You better start practicing your poker face now if you want to be ready for April’s month long Five Star World Poker Tour (WPT) Classic in Las Vegas. Though it kicks off April 1, there is no foolin’ around at this hardcore championship tournament which runs through April 25 at the Bellagio.

Here’s how the month goes down:

For three weeks previous to launch, players can either pay a $25,000 fee or may earn their seat by participating in one of the seven satellite tournaments.  On April 1, the first of 13 No Limit Hold ‘Em competitions begins. After the number of players has been whittled down, the WPT World Championships, featuring some of the best players on the planet, will start April 18 – 19. The highly anticipated televised final, which airs April 25, will be open to all competitors who have retained chips from their original share.  The Seniors No Limit Hold ‘em tourney will also be held from April 13 – 15. This one is easier on the wallet, initially anyway, with fees ranging from $500 - $5,000.

In a recent press release Jack McClelland, director of poker tournament operations at the Belliago, stated that the tournament expects, “more than 500 participants in this year's championship including a heavy international contingent from countries including England, France, Denmark, Germany and Turkey, among others."

During last year’s WPT Classic, California native David Chiu won in what is still considered one of the biggest upsets in poker tournament history. He earned his $3.3 million dollar prize after defeating three time WPT Champ Gus Hansen.