Professional Poker Tour Announces TV ScheduleShow Picks Up Right Where the WPT Leaves Off |
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The Professional Poker Tour (PPT) has finally found its time slot.
The new show that features only the proven best tournament poker players will premiere Wednesday, July 5, at 9 p.m. local time on the Travel Channel. The series starts a week after the finale of the fourth season of the World Poker Tour airs, which ensures that the Travel Channel will air 44 straight weeks of poker. PPT will air for 24 weeks.
The PPT, which was created and produced by WPT Enterprises, is an invitation-only series. Players need to carry a PPT card in order to play in the events. The player's card is similar in concept to the card professional golfers need to earn to play in PPG-sponsored events.
Players who are lucky enough to have earned PPT cards play in freerolls in which the winner receives $200,000. Different criteria were weighed when the 250 PPT cards were awarded. One-, two-, and three-year cards were given to players.
Three-year cards went to all WPT champions, anyone who made more than one final table on the WPT, players who finished first, second, or third in the $25,0000 WPT championship event, the top 10 players on the WPT Player of the Year list, all winners of the World Series of Poker championship event, the top three finishers in the 2003 or 2004 WSOP championship event, the top 10 players in the Card Player Player of the Year standings for 2002 and 2003, the top 10 players in Phil Hellmuth's Champion of the Year standings for 2002 and 2003, members of the Poker Hall of Fame, and members of the WPT Poker Walk of Fame.
Two-year cards went to players who finished fourth, fifth or sixth in the WPT $25,000 buy-in event or the WSOP championship event in 2003 and 2004. One-year cards went to players selected by the advisory committee, the top 10 players in the European player standings, and to the WPT commentators.
In addition, eight cards go to the host casino and 10 are awarded by WPT Enterprises.
Each tournament will have a prize pool of $500,000 provided by the PPT producers. At each tournament, 132 players will start out at 15 tables and only the top six players get paid.
Other changes to make the tournament more exciting for viewers have been enacted. Instead of only showing the final table, the entire tournament will be shown from start to finish. Every time there's an all-in, camera's will rush over to the table to catch the moment.
At the final table, players will have to think and act fast thanks to a 90-second time limit for each decision. A player may go to a "time bank" once during the final table. Five PPT events have already been played at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Commerce Casino, Bay 101, Bellagio, and The Mirage. The show is hosted by two-time WSOP bracelet winner Mark Seif and actor and poker enthusiast Matt Corboy.
The show has taken a bumpy path to the television screen. While shopping for a broadcast deal, WPT Enterprises filed suit against the Travel Channel in September claiming that the Travel Channel had interfered with WPT Enterprises' right to negotiate an agreement with another broadcaster.
It took until the end of January for the Travel Channel and WPT Enterprises to resolve their differences and come to an agreement.
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