The game of poker used to be a game accessible only in Sin City casinos or from video poker machines, but now it is more widespread than ever in Sin City thanks to the TV and the internet.

The famous Venetian Casino, is now betting on this popularity with its new audience-participation show called “The Real Deal!” in its Venetian Showroom, starting in October.

This new idea will join comedy and game show elements to entertain its live audience. The audience will also be able to take part in the popular game of Texas Holdem’ alongside the world’s best poker players.  There will be prizes for the audience including a chance to win 1$ million.

In “The Real Deal!” the audience members will play with players like Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu.  Around 10 professional players have already signed up for the poker game show.  The audience will be able to play along with the 90 minute game thanks to handheld, wireless, touch screen devices located on each seat.

“People who take a vacation in Sin City want to play poker,” Negreanu says, “but obviously they can’t play in a big game with the people like Doyle or Phil Hellmuth. But, in this show, they actually can.”  At the beginning of each show, six audience members will be chosen to sit at the poker table on stage with two professional players.   Each audience member is then involved in the action by being dealt a unique hand on their devices.  Everyone in the showroom is then involved in the action with big-screen monitors located on stage.

The show’s creators say that you don’t have to be a poker player to join in the game.  There are other ways to enhance your point total, that doesn’t involve playing poker necessarily.  Betting on the suit of the next poker card or trying to guess which state a particular audience member is from, are just some of the ways to come out a champion in poker in this game.

The show’s creators are also betting on the great personalities of the pro poker players to create some exciting moments.  Someone like Scotty Nguyen, the flamboyant five-time World Series of Poker winner, definitely knows about entertaining the crowd and should provide some memorable moments in this upcoming show .

No Comments »

Shortly after the start of last week’s charity poker event to help the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Ben Affleck goes all-in with a flop of Ace-Nine-King and two diamonds. He winces when two of his challengers call the bet. He yells “Re-buy”, but the turn is a seven of hearts. Affleck is upset when a jack of diamonds is dealt on the river. He took the hand seriously even though there was no actual cash at stake. This is just the kind of thing that Affleck and several other online poker enthusiasts are pushing for.

Over $100,000 was raised for the paralyzed victims, but this was not the only function of the poker event held in Coors Field. Members of the Poker Players Alliance are working very hard to legalize internet poker in the United States. As part of their agenda, they are pushing to repeal the 2006 legislation Congress passed which forbids U.S. Banks and credit card companies from processing transactions related to online poker websites.

John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, is optimistic about the direction that the new congress will lead this decision. Pappas says that the alliance is pushing for a licensed industry, just for internet poker, and not for all online gambling. Pappas is interested in having a safe, regulated industry that all Americans can enjoy. The group is fighting for the rights of people and the privacy they deserve in their own home.

“There are misconceptions about poker and about internet poker,” poker pro Andy Bloch said in between hands during the charity celebrity poker tournament. “Some people think that online gaming is gambling like a slot machine, and it’s not.”

No Comments »