LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Vegas Golden Knights star Jonathan Marchessault helped kick off the 55th annual World Series of Poker on Tuesday.
The tournament will be held at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas from May 28 through July 17.
On Tuesday, Marchessault delivered the iconic line that starts the tournament: "Shuffle Up and Deal".
WATCH: Jonathan Marchessault kicks off 2024 World Series of Poker
He also took part in the Champions Reunion event to play in his first competitive poker tournament.
"I have never been to the World Series but with our team, we play every year in the playoffs. That's our go-to. Every single day, we play poker. It's fun. It's like a cash game and everyone comes in and plays," Marchessault said. "Also, [at the] beginning of the year, our owner brings us to Montana and we play both nights that we're there. We have poker tournaments. I normally always make it to the end of it so I think I'm a pretty good poker player with my friends but I don't know. I'm definitely excited to see how [professional] poker players play and play with them."
Jack Effel, the Vice President of the World Series of Poker, said it was great to have Marchessault participate this year.
"It's great to have a champion in any other competitive sport come over and play World Series of Poker," Effel said. "These guys aren't just going to take his chips. They're going to fight him for it. He's a super nice guy and he's gracious and we're happy to have him here."
Over the next seven weeks, Effel said there will be 99 live bracelet events, 30 online bracelet events, and about a half a billion dollars will be won and lost throughout the tournament.
Last year's event welcomed 214,641 entrants from more than 114 different countries.
"It's poker summer camp. It's the poker Olympics," Effel said. "I hope that everybody, anywhere, that wants to play poker right now, I hope they're here in Las Vegas."
