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World Poker Tour Sheds Old Skin

Television premiere of WPT fifth anniversary season announced

Thursday 29th March 2007

WPT enterprises, the company which created the WPT phenomenon has announced the television premier of the WPT fifth anniversary season. The first tournament will be at the Mirage casino, on the Travel Channel™ at 9pm ET/PT on April 4th.

The WPT has a ‘bold new look’, a new female presenter, new specials and a bunch of new WPT Poker-Made Millionaires™. The rebranding is protected with a number of new trademarks that have become the hallmark of WPT operations.

The exclusive rights attitude was not something everyone was happy with; a group of top poker professionals recently sought to loosen WPT’s grip, and return to them their own ‘brands’ on which WPT had sought to capitalise. WPT threatened exclusion from tournaments, which, given the speed at which new and talented players are emerging was not a weak move. Essentially the public will vote over time, the question is, will they follow individual players more faithfully than the WPT brand?

Old battles aside, the company has achieved an enormous amount, including having presented over $300 million in prize money.

“In five years—together with the best casino partners and the best players in the world—we have launched a global phenomenon,” said Steve Lipscomb, President, Founder and CEO of the WPTE.




Source: OnlineCasinoNews