Prime Time Poker Night

Editor's note: Welcome to a new column presented by the World Poker Tour. In coming issues, you'll be taken behind the scenes and inside the game. Tell the WPT what you want to know via e-mail: [email protected]. For information on WPT tournaments, visit the WPT website at www.worldpokertour.com.

They came. They saw. They watched players conquer the poker table! Millions of Americans tuned in to the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel and watched Gus Hansen, Chris Karagulleyan, and Juha Helppi win their way to the WPT Championship event. Poker is alive and well in prime time!

Alan Goehring Wins First World Poker Tour Championship

On Friday, April 18, the overflowing 300-member audience at the Bellagio Ballroom watched Alan Goehring win the first World Poker Tour Championship and take home $1,011,886, including a $25,000 entry into next year's championship. Alan's full house beat Moscow's Kirill Gerasimov's straight on the final hand to win the tournament. Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Ted Forrest, and James Hoeppner all challenged the chip leader going to the final table, but failed to outlast the Henderson, Nevada, resident. Congratulations to Alan. The WPT looks forward to his return as the defending champion at next year's WPT Championship. The final-table action of this year's WPT Championship will air on June 25 on the Travel Channel.

Thank You

To all of the players, charter member casinos, casino staffs, and the audience, we at the WPT extend our sincere appreciation for your support over the past year. Most of all, thank you for watching the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel. You have made the World Poker Tour one of the fastest growing television programs on the air.

Poker Players as Actors

Did you see the commercial for the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel? Poker greats Chris Ferguson, Paul Darden, Phil Hellmuth, and Annie Duke tried their hand at acting in what has become a cult favorite promotional campaign. For an e-mail version of the WPT commercial or postcard, go to www.worldpokertour.com. Send it to your friends and get them to tune in on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel and help poker solidify its place in prime time television!

Keep coming. Keep watching. Join us in conquering the TV ratings and establishing poker as the game to watch on prime time TV.