Harrah's New Orleans To Host Bravo's Celebrity Poker

07.04.2006, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «Harrah's New Orleans To Host Bravo's Celebrity Poker».

Showdown; Tournament To Donate $1 Million To Hurricane Katrina Charities LAS VEGAS, Apr 06, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The NBC cable network Bravo begins taping today the new season of its hit series "Celebrity Poker Showdown" at Harrah's New Orleans and announced plans to donate $1 million to charities benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) and Bravo announced today.

Phil Hellmuth, winner of nine World Series of Poker(R) bracelets, will serve as the series' new poker commentator and co-host, along with comedian Dave Foley. The all-new eighth tournament, featuring a million-dollar prize pool, will premiere this spring.

"For the new season of 'Celebrity Poker Showdown,' we have decided to take the series in a new direction and we could think of no better way than to support the people of New Orleans," said Frances Berwick, senior vice president of programming and production for Bravo. "In Phil Hellmuth we have found an engaging, proven and renowned poker champion who we are confident will complement Dave Foley's comedic commentary and provide the insight our viewers rely on."

"New Orleans is a city with a heart and soul like no other American city and is widely considered the birthplace of poker in America, making it the ideal place for our show," said executive producer Marcia Mule. "We are particularly proud to be able to donate $1 million to charities that will help The Big Easy recover from Hurricane Katrina."

"This alliance with Bravo adds to our global entertainment portfolio and deepens our relationship with NBC Universal," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker and vice president of sports and entertainment marketing for Harrah's. "'Celebrity Poker Showdown' is fun and entertaining and we're proud to host the upcoming season at Harrah's New Orleans."

With nine World Series of Poker victories and more than 50 tournament titles under his belt, Hellmuth's poker legacy is secure. His list of achievements began in 1989 when he won the World Series of Poker Main Event title at the age of 24, becoming the youngest person to ever accomplish the feat, a record that stills stands to this day. He has since amassed dozens of major tournament wins internationally, including wins at The World's Biggest Seven-card Stud Tournament in Austria and Late Night Poker in Great Britain.

Bravo will be teaming up with Harrah's to make Harrah's New Orleans the new official casino of "Celebrity Poker Showdown." The land-based casino closed shortly before Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the city on August 29. The building sustained storm damage, and was used by first responders as a base of operations in the days following the storm. Repairs to the facility have been completed and the casino re-opened on February 17. "Hosting the Celebrity Poker Showdown is a great way to demonstrate to a national television audience that New Orleans is open for business and ready to receive guests," said Jim Hoskins, vice president and general manager of Harrah's New Orleans. "We know that Bravo will put on a good show, send a positive message about our city, and create significant funding for hurricane relief programs."

Filmed in front of a live audience, each episode of "Celebrity Poker Showdown" features five celebrities competing against each other for the chance to win thousands to donate to the charity of their choice. Each week, a new group of celebrities meet at the table to go head to head until only one remains. The winner from each week's game will advance to the championship sixth game. To date, "Celebrity Poker Showdown" has given away $2,450,000 to charities around the world. All celebrities will be playing for charities benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina. "Celebrity Poker Showdown" is produced by Picture This Television in association with Bravo. Marcia Mule, Bryan Scott and Lisa M. Tucker are the executive producers.

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed off-network dramas, comedy and music specials, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 80 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Project Runway," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," and "Blow Out" as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye." The network's latest hits include "Being Bobby Brown" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information visit www.bravotv.com.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 68 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

More information about Harrah's is available at its Web site - www.harrahs.com. SOURCE: Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.

Über World Series of Poker (WSOP):

Die World Series of Poker, oder kurz WSOP, ist eine Reihe von Pokerturnieren, die jedes Jahr in Las Vegas ausgetragen werden.

Die World Series of Poker finden jährlich im Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas statt.

Die World Series of Poker ist die grösste und prestigeträchtigste Pokerveranstaltung der Welt. Mit einer umfassenden Liste von Turnieren in allen wichtigen Pokervarianten ist die WSOP das am längsten laufende Pokerturnier der Welt und geht auf das Jahr 1970 zurück.

Darüber hinaus hat die WSOP bahnbrechende Allianzen in den Bereichen Rundfunk, digitale Medien und Unternehmenssponsoring gebildet und die Marke mit der Einführung der WSOP Europe im Jahr 2007 und der WSOP Asia-Pacific im Jahr 2013 sowie der WSOP International Circuit Series im Jahr 2015 erfolgreich international ausgebaut.

Ursprünglich wurden die Tourniere in Las Vegas Downtown im Binion's Horseshoe Casino ausgetragen. Im Jahre 2005 kaufte Caesars den Brand WSOP. Seit diesem Datum werden die Pokermeisterschaften im Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino durchgeführt.

Gewinner der letzten Jahre des WSOP-Championship-Mainevent

2020: Damian Salas 2019: Hossein Ensan 2018: John Cynn 2017: Scott Blumstein 2016: Qui Nguyen 2015: Joe McKeehen 2014: Martin Jacobson 2013: Ryan Riess 2012: Greg Merson 2011: Pius Heinz 2010: Jonathan Duhamel 2009: Joe Cada 2008: Peter Eastgate 2007: Jerry Yang 2006: Jamie Gold 2005: Joe Hachem 2004: Greg "Fossil Man" Raymer 2003: Chris Moneymaker 2002: Robert Varkonyi 2001: Carlos Mortensen 2000: Chris "Jesus" Ferguson 1999: J.J. "Noel" Furlong 1998: Scotty Nguyen 1997: Stu Ungar 1996: Huck Seed 1995: Dan Harrington 1994: Russ Hamilton 1993: Jim Bechtel 1992: Hamid Dastmalchi 1991: Brad Daugherty 1990: Mansour Matloubi 1989: Phil Hellmuth Jr. 1988: Johnny Chan 1987: Johnny Chan 1986: Berry Johnston 1985: Bill Smith 1984: Jack Keller 1983: Tom McEvoy 1982: Jack Strauss 1981: Stu Ungar 1980: Stu Ungar 1979: Hal Fowler 1978: Bobby Baldwin 1977: Doyle Brunson 1976: Doyle Brunson 1975: Sailor Roberts 1974: Johnny Moss 1973: Puggy Pearson 1972: Amarillo Slim Preston 1971: Johnny Moss 1970: Johnny Moss

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