world poker tour
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Thursday, June 23, 2005
world poker tour On NBC Scores
World Poker Tour On NBC Scores Opposite Super Bowl Pregame ShowFebruary 6, 2004 The debut of the WORLD POKER TOUR on network television proved to be an unqualified success. Establishing that the public's growing appetite for the World Poker Tour has only just begun to be tapped, THE TRAVEL CHANNEL WORLD POKER TOUR BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS on NBC scored a whopping 3.0 overnight rating on Sunday, watched by more than ten million estimated viewers. Second only to the Super Bowl pre-game show in the 4-6 p.m. (ET) time slot, The World Poker Tour showed that its ratings juggernaut on The Travel Channel is no fluke. The network debut of the skillfully crafted series that has taken the nation by storm scored so impressively that it will drive momentum for the launch of the World Poker Tour's second season March 3 on The Travel Channel. "I think this is another important step in establishing the World Poker Tour as the next major televised sports sensation," said WPT founder, producer and CEO Steve Lipscomb. "As our audience grows, so does the excitement about the sport." "It's not just about poker." Lipscomb says, "It's about the WPT's brand of televised poker, which is driving America's passion for the game. It's about how we tell the story, build the drama and make the viewer feel that he is sitting in the seat making the million-dollar decision. Our mix of the WPT Cam to reveal players' hole cards, 17 cameras, expert commentary, top quality production values, and that magic thing that happens in the editing room all combine to make this show a hit. The World Poker Tour continues to set the standard for poker on television." The World Poker Tour, launched in March 2003, has transformed poker into a televised mainstream sports sensation, creating record-setting ratings and capturing millions of new fans for America's favorite card game. Conceived by Lipscomb and co-owned by Lakes Entertainment of Minneapolis, a leader in management of Indian gaming casinos, The World Poker Tour was the first show to raise televised poker to the level of true entertainment. The blockbuster series--the highest rated in the history of the Travel Channel--has riveted the nation's TV viewers thanks to its hallmarks--a blend of high caliber sports-style production shot from 17 different camera angles, expert commentary, cliffhanging "reality TV" drama and the WPT's signature "ace in the hole"--its revolutionary WPT Cams, that reveal the players' hidden cards. Continuing its tradition of innovation, the WPT unveiled its new one-minute clock on the NBC broadcast, compelling players to call, raise or toss in their hands before 60 seconds. If they failed to heed the clock, the rim of the poker table would light up in red, signaling the player's hand was dead. It added a new level of excitement to the game, already filled with high stakes drama. THE TRAVEL CHANNEL WORLD POKER TOUR BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS proved to be a worthy network debut, as six of the tournament champions from the WPT's first season faced off in a tense two-hour confrontation. The final four--Cinderella-story amateur Juha Helppi, Howard "the Professor" Lederer, Costa Rican champion Jose Rosenkrantz, and retired businessman Ron Rose--demonstrated high stakes poker at its best. The player with the best cards didn't necessarily win the hand. Victory often went to the most wily--and sometimes the luckiest--player at the table. In addition to The World Poker Tour series every Wednesday, the WPT will also air three more Hollywood Home Game specials on Sunday nights in the spring, featuring top name celebrities playing for a $25,000-seat in the WPT Championship and for charity. The WPT was also the first show to spotlight top women professionals in its Ladies' Night tournament, broadcast in December.
posted by worldpokertour at 4:56 AM  
Thursday, June 09, 2005
World Poker Tour & Mirage Poker Showdown Final Table
World Poker Tour & Mirage Poker Showdown Final Table SetMay 26, 2005 The Season IV inaugural event, a $10,000 No Limit Hold'em tournament, completed day 3 shortly before 1:00 am this morning. Thang Pham (6) $1,760,000 Christopher Bell (4) $1,417,000 Ted Forrest (1) $1,370,000 Eugene Todd (3) $763,000 Gavin Smith (5) $687,000 Mark Ellerbe (2) $353,000 Going out on the TV table bubble was Alan Smurfit of Dublin, Ireland. Alan had A,K of clubs and Thang Pham had pocket Queens. The flop came 9,8,K, giving Alan the lead. The turn was a 10 and the river brought the Jack giving Thang the straight and Alan the bubble and seventh place. He collected $76,235 on his way out. The money bubble boy turned out to be a bubble girl when Kathy Leibert was eliminated in 29th. The rail was crowded with spectators thoughout the day watching this exciting WPT Championship. Many of the players that had earlier been eliminated from the contest strolled throught he room, stopping to chat with fans, sign autographs and watch the play. The group was typical of WPT events with a party atmosphere pervading and a lot of cheering and yelling combined with moaning and groaning. The list of player outs included Thor Hansen leaving in the 26th spot to collect $18,296, David Levi going in 24th for another $18,296, start of day chip leader Robert Mizrachi out in 20th for $18,296, Asher Derei left in 17th for $24,395, "Captain" Tom Franklin goes in 18th taking $24,395 and Jean-Robert Bellande was 15th collecting $30,494. The WPT final table action begins tomorrow, Thursday at 4:00 pm in the convention area of the Mirage. Seating for the television audience is limited and on a first come basis so be there early. Big screens and seating are set up in the waiting area outside the television production set.
