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Dealing the Travel Channel it's highest ever ratings jackpot, World
Poker Tour, has been touted as Survivor meets Millionaire by
critics, and has single-handedly turned poker into America's newest
television trend and television spectator sport.
Set in exotic locations like Aruba, Paris and of course, Las Vegas,
World Poker Tour involves a range of people, from seasoned
poker pros to novice players, and all the drama that high stakes
wagering delivers. The series is based on a 13-week run of Texas
Hold 'Em, a distinct style of poker play, with the championship
culminating in Las Vegas with a total purse valued at $3 million
USD.
World Poker Tour also raises the stakes for viewers by showing
them the players' 'hole card' by way of tiny cameras. This added
feature enables viewers to know who's bluffing and who's not. The
show's announcers, poker pro Mike Sexton, actor Vice Van Patten
and model-turned-actress Shana Hiatt guide the viewers through the
game with a play-by-play analysis and the looming question, "Who
will call your bluff?"
"From its initial success and continuing hit series status
on The Travel Channel, World Poker Tour isn't a gamble for
programmers, it's a proven win," says Alfred Haber Distribution,
EVP Robert Kennedy. "Some buyers see it as a sports show, others
as a primetime reality program, and some as general entertainment...it's
whatever shuffles their deck!"
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