Poker After Dark: The 19th Hole
January 4, 2008
Poker After Dark: The 19th Hole
New match features 6 top players who also share a penchant for golf.
(PRWEB) January 4, 2008 — This week’s match on NBC’s Poker After Dark is sure to capture the attention of poker fans everywhere, but maybe even more so to those who also enjoy a day on the links whether they are a scratch golfer or a perennial hacker. For anyone who has ever imbibed in a few of their favorite beverages with friends at their local 19th hole after a round of golf, they’ll see a lot of similarities between the camaraderie that exists among their golfing buddies and how this match plays out. The banter at the table is largely golf-oriented, and the stories the players relate are amusing and entertaining.
In a quest for this week’s $120,000 first place winner-take-all prize, two newcomers will make their debut on PAD in the persons of David Oppenheim and Gavin Smith. David has been playing professionally for about 15 years, and is known as one of the best limit high-stakes cash game players in the world. Gavin, a self-proclaimed “wild card” at the tables due to his aggressive nature, is anything but quiet when he plays and will undoubtedly provide some interesting table talk.
These two will swap stories and butt heads with four pros that have also been known to engage in a friendly wager or two on the golf course in fan favorites Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and Erick Lindgren. Ivey has won two PAD titles, and will be looking to become the first player to win three. Brunson and Negreanu have each won one, and Lindgren will be looking for his first in three tries.
Brief profiles of all six players follow. The match will begin airing on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 a.m., January 7, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, January 12, at 1:00 a.m., right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature Poker After Dark’s new host, Marianela, with a behind-the-scenes look at the week including highlights and insightful player interviews.
Pretty Light coverage of ‘After Dark’ amateur
January 4, 2008
Ken Light, an amateur who won his seat on NBC’s “Poker After Dark” online, told new host Marianela Pereyra that the show’s producers asked him to rank his top 10 players of all time — and then got five of them to agree to play.
“Maybe my dream turned into a nightmare,” Light said during Tuesday’s episode.
I felt bad for Light for two reasons:
1. He’s got the worst seat at the table, at least in terms of TV exposure. The other players — Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow and Scott Nguyen — have been on TV plenty. Light’s on the far right-hand side of the table, which usually is fine — except when Negreanu and Hellmuth are at the other end dominating the chatter, the play and the camera time.
2. Once Light finally got involved in a hand with his favorite player, Negreanu, he fumbled. Light still won the pot, but, after a check-check on the river, he called out his hand as just a pair, when he indeed had hit a small flush. He felt a little sheepish as he raked in the chips, but that’s an honest mistake that I make among my friends, let alone world-class players.
‘Poker After Dark’ returns … wait, who’s that?
January 2, 2008
The third season of NBC’s “Poker After Dark” starts Tuesday with a new host, some new players and an interesting twist to the opening week.That’s right, Shana Hiatt fans, she’s been replaced. I don’t see much poker among the new host’s credentials, so I’ll just assume Marianela Pereyra is just another pretty face.
As a player, Ken Light makes his “PAD” debut during the first week. It’s understandable if his name is unfamiliar. Light won his seat online at Full Tilt for the $20,000 buy-in, winner-take-all event and got to hand pick his other five competitors.
Light chose Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow, Scotty Nguyen — who’s also making his first appearance on the show — to join him.
It’s going to be interesting to see how he stacks up against the pros. Light, a graduate student at Rutgers University, made his first trip to Las Vegas for the taping of the show and, by his own admission, has played in an actual card room only a handful of times.
Poker After Dark Season 3 Rings in the New Year
December 31, 2007
The third season of NBC’s popular Poker After Dark begins late night on Monday. The format remains the same: Six pros each putting up $20,000 in a $120,000 winner take all match. Poker After Dark airs one match over several nights, giving the audience a chance to see most of the hands played, as well as the great table banter. 57 players have competed during the first two seasons, and the newest season features 15 newcomers including: Jean-Robert Bellande, Hoyt Corkins, Beth Shak, Gavin Smith and Scotty Nguyen.A notable new comer is Ken Light, who will be playing in the opening match of the season. Ken won his seat for free on FullTiltPoker, and was able to select his dream poker line-up.
Poker After Dark alos unveils its newest hostess, Marienella Pereyra who is originally from Argentina. This is her second gig in the poker world, the first being the side line reporter for the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event PPV.
Poker After Dark can be seen 6 times a week:
Monday - Friday (2AM - 3AM)
Saturday Night (1AM-2AM)
Poker After Dark: Dream Match Marks Debut of PAD3
December 28, 2007
(PRWEB) December 28, 2007 — NBC’s Poker After Dark kicks off Season 3 with a match that is sure to have everyone buzzing. Not only are 5 of the world’s best players featured in Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu and Mike Matusow, but they were specifically invited to play against amateur player Ken Light, who won his seat in this match via a freeroll at FullTiltPoker.net. A 28-year-old graduate student at Rutgers University, Ken will do his best to make amateur and online players everywhere proud as he takes on these legendary five for the $120,000 winner-take-all first place prize.
