GSN’S ‘HIGH STAKES POKER™’ HEADS BACK TO THE GOLDEN NUGGET HOTEL & CASINO WITH LARGEST EVER BUY-IN FOR ENTIRE RUN OF A TELEVISION SERIES

WHAT: GSN invites press to come watch the exclusive taping of the highly-anticipated fifth season of HIGH STAKES POKER™. The new season features the returns of poker stars Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson and Eli Elezra, along with players new to HIGH STAKES POKER such as Tom Dwan and reigning World Champion Peter Eastgate, and recreational players like “The Simpsons” creator Sam Simon, Bob Safai and film director Nick Cassavetes. The stakes have never been higher for the players as the minimum cash buy-in of $200,000 is the largest buy-in for an entire run of a television series. The show returns to the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV where HIGH STAKES POKER SEASON ONE took place. Please see below for a preliminary list of players scheduled to appear.

WHO: Players currently scheduled to appear include:

PATRIK ANTONIUS

MIKE BAXTER

DAVID BENYAMINE

DOYLE BRUNSON

NICK CASSAVETES

IVAN DEMIDOV

TOM DWAN

PETER EASTGATE

ELI ELEZRA

ANTONIO ESFANDIARI

BARRY GREENSTEIN

PHIL HELLMUTH

PHIL IVEY

PHIL LAAK

HOWARD LEDERER

GIORGIO MEDICI

DARIO MINIERI

DANIEL NEGREANU

ILARI SAHAMIES

BOB SAFAI

SAM SIMON

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 19: 12:30-9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20: 12:30-9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 21: 12:30-9:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino

The audience, many of whom became poker fans when their friends/family members made the final table in July, may not have understood the significance of the inductions, but they did appreciate Doyle Brunson introducing Tomko. Brunson shared some amusing stories about Tomko’s lack of worldliness, such as when he asked what language was spoken in England, but it was Brunson’s way of paying tribute to his long-time friend, also mentioning Tomko’s three WSOP bracelets, two main event runner up spots, and longest record of participation in the main event (35 years). Tomko then accepted his spot in the Hall of Fame with a thank-you speech to those who’ve supported him through the years.

Henry Orenstein wasn’t able to travel across the country to be in Vegas, but friend and associate Mori Eskandani gave an introduction and read a few words from Orenstein. It was mentioned that Orenstein was a Holocaust survivor, having made a life for himself after watching many of his family members murdered early in his life. (Yeow.) Though he has been successful in poker with a WSOP bracelet and other accomplishments under his belt, he is best known for his invention of the hole card camera that has made poker into the televise-able event that it is today. It was also mentioned that Orenstein is starting a charity organization to help professional poker players in need (not in need of a bankroll, as Eskandani joked). He’s starting the non-profit with $200K of his own funds and will be releasing details of the organization soon.

Congrats to them both on their accomplishments and induction tonight. Now, let’s play poker!

Has the 100+ day delay been a success? ESPN says ratings are the highest they’ve been in two years, but that was when Hellmuth and Matusow were heavily featured in the coverage. The hoped for mainstream coverage talked about when this all began never really came through, as Lou Krieger mentions.

Play is scheduled to start today at 10am PT at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas. For those that want to listen to the coverage, http://www.bluffmagazine.com/blufftvBluff Magazine and worldseriesofpoker.com will provide an audio stream along with constantly updated chip counts, using their Poker Tracker software. Nick Geber, Lacey Jones and a bunch of other guests will be in on the action. Jeffrey Pollack even writes a rare blog about tonight’s Hall of Fame ceremony, which will take place at about 7:15, just before play resumes from the dinner break. When heads-up play resumes Monday at 10pm PT, Erick Lindgren will receive his WSOP Player of the Year award (and whatever comes with that).

It was decided earlier last week that they will NOT redraw for seats, so here’s how they’ll be situated when cards go in the air (in case you forgot):

Dennis Phillips – 26,295,000
Craig Marquis – 10,210,000
Ylon Schwartz – 12,525,000
Scott Montgomery – 19,690,000
Darus Suharto – 12,520,000
David ‘Chino’ Rheem – 10,230,000
Ivan Demidov – 24,400,000
Kelly Kim – 2,620,000
Peter Eastgate – 18,375,000

Kelly Kim will start on the button, there is 21:50 remaining in level 33 (30k ante, 120/240k blinds).

