PartyPoker Late Night Poker Line-Up Confirmed Return of the Original Poker TV Show

GIBRALTAR, October 16 /PRNewswire/ -- PartyPoker Late Night Poker makes its annual return to screens
on Channel 4 in the UK and Ireland early next year but filming gets underway
in Cardiff on the 23rd October, with the final on the 27th.

After a number of
different formats over recent years the tournament goes back to the format of
1999-2002, with an emphasis on player personalities that have made the
tournament so compelling over the years.


Joining familiar Late Night Poker personalities and champions
such as Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott, the Hendon Mob, Padraig Parkinson,
Donnacha O'Dea, Marcel Luske and Simon Trumper will be some of most talked
about players on the scene. Controversial 2006 WSOP Main Event Champion Jamie
Gold is flying in from the US to take part and is the winner of the richest
poker event ever, taking home US$12 million. Also recently added to the
line-up is WSOP Europe Main Event winner Annette Obrestad, Roland De Wolfe,
Robert Williamson III, Jen Mason and Jon Kalmar.


Adding to an already international flavour, there is also two
wildcards who are recent converts to the game. Holland's Maud Mulder is
famous in her homeland for finishing second in the original Pop Idol series,
has had hit chart records but also won the very first major poker tournament
she played in spectacular style. Joining Maud is Agnieszka Rylik, a top
television journalist from Poland who has prepared for her battle with the
pros by heading to Las Vegas for coaching sessions with Mike Sexton.


A PartyPoker spokesman said: "We are happy so many of the old
faces are back and are pleased with the line-up. There is also going to be a
celebrity special table filmed the same day as the final - details of which
will be released in the near future."


With PartyPoker Late Night Poker harking back to its original
format, the way the action is actually going to be filmed for television is
going change this year and flashbacks to previous series' will feature.


Rob Thomas, producer of Late Night Poker for production
company Presentable said: "The convention for every poker show these days is
to show all the player's cards as soon as they enter a pot. When Late Night
Poker started, the style was very different. Player's cards were revealed at
appropriate moments during the hand to create more drama as the hand
progressed. Twice in each show we will see the hand from one player's
perspective. We'll only see their particular hole cards which gives the
viewer a different perspective as the hand develops. TV poker is about
creating drama and tension and, in these instances, the commentators will
have great fun guessing what the opponent might be holding, and then there's
the excitement of the "reveal" moment at the end of the hand. We believe this
will enhance the viewer's enjoyment."


Late Night Poker revolutionised people's perception of poker
when the tournament was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1999 and was the
first to use under the table cameras. The total prize pool for 2007 is
US$335,000 (US$90,000 added by PartyPoker) with US$125,000 going to the
eventual winner. There will be 49 players paying a US$5000 buy-in with seven
heats featuring seven players, followed by a semi final and a final. The
field will also feature ten online qualifiers who won their seats in
exclusive online tournaments on PartyPoker.


Coverage of the tournament will be filmed by Presentable and
will be presented by Vicky Coren, with Thomas Kremser the Tournament
Director. Presentable also produced the coverage of the successful PartyPoker
Poker Nations Cup earlier this year.

PartyGaming Plc

News Added: 16 October, 2007

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