Fire up that new High Definition TV this week, because there's a
wealth of poker action being beamed from the new 14 500 sq. ft. poker
room at Caesars Palace in the world's gambling capital, Las Vegas.
The organizers claim that the Vegas Open tournament will be the first
major poker event to be broadcast in high definition, and it debuts
this week on INHD in the first of a 13 episode series.
The big event offers 10 separate tournaments open to the public, with
each competition carrying a $1 060 buy-in. The tournament winners
in each match will be awarded a spot in a semifinal heads-up confrontation,
from which five heads-up winners will advance to the final table and
a crack at the winner-takes-all $100 000 cash prize.
The first event in a planned series of international tournaments produced
by the National Poker League, the Vegas Open will set the pace for
what the organization is hoping to give players everywhere - "lots
of game with a smalled bankroll" and the opportunity to
become a TV poker star.
"We envision The Vegas Open becoming one of the major arenas
for players to make a name for themselves, without the requirement
of huge bankrolls or sponsorships," says Nene Gonzalez,
National Poker League president. "We're giving players
the opportunity to make some noise and, in the process, become a television
star."
The TV series premiere begins this week and runs for 13 weeks throughout
the summer. It is being hosted by poker pros Scott Fischman and Oliver
Nejad.