Some questions before play starts:

How long will Kelly Kim last at the final table?
Will Dennis Phillips regain his momentum, and did the coaching of Roy Winston (?) and company hurt his game?
Will Peter Eastgate or Craig Marquis replace Hellmuth as the youngest ME winner?
Will Ivan Demidov improve on his finish at the WSOP Europe Main Event?
Do Darus Suharto and Ylon Schwartz try to fold their way up the payout ladder?
Can Chino Rheem do his numerous backers proud with a high finish and return the ME to the pros?
Will Scott Montgomery flame out in a blaze of glory, or will his aggressive play overpower the other players?

As to who wins this damn thing, I’m going with Ivan Demidov in a brief headsup match with Peter Eastgate (with Hellmuth looking on).

Click below for more details.

Poker Hall of Fame Announces 2008 Inductees
WSOP Bracelet Winners Duane “Dewey” Tomko & Henry Orenstein To Become 36th & 37th Members

Induction Ceremony to be Held as Part of Poker’s Biggest Night at Rio’s Penn & Teller Theater Prior To World Series of Poker® Main Event Final Table

LAS VEGAS (October 30, 2008) – The Poker Hall of Fame has announced its 2008 Class, and what a class it is.

Duane “Dewey” Tomko, a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, a two-time Main Event runner-up, and the holder of the longest consecutive Main Event participation record (35 years) will become poker’s newest Hall of Fame member.

Tomko will enter alongside Henry Orenstein, a Holocaust survivor who won the 1996 World Series of Poker Seven-Card Stud Championship and also cashed twice in the Main Event, including a final table finish at the 1995 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Orenstein perhaps is better known for his real occupation – an inventor – holding more than 100 patents, including those for Sesame Street toys, Snoopy toys, the Transformers and U.S. Patent  5,451,054, which gave Orenstein the exclusive right to detect and display hole cards in poker games.

It was this patent, known today as the “Hole Card Cam” or “Hole Cam” which made poker a made-for-TV attraction, creating an estimated 150,000 jobs worldwide, spurring the meteoric rise of poker and helping popularize the game to heights never before seen in its long history.

Orenstein and Tomko will be enshrined on Sunday, November 9 at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suites® Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during the finale of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event championship.  ESPN will show portions of the ceremony during their November 11 telecast.

The enshrinement and WSOP final table play are open and free to the public.  Seating is available on a first come, first serve basis.

The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004.  Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker’s most influential players and other important contributors to the game. With Orenstein and Tomko, there are 16 living members.

The main criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame is as follows:

A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
Played for high stakes
Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
Stood the test of time
Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.
The entire list of 37 Poker Hall of Fame members includes (alphabetical with year of induction in parenthesis):

Tom Abdo (1982)
Crandell Addington (2005)
Bobby Baldwin (2003)
Billy Baxter (2006)
Lyle Berman (2002)
Joe Bernstein (1983)
Benny Binion (1990)
Jack Binion (2005)
Bill Boyd (1981)
Doyle Brunson (1988)
Johnny Chan (2002)
T.J. Cloutier (2006)
Nick “The Greek” Dandolos (1979)
Barbara Enright (2007)
Fred “Sarge” Ferris (1989)
T “Blondie” Forbes (1980)
Henry Green (1986)
Murph Harrold (1984)
Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth (2007)
James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok (1979)
Red Hodges (1985)
Edmond Hoyle (1979)
Berry Johnston (2004)
Jack Keller (1993)
Felton “Corky” McCorquodale (1979)
Roger Moore (1997)
Johnny Moss (1979)
Henry Orenstein (2008)
Walter Clyde “Puggy” Pearson (1987)
Julius Oral “Little Man” Popwell (1996)
Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston (1992)
David “Chip” Reese (1991)
Jack “Treetop” Straus (1988)
Duane “Dewey” Tomko (2008)
Stu “The Kid” Ungar (2001)
Red Winn (1979)
Sid Wyman (1979)