PartyPoker today announced the return of the legendary Late Night Poker TV show. It makes its annual return to screens on Channel 4 in the UK and Ireland later this year. After a number of different formats over recent years, the tournament goes back to the format of 1999-2002, with an emphasis on the player personalities that have made the tournament so compelling over the years.
Late Night Poker revolutionised people's perception of poker when it was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1999 and was the first to use under-the-table cameras. The total prize pool for 2007 is $335,000, with $125,000 going to the eventual winner. There will be 49 players paying a $,5000 buy-in, with seven heats featuring seven players each, followed by a semifinal and a final. Along with the old faces, a number of poker's young guns will take part, as well as a limited number of online qualifiers.
Online qualification is exclusive to www.partypoker.com. Every Monday night at 20:25 GMT (15:25 ET), the poker room hosts a $300 + $20 buy-in tournament, with one in 25 players winning a $7,500 package to Cardiff, which includes a stay at a five-star hotel and $800 spending money. Players can qualify for as little as $1.
Coverage of the tournament is by Presentable and will be presented by Vicky Coren, with Thomas Kremser the tournament director. Presentable also produced the coverage of the successful PartyPoker Poker Nations Cup for Channel 4 earlier this year.
The announcement of the return of Late Night Poker has been overshadowed by the news that Rob Gardner, producer of the very first series, recently passed away.
A PartyPoker spokesman said, "The emphasis on the old faces is even more poignant with the recent news that the original producer, Rob Gardner, tragically passed away at the age of just 36. Rob's contribution to the rise of televised poker and getting Late Night Poker on our screens was massive and his pioneering work leaves a huge legacy. He will be sorely missed, not only by those that know him but by the poker industry as a whole."
