**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION**

 

I, Steven Lipscomb,certify that:

 

1.     I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Qof WPT Enterprises, Inc.;

 

2.     Based on my knowledge, this quarterlyreport does not contain any untrue statements of a material fact or omit tostate a material fact necessary to make the statement made, in light of thecircumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading withrespect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3.     Based on my knowledge, the financial statements,and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairlypresent in all material respects the financial condition, results of operationsand cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in thisquarterly report;

 

4.     WPT Enterprises, Inc.’s othercertifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined inExchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for WPT Enterprises, Inc.,and have:

 

a.     designed such disclosure controls andprocedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designedunder our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to WPTEnterprises, Inc., including its subsidiaries, is made known to us byothers within those entities, particularly during the period in which thisquarterly report is being prepared;

 

b.     designed such internal control overfinancial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reportingto be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regardingthe reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financialstatements for external purposes in accordance with generally acceptedaccounting principles;

 

c.     evaluated the effectiveness of WPTEnterprises, Inc.’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented inthis report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controlsand procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based onsuch evaluation; and

 

d.     disclosed in this report any change inWPT Enterprises, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting thatoccurred during WPT Enterprises, Inc.’s most recent fiscal quarter thathas materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, WPTEnterprises, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting;

 

5.     WPT Enterprises, Inc.’s othercertifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation ofinternal control over financial reporting, to WPT Enterprises, Inc.’sauditors and the audit committee of WPT Enterprises, Inc.’s board ofdirectors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a.     all significant deficiencies and materialweaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financialreporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect WPT Enterprises, Inc.’sability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b.     any fraud, whether or not material, thatinvolves management or other employees who have a significant role in WPTEnterprises, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting.

 
| Date: May 18, 2009 | /s/ *Steven Lipscomb*                 |
|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|                    | Steven Lipscomb                       |
|                    | President and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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