wednesday night at 9pm ET/PT on the Travel Channel. The WPT World Championship will air Wednesday, August 8th. Poker by the Book, Chapter II will air Wednesday, August 15th. For a full Season V air-date schedule, please visit www.worldpokertour.com.