The odds Ken had to overcome to play in this match were staggering. All he had to do was win a designated PAD single-table sit & go to advance into the second round, where he then faced 360 players in a multi-table tournament. By finishing in the top nine, he was entered into the final round, along with 1394 other players who had done the same thing. But he defeated them all, and sat stunned for about 3 hours afterwards at his home in Pennington, NJ.
Faced with a decision of who to match Ken up against, the show’s producers interviewed him over the phone and asked him who his favorite players were. It was from this list that they came up with the idea of inviting the players who were Ken’s personal favorites. The pros were happy to oblige, and the Dream Match was conceived.
This match also marks the debut of Marianela, the program’s new host. Now known as the “Poker Princess,” viewers are in for a real treat. See if you don’t agree that she will soon become a household name in the poker community for her witty personality, improvisation, expertise in conducting interviews and her flair for having fun in front of the cameras.
Vega Selects Tournament Director for LAPT Season 1
December 21, 2007
VEGA PROMOTIONAL SYSTEMS, INC. (Pink Sheets: VGPM.PK) today announced it has selected John Cofhlin to be the Tournament Director for the Company’s inaugural Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) season.
A seasoned veteran of tournament poker, Mr. Cofhlin has 18 years of experience as a casino poker room Manager and Tournament Director. His background spans from World Poker Tour events to the EPT Grand Finale. Having worked all over the world for companies like MGM Mirage, Harrahs, Grand Casino, and Boyd Gaming Corp., Mr. Cofhlin was the Company’s first choice to become Tournament Director for the inaugural season of the Latin American Poker Tour.
Vega recently announced plans to launch the LAPT and plans to hold eight tournaments during the inaugural LAPT 2008 season. The televised tournaments will be held in eight Latin American countries, including Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, with a season ending Tournament of Champions to crown the number one poker player in Latin America. The programming will be produced by Vega and aired throughout Latin America. As Executive Producer for the LAPT, Vega will own 100% of the programming and is currently negotiating for airtime with a major cable provider that would allow the Company to profit from selling its own advertising for the programs.
Cofhlin commented, “We are very excited about bringing a major Poker Tour to a market that has been so supportive and instrumental in the poker boom worldwide. There are many excellent players in the Latin community and unfortunately, most are not financially capable of traveling to the current big money poker events. This will make the industry more accessible and allow a lot of players to pursue their dreams.”
Michael Herron, CEO of Vega stated, “We have known John for quite awhile and seen him in operation and we are proud to have him onboard. He brings a lot of international experience to the project and will be a critical part of things from the very start. Our goal is to make the LAPT one of the most popular Poker Tours in the world and John can help us get there.”
Additional details about the LAPT will be announced as they become available.
About Vega Promotional Systems, Inc.:
Vega Promotional Systems, Inc. is a marketing company that is seeking complimentary business opportunities that will allow it to implement its Business Plan and increase its shareholder value. The Company’s stock trades under the symbol VGPM on the pink sheets.
Certain statements in this release constitute forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “forecast,” “project,” “intend,” “expect” “should,” “would,” and similar expressions and all statements, which are not historical facts, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward- looking statements involve and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance (finance or operating) or achievements to differ from future results, performance (financing and operating) or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Vega Promotional Systems, Inc.
NBC Set to Launch 3rd Season of Poker After Dark on 12/31
December 21, 2007
December 20, 2007 — With two successful seasons of Poker After Dark in the books, NBC will continue to bring poker fans around the globe the very best in 6-handed match-ups with the airing of its 3rd season beginning late night on December 31. The hit show will again feature the top players in the game each putting up $20,000 per match and competing for a $120,000 winner-take-all prize. Returning to provide limited commentary is Ali Nejad.
he program, designed to show how a match progresses over time by showing the majority of the hands involved, has provided not only top quality poker filled with drama and excitement, but also a lot of laughs and some eyebrow-raising behavior. Contributing to the entertainment factor is the interaction that takes place between the players, which allows viewers a better look into each of their personalities. This banter is often confrontational, but for the most part is lighthearted and filled with exchanges and anecdotes you won’t find on any other program.
The producers takes pride in introducing an interesting mix of players to the viewing audience, and the first 2 seasons saw 57 of the game’s elite participate. This year 15 newcomers will make their debut, including John-Robert Bellande, Hoyt Corkins, Roland de Wolfe, Chau Giang, Mark Gregorich, Sam Grizzle, Berry Johnston, J.J. Liu, Scotty Nguyen, David Oppenheim, Erica Schoenberg, Beth Shak, Gavin Smith, and Robert Williamson III. Another notable newcomer is amateur Ken Light, who will play in the opening match of the season. Ken won his seat via a freeroll at FullTiltPoker.net and was able to choose his personal dream line-up.
