Taking center stage on Poker News Daily this week has been the news that High Stakes Poker will debut on March 1st. For poker fans seeking more immediate gratification, the seventh season of the World Poker Tour kicks off on January 4th.
San Jose, Costa Rica, December 29, 2008 — Poker news headlines have been dominated this week by the news that new poker programming is returning to television once again. It will be just a few short days until the seventh season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) kicks off on cable statin Fox Sports Net. The show debuts on Sunday, January 4th. Poker players will have a lot to be thankful for, as 26 one-hour installments are scheduled to air. The WPT has come a long way since its launch in 2002 and has become the standard by which many televised poker tournaments are measured.
The seventh WPT season will feature a proliferation of FullTiltPoker.net logos and name-droppings, as the online poker room serves as its official sponsor. PokerNewsDaily.com columnist, World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and ambassador of poker Mike Sexton will call the action along with Vince Van Patten. Each of the recent WPT seasons has featured a different hostess and this time around, Amanda Leatherman will assume those responsibilities. She is one of the world’s premier tournament reporters and also serves as the Live Updates Hostess for the WPT website. Southwest Airlines has also returned as a presenting sponsor.
Meanwhile, GSN, The Network for Games, is gearing up for the launch of High Stakes Poker, which is entering its fifth season. Filming just wrapped up at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas and featured a variety of poker superstars including Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, and Barry Greenstein. Also making their way to the Golden Nugget (which served as the location for filming of the first season of High Stakes Poker) were 2008 WSOP Main Event winner Peter Eastgate and poker sensation Tom “durrrr†Dwan.
A total of three days of filming took place, with the show boasting a $200,000 minimum buy-in. Brunson spoke with Poker News Daily on the phone from Las Vegas and commented, “Everybody is just getting here and we’re mulling around. Everyone is ready to play. I think it’s definitely a competitive atmosphere. Everybody is excited because it’s for high stakes. There are literally millions of dollars on the line.â€
High Stakes Poker is one of the few televised cash games. The banter among the players adds to the insightfulness of the narration by A.J. Benza and “Welcome Back Kotter†star Gabe Kaplan. Thirteen episodes are slated to air as part of Season V. The show, like the new installment of the WPT, will air on Sunday nights as part of “Poker Night†on GSN. The network also owns the rights to the sixth season of the WPT.
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