greg merson

Big names and unknowns will convene this week for Maryland's first World Series of Poker circuit event at the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and the casino expects thousands of players from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.

The new poker room at Maryland Live, one of the East Coast's largest, is allowing more local poker pros to find high-stakes games close to home, contributing to the development of a strong poker scene in the state.

Officials at Maryland Live Casino swung sledge hammers Thursday to remove a wall separating the casino floor from its eagerly awaited poker room, which is under construction and scheduled to open in August.

World Series of Poker winner had patches advertising gambling companies on an O's jersey