Only a few years ago, it would seem impossible that some one could take a game with so little visual appeal like poker, and cause it to become one of the world’s most played games, and a popular television show that outranks every other in terms of rating when it is shown? It was Steve Lipscomb, the creator and CEO of the World Poker Tour that had the brainstorm in 2001. He started a company devoted to televising a series of high stakes poker games held in casinos across the country. A sort of reality show.
The enterprising Lipscomb sold his idea to the Travel channel, which agreed to televise at the outset 13 episodes. It turned out that the gamble was an astonishing success. The 2003 World Poker Tour attracted 844,000 viewers, nearly triple what the Travel Channel drew during the corresponding period of time the previous year.
The enterprising Lipscomb sold his idea to the Travel Channel, which agreed to televise a 13-week series of episodes. The experiment was a smashing success. The 2003 World Poker Tour attracted 844,000 viewers, nearly triple what the Travel Channel drew during the corresponding period of time the previous year. The Travel Channel knew it was making a good gamble. Of all the exotic places it takes viewers to, Las Vegas-geared programs were always the most popular. The 2003 WPT proved so successful that the series came back for an encore run during the summer.
What made the WPT so different was the invention of a tiny camera embedded in the rails in front of each player’s position. The enables viewers to take a peak at the player’s hands when the tilted them up to glance. Expert hand-by-hand commentary, synthesized music, and the creation of "poker superstars" add to the appeal.
It costs Lipscomb between $350,000 and $400,000 to produce each episode, but the investment proves well worth it. Competitions such as the World Series of Poker, which has been held at the Horseshoe Casino in Downtown Las Vegas since 1970, and the U.S. Poker Championship, which was inaugurated at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1996, were immediate beneficiaries of Lipscomb's brainchild.
The 2004 World Series of Poker began on April 23 and continued through May 23. The tournament, which is the longest continually held poker event in the world, drew 9,000 entrants. The famous championship event, a $10,000 buy-in game of Texas Hold'em, is expected to attract 1,200 players.
Although a restraining order on the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act...
Israeli poker player Ziv Bachar from Tel Aviv survived an initial starter field of 186 players in th...
It is online appropriate that the Internet gambling sector will usher in the month of October with a...
The casinos of America are fast becoming video-poker paradises as video poker machines begin to bump...
Although a restraining order on the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act...
Revenues at the betting exchange Betfair have risen by a third after is succeeded in luring record n...
When you see the bug poker players on television, you may wonder how it is that they got to be so su...
One of the most popular ways to have fun at online casinos is to create a free play money account. T...
The host of online casino, PlayersOnly.com, Carrie Stroup, is celebrating her Babe of the Month spre...
Britain's new gambling law came into force at midnight September 1, legalizing U.K. advertising camp...
Inver Hills Community College announced today its online Casino Gaming program is now available for ...
Swedish online gambling software developer and turnkey provider Net Entertainment has announced a de...
Lakewood’s so-called “gambling moratorium” – which the Lakewood City Council is likely to extend for...
Online Casino and Sportsbook and poker room, Bodog.com, has announced yet another domain change foll...
Online Poker News - news
from the world of
Online Poker RSS Feed.
The OPN directory is currently in development and will be available soon. If you are interested in adding a link, just click on the “Add Link” button. Thanks for your patience.
Receive up to $777 more for free! Crystal Palace is now giving you a 100% matching bonus of up to $7...
Sign up now and receive a $600 bonus at 100% deposit match!!! At Full Tilt Poker there is action to ...
Join today and receive $777 free welcome bonus to play your favorite slots and classic casino games,...
Recommended Poker Books
You do not need prior permission to link to any of the pages on this site. Limited copyright is granted for you to use and/or republish any of the articles on this site for any legitimate media purpose as long as you reference OPN as the source, and include a link referring the reader to the OPN site.