ESPN2 Will Broadcast the North American Poker Tour — The Best Online Casino News - TheBestCasinoGuide.com
Poker lovers have something to celebrate with the announcement by PokerStars.net of EPSN2’s contract to exclusively televise the North American Poker Tour. The coverage of the NAPT will start in April 2010 with all the broadcasts on ESPN2. The deal helps solidify EPSN2’s position as a leader in televised poker and is one more example of the massive popularity of the game of poker; both as a game and a television event.
The schedule is set to broadcast 16 hours of original programming of the NAPT as well as reruns. The coverage will include all the stops on the NAPT and will have coverage of the PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure that was held in January, 2010. The Tour will also have a regular web-cast to be shown on www.napt.com.
“Having the North American Poker Tour on ESPN2 is going to take poker on this continent to a different level,” said Team PokerStars.net Pro Daniel Negreanu. “With some of the most important gaming venues in the US on board and the reach of ESPN2, the NAPT is set to bring the excitement of world-class tournament poker to millions who love this game as much as I do.”
The NAPT features affordable buy-ins and as a result, many thousands of poker players are expected to join in the fray. They will be playing for purses totaling millions of dollars and the opportunity to play against some of the world’s best known poker professionals including Daniel Negreanu, Joe Cada, Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, Dennis Phillips, Vanessa Rousso and many others. The buy-in for main events has been set at $5000 and PokerStars.net will be putting prizes up for grabs that will include a main event buy-in plus accommodations.
The event at the Famous Venetian in Las Vegas will be held on February 20-24, 2010. This stop features a $25,000 buy-in Invitational High Roller Bounty Shootout tournament. This original concept will pit 36 poker stars fighting for a spot at the final table. They will all have a “Bounty” on them and the player who has the most bounties will win a cool $100,000. The $100,000 will be in addition to the prize pool for the tournament and has been put up by PokerStars.net. This event will include Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein and Tony G among the players.
The tour actually started in January, 2010 with the PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure. The tournament was played in the sunny Bahamas and winner Harrison Gimbel came away with a incredible $.2.2 million dollars out of the enormous purse of almost $15 million dollars. The record setting field included 1529 players who entered the main event.
The broadcasts will be hosted Joanna Krupa. Joanna was seen on PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge. The show will be produced by 411 Productions. ESPN2 has extensive experience broadcasting poker tournaments and the NAPT will feature many thrilling hours of exciting tournament coverage.
After the Napt completes its stop in Las Vegas at the Venetian from February 20-24, it will then travel across the country to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event is set to be played from April 7-11, 2010. For a complete schedule and all the latest on the Tour, please go to www.napt.com.
