Welcome to Harrah's Rincon!

Hello, good evening, and welcome to PokerNews' continuing coverage of the 2008-09 World Series of Poker Circuit. This week's stop brings us to sunny southern California. Nestled in the rocky hills about 45 miles northeast of San Diego, Harrah's Rincon has been playing host to a series of preliminary events for the past ten days. All of that warm-up action has been setting the stage for tomorrow's $5,150-buy-in Championship Event, and it figures to be a good one. The fields for the preliminary events have been right on par with expectations, and the staff hopes to have more than 100 runners for Day 1 tomorrow. Everyone anticipates a good mix of local grinders, established pros, and a couple dozen satellite qualifiers to round out the field.

Last year, Michael "Mickey" Pickett outlasted 147 other players (including a lethal final table) to take down the Championship. He picked up $229,002, along with his entry into the WSOP Main Event and the coveted diamond and gold ring. It's going to be tough task to draw the same size field this year, but the staff is still optimistic about the anticipated turnout.

Our live update team is on hand here at Harrah's Rincon to bring you all of the flops, turns, and rivers direct from the tournament floor. Play kicks off at high noon local time tomorrow (PDT), and we hope you'll join us right back here to catch all of the action!