posted by worldpokertour at 1:10 AM
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
world poker tour
World Poker Tour Doled out $100 Million since InceptionMarch 31, 2005 The World Poker Tour (WPT) has just named Michael Gracz the "$100 Million Man," after his $1.5 million first prize win helped the WPT hit the $100 million mark in prize money. In the three years since its inception, the WPT has awarded a total of over $100 million in prize money, a milestone certainly worth celebrating. The $100 million has been divvied up among literally thousands of players, with prize pools going to as many as 40 or 50 players in each tournament. In just three short years, the WPT has produced 22 millionaires, with ten of them striking it big just this year. The WPT's weekly televised tournament broadcasts have been one of the factors helping set off the poker boom that has taken hold of the world in recent years. By giving professional poker such a platform for receiving publicity, it helped revamp poker's image around the world and has made downright celebrities out of poker players.
posted by worldpokertour at 11:45 PM
Friday, May 13, 2005
WPT Championship 1
The World Poker Tour Championship held at Bellagio Casino was an exciting one. We got to see poker legends Doyle Brunson, Ted Forrest, and Phil Ivey go to battle. We also got to see one of the most exciting heads-up matches ever.Ted Forrest showed me why he is considered one of the best players of all-time. He made moves with hands that to most would be unplayable. He made the correct laydowns in certain situations and made reads of players that were remarkable. The first hand I thought was incredible was when he raised with 82. He followed through with that hand by betting the flop and the turn and took down a decent size pot. On the following hand, he raised with J9 and Phil called with A7. The flop was A84. Ted bet $100,000 and Phil called. The turn was a seven, Phil checked trying to induce action, but Ted checked behind him. The river was a queen. Phil bet $150,000 and Ted folded. In the two hands, Ted bet when he thought he might be able to take the pot. On the second hand, he conceded the pot knowing he wasn't able to take the pot away from Phil.James Hoeppner was the first person to be eliminated when he picked up pocket jacks and raised the $30,000 blind to $130,000. The players folded around to Kirill Gerasimov and he looked at pocket kings. Kirill reraised to $250,000 and James moved all-in for $246,000 more. Kirill called and won the pot when neither player's hands improved with the board of A6244.Ted escaped a race situation that became even more dangerous after the flop. Kirill raised with KQ. Ted moved all-in with pocket eights and Kirill called. The flop was AJ3 all diamonds, giving Kirill the diamond draw, or a king, queen or ten draw. The turn was a seven of hearts and the river was a four of hearts.Alan Goehring put on a great show on a four way action flop. Ted called with Q9, Alan called with 82 clubs, Doyle called in the small blind with A2 and Phil checked the big blind with A3. The flop was AT4 with two clubs. Ted bet $50,000, Alan called and Doyle and Phil folded. The turn card was a ten and Ted checked. I don't like the fact Ted gave up leading with his hand here. Alan bet $100,000 and Ted called. The river paired the board again with a four. Ted checked again and Alan bet $200,000. By giving up the lead, Ted was forced to be the one making a decision. He looked at Alan for tells. He studied him up and down (even got a few chuckles from the audience). Alan asked him, "need some help?" Ted nodded and asked Alan, "What do you think I should do? Should I call or fold?" Alan replied, "I'd like to help you Ted, but I am involved in a hand right now." I believe his chatter helped him win this pot. He was so calm when he answered. Ted laid the best hand down. The following hand seems to be the most talked about hand of the tournament. Alan doubled the pot with his pocket jacks. Doyle moved all-in over the top with Q8. Ted has AJ in the big blind and spent his whole time watching Doyle. He made the correct call against Doyle, but he ignored Alan's original raise. I stated earlier Ted made terrific reads against his opponents. He only took the time to read one of his opponents on this hand and it turned out to be a critical error. Alan was faced with a decision to call two all-in players. With a commanding 5-to-1 chip position and the possibility of eliminating two players, he made the only possible move and called. The flop was 653, the turn was a two and the river was a nine. Two players were eliminated in one hand. Ted had fewer chips than Doyle so he was the fifth place finisher, Doyle finished in fourth. I was excited Phil was among the top three. I thought I was going to be able to see him in action (by the way, have I mentioned he is my FAVORITE player?). I was wrong. He was eliminated quickly when Kirill raised the $30,000 blind to $100,000. Alan called in the small blind with 63 offsuit. Phil moved all-in