Based on it's success in blackjack casino programming, the GSN games
network is expanding into the poker business with Poker Royale: The
WPPA Championship, an exclusive six-episode series sponsored by Pizza
Hut featuring the country's best players.
GSN's foray into poker includes three World Series of Poker champions
-- Chris Moneymaker, Carlos Mortensen and Kathy Liebert. The show
also includes other highly skilled players, and will feature an added
bonus - the chance for the tournament champ and a GSN viewer to split
an additional $10 million grand prize in the final episode.
During the telecast of the final episode on January 11, the winner
will be dealt five cards, if it's a full house or better, the player
and the sweepstakes winner will split $10 million dollars.
The series debuts Tuesday, December 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, and covers
the first tournament organized by the World Poker Players Association
(WPPA), headed by Louis J. Asmo, recently held at Las Vegas' Orleans
Hotel and Casino. The series follows the classic No Limit Hold'em
rules established by the WPPA which reward skill over luck.
The over 50 million poker players in the country will enjoy the action
of this event which features No Limit Texas Hold'em with buy-ins and
blinds (a bet put in play before any cards are dealt) designed to
emphasize skill over luck.
The tournament will showcase the true skill of the players, both professional
and amateur, as they climb up the tournament ladder. POKER ROYALE
will include a unique graphic enhancement, giving insight to each
of the player's hands and the strategy behind them.
GSN's coverage will also center upon the skill and expertise of the
player, highlighting player strategy, including bluffs and tells as
well as the player tournament background. With 22 cameras covering
the action at the featured table, viewers will have a bird's eye view
of how each expert plays his/her hand.
Reaching 57 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S.
through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network
is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media
Corporation.