The Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) may be the main attraction drawing people to the Rio this weekend, but it won’t be the only show to see. In addition to playing host to the biggest poker tournament of the year, the Rio Convention Center will also serve as the site for the WSOP’s first-ever PokerPalooza, a multi-day convention featuring any and all things poker related from decks of cards to specialized poker tables to representatives from all of the various online poker sites.

In past years the WSOP hosted a Gaming Life Expo in tandem with the Main Event, but the event got a little makeover this year. In addition to showcasing numerous poker-related vendors at over 100 booths, there will also be autograph sessions with some of the big names in the game like Annie Duke and Doyle Brunson, a full service bar and a food court. The event starts on Thursday July 2nd and will continue on through the weekend, wrapping up on Sunday July 5th. Those in Vegas this weekend and interested in visiting the event can drop by the Rio Pavillion at the Rio Convention Center anywhere from 11AM to 8:30PM Thursday thru Saturday and 11AM to 6PM on Sunday.

WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack posted some of the details of the event on his Twitter account a couple of days ago when he got a sneak peek at the venue. He alluded to fancy cars, Elvis impersonators, a replica of London made out of playing cards, mechanical bulls and DJs and dancing in addition to numerous more overtly poker-related products.

Those who come by the event on Thursday will also get a chance to star gaze as the celebrities and poker pros turn out in full force for the Ante Up for Africa event. The charity event has been a fixture at the WSOP the past couple of years, but this year the new twist on the event is that the final table will be televised on ESPN as part of their 2009 WSOP coverage. Some of the celebrities and poker pros expected to be on hand for the Annie Duke and Don Cheadle co-hosted event include Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Phil Hellmuth, Jason Alexander, Charles Barkley, Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel and Montel Williams. The $5,000 buy-in event starts Thursday at 2PM and will crown a winner before the day is over.