THE
SHOW IS ON THE ROAD: POKER TO COME TO
PRIME TIME THE WORLD POKER TOUR CELEBRATES
NATIONAL LAUNCH
LOS
ANGELES, Calif., June 21, 2002 -
Gus Hansen, of Copenhagen, Denmark, is
a wearier but a wealthier man. After a
five-day struggle, pitting his cunning,
skills and nerves against 146 of the world's
greatest poker players, Gus won the top
prize of $556,480 in the inaugural tournament
of the World Poker Tour, the Bellagio
Five Diamond World Poker Classic. The
event was held at the prestigious Bellagio
resort May 27-June 1, and is the first
in a series of 13 scheduled World Poker
Tour (WPT) competitions to be aired on
prime-time television.
Hansen
was euphoric after his victory. "It feels
great because up until the last moment
and the last card, I knew I could still
lose. I am kind of shaken, just happy
to be here," said Hansen, who will now
be recognised as a world-class player.
"I felt I played a good tournament but
you have to get lucky too. This was a
big step for me because now I must be
considered as a top contender."
Regularly played by over 50-million Americans,
the nation's most popular card game is
poised to become the next major mainstream
sport on television. The World Poker Tour
will consist of a further 12 nationally
televised poker events filmed in casinos
around the world, where finalists will
compete for multi-million dollar prize
pools. Champions from each of the tournaments
world-wide will earn a spot in the season-crowning
grand finale, "The Battle of Champions"
in April 2003, with a participant entry
fee of $25,000.
Some
of poker's best-known players were in
the field for Saturday's final, including
such poker-legends as Johnny Chan, Phil
Helmuth, Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese and
Scotty Nguyen, who reached the last six.
World Poker Tour CEO Steven Lipscomb was
delighted with the turnout. "Bellagio
and MGM MIRAGE exceeded our wildest expectations
making the launch of the World Poker Tour
an event to remember for a lifetime. We'll
be back in April 2003 for what may be
the biggest tournament in poker history."
By
Saturday June 1st, out of a field of 146.
six highly skilled and focused players
sat at the tense final table, which was
set on a raised stage and viewed by over
300 railbirds. Every moment of the exhilarating
final was caught on film by an experienced
30-member World Poker Tour crew. John
Juanda, of Alhambra, CA, won second place
and took home $278,240. Las Vegas residents
Kassem Deeb and John Hennigan finished
third and fourth earning $139,120 and
$83,472 respectively. Chris Bigler, of
Switzerland, finished in fifth place and
won $62,604 while celebrity player Scotty
Nguyen finished sixth with $48,692.
"We
are extremely excited about the success
of our inaugural Five Diamond World Poker
Classic," said Doug Dalton, vice president
of poker for Bellagio. "Everything ran
smoothly and we owe a lot of the success
to Steve and his staff. We are looking
forward to hosting the Battle of Champions
next April and anticipate another successful
event."
The
WPT is a joint venture between Chief Executive
Officer Steven Lipscomb, an accomplished
television creator and award-winning filmmaker,
and Lakes Gaming, Inc., whose founder
and CEO, Lyle Berman, is a world-renowned
poker player and accomplished business
man.
"We've
had four television networks ask us not
to make a deal with anyone else without
talking to them. That is unheard of, "said
Lipscomb, who is thrilled about the prospects
for his groundbreaking venture. "Two years
from now we're going to be the next televised
sensation."
Next
stop: August 28th at the Bicycle Casino,
Los Angeles. Watch out!
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