PAD3 will also debut a highly entertaining new program host named Marianela, who will bring her unique charm, wit, and personality to the show. This Argentina-born beauty is hip, creative, and as comfortable in front of a camera as any runway model. The players loved working with her, and viewers will especially enjoy how well she interacts with the players. Be sure to visit www.nbcsports.com/poker for photos and more information about the new “Poker Princess.”
Here are the new matches that will take place during Poker After Dark’s 3rd season:
Match 21: Dream Table (Week of December 31)
Seat 1: Daniel Negreanu
Seat 2: Phil Hellmuth
Seat 3: Jennifer Harman
Seat 4: Mike Matusow
Seat 5: Scotty Nguyen
Seat 6: Ken Light
Match 22: 19th Hole (Week of January 7)
Seat 1: Gavin Smith
Seat 2: David Oppenheim
Seat 3: Erick Lindgren
Seat 4: Phil Ivey
Seat 5: Doyle Brunson
Seat 6: Daniel Negreanu
Match 23: Hecklers (Week of January 14)
Seat 1: Gavin Smith
Seat 2: Sam Grizzle
Seat 3: John-Robert Bellande
Seat 4: Mike Matusow
Seat 5: Shawn Sheikhan
Seat 6: Phil Hellmuth
Match 24: World Champions (Week of February 11)
Seat 1: Chris Ferguson (2000)
Seat 2: Johnny Chan (1987, 1988)
Seat 3: Berry Johnston (1986)
Seat 4: Jamie Gold (2006)
Seat 5: Phil Hellmuth (1989)
Seat 6: Huck Seed (1996)
Match 25: Cowboys (Week of February 18)
Seat 1: Doyle Brunson
Seat 2: Chris Ferguson
Seat 3: Chau Giang
Seat 4: Andy Bloch
Seat 5: Hoyt Corkins
Seat 6: Gabe Kaplan
Match 26: International (Week of February 25)
Seat 1: Patrik Antonius (Finland)
Seat 2: Johnny Chan (China)
Seat 3: Roland de Wolfe (England)
Seat 4: Daniel Negreanu (Canada)
Seat 5: Gus Hansen (Denmark)
Seat 6: John Juanda (Indonesia)
Match 27: Jam Up (Week of March 24)
Seat 1: David Williams
Seat 2: Howard Lederer
Seat 3: Mike Matusow
Seat 4: Barry Greenstein
Seat 5: Antonio Esfandiari
Seat 6: Eli Elezra
Match 28: Gus and the Ladies (Week of March 31)
Seat 1: Gus Hansen
Seat 2: Vanessa Rousso
Seat 3: J.J. Liu
Seat 4: Clonie Gowen
Seat 5: Beth Shak
Seat 6: Erica Schoenberg
Match 29: Love at First Raise (Week of May 12)
Seat 1: Jennifer Harman
Seat 2: David Benyamine
Seat 3: Jennifer Tilly
Seat 4: Marco Traniello
Seat 5: Erica Schoenberg
Seat 6: Phil Laak
Match 30: Commentators (Week of May 19)
Seat 1: Mark Gregorich
Seat 2: Chad Brown
Seat 3: Ali Nejad
Seat 4: Robert Williamson III
Seat 5: Phil Gordon
Seat 6: Howard Lederer
So will any of the players go on mega-tilt this season? Count on it. Will there be more feisty verbal exchanges? Of course. Will there be any surprise winners? You betcha. Will Phil Hellmuth finally win a match? Well, you’ll just have to tune in to find out. But what better way is there for a poker fan to usher in the New Year?
2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship Scheduled
December 20, 2007
The 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship has become one of the most anticipated and exiting events of the year. The dates have now been set for the next year’s event and it will be held Feb. 28 - March 2, 2008 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
This event is by invitation only and much like the NCAA tournaments, it will kick off at the PURE nightclub at Caesars Palace with the pairing party. This is were all the players gather and get their opening round pairings.
It was last year that Paul Wasicka and Chad Brown squared off in the final heads up match after outlasting a field of 64 players that included tough poker pros and a few tough playing Hollywood celebrities. Paul Wasicka won the final match and got the Heads Up title and $500,000 for his efforts.
Those invited to this year’s tournament so far have been Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson (2005-06 Runner up), Phil Hellmuth (2005 Champ) and Paul Wasicka has been invited to defend his crown.
Shannon Elizabeth, who almost got to play for the championship last year showing that at least this beauty can be a beast at the poker table, will also be invited back to play again. You will also get to see some of the new players making a splash on 2007 like, Jerry Yang, Jonathan Little and Brian Townsend.
Though most players place getting an invitation in high regards, no one has yet confirmed that they will play in the 2008 Heads Up event as of yet.