for $846,000 with AQ. Kirill quickly called with AK and Alan folded. The board was K632T. I have heard Phil say that when he leaves a tournament he replays the events in his head and tries to learn from them. This situation is almost identical to the hand against Howard Lederer at Foxwoods. I wonder what he learned from that hand. I am certainly not going to dispute whether he made the correct move or not. I wonder what he thinks about it.The heads-up play was almost half the show. It was fast and furious -- my favorite heads-up play on the World Poker Tour. Kirill was amazing, but he went to the well (his all-in move) once too often.The first hand heads-up, Alan slowplayed his kings and ended up losing the pot. He limped in and Kirill checked with A4. The board was J77. Both player checked. The turn was another seven. Alan bet $50,000 and Kirill called. The river was another seven giving Kirill the best hand. Kirill bet $200,000 and Alan called. Although Alan won the event, I am sure he still kicks himself when thinking about that hand.The next hand was spectacular. Alan limped with K7. Kirill checked 76. The flop was AT8. Alan bet $50,000 and Kirill called. The turn was another eight and Kirill led out for $150,000. Alan called, thinking his hand was the best (which it was). The river was a four of spades making a flush possibility and Kirill moved all-in, winning the pot. He also moved all-in the next hand giving him a commanding lead.The "going to the well once too often" reference was to the next hand. Alan doubled the blind with pocket queens. Kirill called with 96 clubs. Both checked the Q53 flop. The turn was a five. Alan bet 100,000, and Kirill moved all-in again. Alan did a double take at his cards (checking to see if the queens were still there) and called. This hand gave Alan 3,500,000 in chips to Kirill's 2,000,000. This mistake was horrible on Kirill's part. He had a huge chip lead; there was only a small amount of action before Alan's bet; and Kirill had already moved all-in on two huge pots. If he was going to move all-in on a third hand, he should have made sure he had the best of it, or the pot was worth the risk. The final hand was an exciting one. Kirill limped with 86 and Alan rapped the table with 85. The flop came 854, Alan bet $50,000 and Kirill raised to $300,000. Alan moved all-in and Kirill called. The turn card was a seven giving Kirill the straight and the river was an eight giving Alan the full house and the victory. Alan looked shocked that he actually won the event! He did a little skip and smiled from ear to ear. Kirill smiled, shook his hand and accepted his second place finish graciously.
posted by worldpokertour at 12:17 PM
Thursday, May 12, 2005
World Poker tour Update
A town synonymous with glitz, glamour, and heart-thumping entertainment, it’s only fitting that Los Angeles plays host to the richest poker tournament in West Coast history, the Los Angeles Poker Classic at Commerce Casino.
Last year’s tourney created an instant millionaire in Antonio “Magician” Esfandiari, and this year promises another whopper of a win for one of the six remaining players – the 2nd largest payout in World Poker Tour history, to be exact – a top prize of $1,859,969. Even 2nd place pays a mind-boggling $904,122.
Come join the best of the bunch, the 6 players who made it through a field of 538 players who paid $10,000 each to fight it out through 4 tough days of qualifying. Ted Forrest, well-known Las Vegas pro, 2 time WPT finalist, and 5th in last year’s Championship; Erick Lindgren, the reigning WPT Player of the Year, shooting for his third WPT title; Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi, a sudden rising star from the other Hollywood – Hollywood, Florida, that is – in his 2nd consecutive WPT final table; Hung La, a tough Southern California pro at his 2nd WPT Season 3 final table; Wily newcomer Haralabos Voulgaris, a pro sports bettor from Winnipeg, Canada; and finally Harley Hall, a former motocross racer turned poker pro, at his first final table. Be sure to tune in for the true Hollywood story, this week on the WPT.
posted by worldpokertour at 10:05 AM
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
World Poker Tour crowns champion
More than seven grueling hours after the kickoff of the World Poker Tour Championship at the Bellagio resort Sunday afternoon, Los Angeles resident Tuan Le took home the top prize of $2.9 million in what has become the world's most expensive poker tournament.
Now in its third year at the Bellagio, the tournament draws only a few hundred people compared with the thousands that gather each spring for the World Series of Poker. But with a $25,000 buy-in, the Bellagio event attracts the world's best and most aggressive players.
Unlike some unknowns who emerged from Internet poker rooms in recent years to win major tournaments, the six people who made the final table Sunday are experienced casino tournament players.
"The cream rose to the top," the Bellagio's director of poker tournaments, Jack McClelland, said.
