The World Poker Tour

Remember what poker is like today, how popular it is, how many states and countries offer legalized poker, and the media exposure for it. Remember today because the poker world as we know it is about to change. It's going to change because of the creation of the World Poker Tour (WPT).

The mission statement of the WPT is "to establish poker as a significant televised mainstream sport by broadcasting top poker tournaments around the world under the premier brand of the World Poker Tour." As is the case with all sports, television coverage is the key. The WPT was founded to leverage an existent, widespread recreational game and turn it into a legitimate televised sport.

The WPT is seeking to gain massive audience appeal – just as the PGA Tour did for golf and NASCAR did for stock car racing. It will establish a signature look and feel designed to make poker exciting and to set new standards in poker programming.

The WPT will consist of 13 televised poker events from casinos around the world. It will televise and promote established poker championship events on a major cable network at a regularly scheduled time weekly. The first televised event will be the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament at Bellagio in Las Vegas (May 27-31). The first year of the WPT will culminate with a grand finale, and I do mean grand, that also will be held at Bellagio. It will consist of the WPT's 12 event champions and anyone else who would like to buy in. (You might want to start saving for that event now, as the buy-in will be $25,000!)

Steve Lipscomb is the creator and CEO of the World Poker Tour. Lipscomb graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, where he was president of the senior class. He then attended the University of Chicago Law School, where he was a Greenberg Scholar. Lipscomb is an accomplished television producer and award-winning film producer/director who is quite familiar with the poker world. He has filmed the World Series of Poker, the Tournament of Champions, and the PartyPoker.com Million. He also won a satellite and played in the 2001 world championship event at the World Series.

The force behind the WPT, however, is businessman extraordinaire (and this year's Poker Hall of Fame inductee) Lyle Berman. Berman's company, Lakes Gaming Inc., is funding the project to the tune of more than $3 million. Although his hobby is poker, Berman has been the Casino Man of the Year (1996), and his success in business is legendary. He has an uncanny vision for potential business projects, and is convinced that it's time to take poker to the next level. The WPT will certainly do that.

Linda Johnson and I are consultants for the WPT. We are helping in any way we can, especially in establishing its charter members. I'm pleased to tell you that the support and excitement for the WPT thus far has been incredible. At this time, nearly all of the spots for the first year of the WPT are filled. They include some of the largest casinos in the world, as well as many of the most well-respected events in poker. A special kickoff news conference and media tournament will take place at Bellagio on May 26 at 5 p.m. The public is invited.

I believe everyone in the poker industry will benefit substantially from the World Poker Tour. I see poker's exposure, respectability, and growth increasing substantially worldwide. Poker will be taken out of the American psyche and plugged into mainstream sports entertainment. And probably the best part is, look for what many of us have been seeking – corporate sponsorship for tournament poker.

Hats off to Steve Lipscomb and Lyle Berman for taking this huge step to turn poker into a legitimate televised sport. On behalf of the entire poker community, I'd like to say, "Thank you, and best of luck to the World Poker Tour!"

Take care.