The 52-year-old star made a memorable entrance into the Bally’s Events Center, reclining in a bed carried by attendants dressed as Roman legionaries.
Vaughn was likewise dressed as a Roman emperor, complete with a cape, breastplate and laurel wreath crown. During his entry procession, he revealed the newly designed Main Event bracelet, before offering a few words and making the “Shuffle Up and Deal announcement” to kick things off.
Vaughn then made his way around the tables in both Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas, where the main cage is located, mingling with some of professional poker’s most recognisable names, such as Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker.
“As Master of Ceremonies for the World Series of Poker, I couldn’t be more excited to play a role on the Las Vegas Strip by kicking off the biggest and most prestigious poker tournament in the world,” remarked Vaughn.
Commenting on the newly designed bracelet, he said: “This is the Main Event, and a world champion needs an incredible trophy, not just some lousy ring.”
The new bracelet is made from 500 grams of 10-karat white and yellow gold, featuring 2,767 precious stones, including rubies and diamonds.
“The WSOP is the biggest deal in poker but to have a Las Vegas icon like Vince Vaughn unveil our bracelet and bring some fun to the event was a special moment,” said Ty Stewart, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the WSOP.
“We look forward to an exciting conclusion to what has been a historic first tournament on the Las Vegas Strip.”