Le won a World Poker Tour event at the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut last year. Paul Maxfield of England, who took second, placed in a World Series of Poker event last year. Third place winner Hasan Habib of Los Angeles placed second at last year's WPT Championship. Long Beach resident John Phan, in fourth, won a Commerce Casino tournament this year and placed in a tournament at the Plaza casino in downtown Las Vegas last year. Fifth place winner Rob Hollink of the Netherlands won a European Poker Tour tournament in Monaco this year.
Poker pro Phil Ivey, the only Las Vegas resident at the table, has won three World Series of Poker events and placed in several other tournaments. He placed sixth.
Maxfield won $1.7 million, Habib won $896,375, Phan won $518,920, Hollink won $377,420 and Ivey took home $264,195.
The first 100 placeholders in the tournament, which began April 19, were paid prize money from the pool of nearly $11 million. The minimum prize was $30,000.
The final table will be broadcast June 29 on the Travel Channel, which has broadcast rights to World Poker Tour events.
Habib began Sunday's final table with $7.8 million in chips, followed by Ivey with $3.4 million, Hollink with $4.4 million, Maxfield with $2.9 million, Le with $2.7 million and Phan with $1.5 million.
Habib was well ahead of the pack for much of the game but drew a number of losing cards later on.
"Some guys are chick magnets," tournament official Linda Johnson told the crowd. Habib, she said, is a "chip magnet."
More than two hours passed before two players, Ivey and Hollink, were knocked out in quick succession. About three hours in, Phan was out, followed by Habib three hours later. With a king and a five card, Maxfield tried for a flush but went out before midnight.
A rapt crowd of a few hundred watched the televised tournament from a ballroom in Bellagio's new hotel tower. A few hundred more drew numbers outside the room for a chance to see the game live. The audience sat during hour-long sessions with breaks of a few minutes in between. Some drinks were provided but food was nowhere to be seen.
Texas hold 'em -- the preferred game of big-money, televised tournaments -- is "two hours of boredom and 20 seconds of terror," McClelland told the crowd.
Actor Robert Duvall was in the crowd Sunday.
Duvall will be filming scenes at Bellagio for an upcoming movie featuring poker called "Lucky You."
"It's great that celebrities are so into poker," Johnson told the audience. "The other day Matt Damon was in the room and someone asked for Gus Hanson's autograph," she said, referring to a tournament player.
Most of those in the audience were regular joes and janes -- a testament to the growing popularity of poker. Some wore baseball caps, T-shirts and jeans, others business suits and dresses.
Erin Reynolds, a loss retention specialist for a retailer, traveled from Milwaukee for the chance to see the final table event. With more than 400 ahead of her in line, she waited for more than an hour near the door to the ballroom before an usher saw her and took her inside.
"It would take a bomb to get me out of this chair," she said.
Reynolds said she is a conservative poker player who hones her skills with free games online. She doesn't see herself entering a major tournament in the near future.
"I love to watch," she said. "I'm more of a spectator than a player."
"I don't have the guts to do it," she said of the Bellagio tournament. "I'd crack under the pressure. These guys are so amazing."
Nearby, computer programmer Shane Cooper flew in from San Diego to see the event.
Cooper was in town for a bachelor party at the Hard Rock but cut out -- he didn't really know anyone at the party anyway, he says -- to catch the tournament across town.
After three hours of waiting and with more than 100 people ahead of him, Cooper rose to the top of the list when another offered his seat. Cooper said he hopes to play in a major tournament someday and expects to start out by playing in satellite tournaments for less money.
"I TiVo every poker show on TV," he said. "I play online (for real money) like five hours a day."
Players began the tournament with $50,000 in chips each. The final table began with minimum bets of $40,000 to $80,000. Those bets got richer as the evening wore on and eventually reached a World Poker Tour record.
Antes rose from a few hundred thousand to around $500,000, with players raising one another in the millions of dollars per hand. Little-used yellow chips, each worth $100,000, emerged several hours into the game.
More than 450 players entered the tournament compared with last year's 343 players. Last year's top prize winner took home $2.7 million from an $8.6 million prize pool.
posted by worldpokertour at 9:25 AM
Saturday, May 07, 2005
World Poker Tour Wins Five Year Deal
The Travel channel last year gambled that Television viewers would be interested in watching a weekly poker series. That gamble paid off. Ratings for the World Poker Tour grew steadily during the first year and it became the highest rating show for the network. The introduction of a camera showing the players hole cards made it possible for viewers to feel like they were part of the action. The Travel Channel has options to broadcast the World Poker Tour for the next five years. All indications are that the show will continue to grow each week and prove to be a bigger winner in seasons to come.
posted by worldpokertour at 4:09 PM
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