A Quantum Leap for Poker

NBC will be hosting a World Poker Tour special on Super Bowl Sunday (two hours before the Super Bowl) called The Travel Channel World Poker Tour Battle of Champions. This is a quantum leap for poker. Here is a good portion of the press release.

NBC Sports Presents 'The Travel Channel World Poker Tour Battle of Champions,' 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Super Bowl Sunday

WPT's Wildly Popular Brand of High-Stakes Poker Comes to Network TV, Providing Football Fans a "Must-See" Lead-In to the Game

Los Angeles – NBC is teaming up with the World Poker Tour and the Travel Channel to bring the smash-hit cable series to network television on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (ET). On a day when television viewing is 15 percent to 20 percent higher than typical Sunday afternoons, and when many people are flipping channels looking for an alternative to pre-game Super Bowl programming, NBC will broadcast a new event: The Travel Channel World Poker Tour Battle of Champions, where the ultimate poker champion will be crowned.

"With the World Poker Tour becoming one of the fastest growing and most talked about new properties on television, we are looking to create a showcase event," said Jon Miller, senior vice president, programming, NBC Sports. "Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect day to present the World Poker Tour to a network audience for the first time. There are enormous numbers of people at home and at parties looking for something entertaining to watch before the Super Bowl."

The champions from the 13 tournaments on the World Poker Tour's historic first season have been invited to square off at the incomparable Bellagio, Las Vegas. For the first time, champions from the classiest high-stakes poker tournaments across the country and around the world will meet head-to-head, card-to-card, and chip-to-chip at the World Poker Tour final table – and only one will be crowned the ultimate poker champion, walking away with a six-figure cash prize, plus a $25,000 seat in the next World Poker Tour Championship, a tournament with a prize pool worth millions.

The World Poker Tour has transformed poker into a televised mainstream sensation, creating record-setting ratings and capturing millions of new fans for America's favorite card game. The blockbuster series has riveted the nation's TV viewers thanks to its hallmarks – a blend of high-caliber sports-style production shot from 13 different camera angles, expert commentary, cliffhanging "reality TV" drama, and the WPT's signature "ace in the hole," its revolutionary WPT Cams, which reveal the players' hidden cards. For the first time on network television, viewers will see those cards, making it possible for them to feel like they're sitting in the seat making million-dollar decisions on each hand.

"The World Poker Tour has done a terrific job in developing a unique production style for its telecasts. It's almost as though the viewers are sitting there right at the table," added NBC's Miller. "The only difference is that the viewers at home have the advantage of knowing the holecards. The World Poker Tour Battle of Champions will be a fun, entertaining way to spend Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl." The program will be hosted by the WPT's expert commentators Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, along with features by host Shana Hiatt.

Among the players invited to line up at the table are two-time WPT tournament winners "Gattlin' Gun" Gus Hansen and Chessmaster Howard Lederer, WPT 2003 Champion Alan Goehring, and other favorites: David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Cinderella-story Juha Helppi, hip-hop promoter Paul Darden, poker bad boy Layne Flack, leading pro Chris Karaguylleyan, businessman Ron Rose, as well as top international players Christer Johansson and Jose Rosenkrantz.

"This historic alliance between NBC Sports, the WPT, and the Travel Channel will elevate televised poker to a whole new level," says Steve Lipscomb, founder and CEO of the World Poker Tour. "Every time the World Poker Tour airs on the Travel Channel, we attract new viewers to the fascinating world of poker. With millions of eyeballs searching for something more interesting to watch before the Super Bowl, this new alliance between NBC, the Travel Channel, and the World Poker Tour may once again redefine the sport of poker."

"The World Poker Tour series has been hugely popular with Travel Channel viewers, and we are excited about this opportunity to work with NBC and the World Poker Tour to further build awareness by bringing this special WPT event to broadcast television," said Rick Rodriguez, executive vice president and general manager, the Travel Channel. "Poker is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and this special is sure to add to poker's burgeoning allure."

Think about it – poker on network television on Super Bowl Sunday! Folks, this is a quantum leap for poker.

Take care.

Mike Sexton is the host of PartyPoker.com and a commentator on the World Poker Tour.