Page 35 - Southern California Gaming Guide • December 2021

and TV producer Steve Lipscomb. They thought the public would be interested in watching a poker match if they could see the hole cards as the hands played out. This was now possible with Henry Orenstein’s invention.
The World Poker Tour premiered on the Travel Channel in 2003 and quickly became the network’s number one show.
When other networks saw the popularity of the WPT they also looked to add poker tournaments to their lineups. In 2004, NBC broadcast a WPT event on Super Bowl Sunday while the network broadcasting the Super Bowl was showing the pre-game activities. It drew a record audience. Bravo had the Celebrity Poker
Showdown that was a top rated show during its five- season run. Other shows include the Ultimate Poker
Challenge, Poker Superstars, and many more. NBC even announced plans for a sitcom loosely based on the life of top poker player Annie Duke.
With poker being broadcast into the homes of millions the game has gained respectability. Suddenly the image of the professional poker player changed from degenerate gambler to a new breed of celebrity.
The public saw that most of these players were well- educated intelligent people who enjoyed a game that was played by millions of people each week in their
homes.
The WPT also showed that poker had a level playing
field. Each week you see amateurs and pros alike
playing at the final table. Poker has no gender bias. The WPT showed men and women competing against
DECEMBER 2021 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE PAGE 35