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WPT Enterprises' PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR
Published: 2004-10-18
 WPT Enterprises' PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR — PPT — Names Eligible Players To Inaugural $2.5 Million Season
Business Wire, Oct 18, 2004
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Approximately 200 PokerChamps.html>Poker Champs and Money Winners Make the Elite All-Star Roster; Qualifying Players are Eligible to Play Inaugural PPT Event at Foxwoods Starting Nov. 9
When the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR(TM) (PPT) kicks off at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Nov. 9, the field will include poker's All-Stars -- champions from WORLD POKER TOUR(TM) (WPT), World Series of Poker and European Poker competitions. More than 200 players qualified when the PPT announced its list of eligible players, based on input from the PPT Advisory Committee.
A host of top players ranging from veterans (Doyle Brunson) to young lions (24-year-old Antonio Esfandiari) made the cut, earning the right to play in the elite sports league. Launched by WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:WPTE), the creator of the WORLD POKER TOUR(TM), the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR reflects the evolution of poker as a sport. A sponsored prize pool totaling $2.5 million is at stake throughout the 5-tournament inaugural 2004-2005 season.
Whereas anyone can play on the WPT, only the game's professional elite that qualify will compete on the PPT. To be eligible to play on the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR, players must have proven themselves in past poker competition: by winning or making a Final Table at a WPT event or a WPT Championship; by scoring as a top 10 point leader in WPT Player-of-the-Year rankings; by winning or placing highly in the $10K buy-in event at the World Series of Poker; by securing a spot on either CardPlayer Magazine's Card Player of the Year Top 10 list or Poker Europa's Top 10; or by being a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. At the time of the announcement, the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR revealed PPT eligibility rules for future years based on recommendations from the PPT Advisory Committee.
"This qualifying process ensures that the television audience will have a chance to consistently see the most exciting, skilled poker played by the sport's All-Stars," said Steve Lipscomb, President of WPT Enterprises. "The PPT will be a league of poker Titans."
Among the players on the PPT roster whose names will be recognizable to poker fans are: Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Gus Hansen, Phil Gordon, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Chris Moneymaker, Antonio Esfandiari, Bobby Baldwin, Daniel Negreanu, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Samy Farah, Mel Judah, Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Huck Seed, Tom McEvoy, Layne Flack, Carlos Mortensen, Chip Reese, Erick Seidel, Lyle Berman, Kathy Liebert, T. J. Cloutier, Ted Forrest and Linda Johnson. A complete list along with qualifying criteria can be found on the WPT website, www.worldpokertour.com/media. More than a dozen of the PPT qualifiers are women.
In its first year, the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR will encompass five $500,000 free-roll tournaments with a total $2.5 million prize pool. After its debut at Foxwoods in November, the PPT will move on to Bellagio (Las Vegas) with subsequent tournaments at the Goldstrike Casino (Tunica, Miss.), Commerce Casino (Commerce, Calif.), and The Mirage (Las Vegas). WPT Enterprises will reveal more information on the PPT, including potential television partners, at a future date. Meanwhile, viewers can continue to enjoy the WORLD POKER TOUR on Travel Channel Wednesday nights at 9 p.m.
For more information on the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR or WPTE, please visit www.worldpokertour.com.
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Texas Hold 'Em by Phil Hellmuth Debuts Cutting Edge TV Campaign
Published: 2004-10-13
Texas Hold 'Em by Phil Hellmuth Debuts Cutting Edge TV Campaign; Summus Teams with ESPN to Bring Poker Fans to Their Phones
Business Wire, Oct 13, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -- In one of the wireless industry's first, Summus (USA) (OTCBB:SUMU), a leading provider of mobile media applications that optimize the consumer wireless experience, today announces a direct-to-consumer television campaign promoting Summus' new interactive multiplayer Texas Hold 'Em wireless poker game, which will initially debut on ESPN2 this Sunday, Oct. 17.
By targeting avid poker fans, the 12 commercial slots will air on both ESPN (Oct. 26th, 8-10pm) and ESPN2 (Oct. 17th, 20th) and feature Phil Hellmuth, a nine-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion. Snappy and energetic, the 30 second commercial, which showcases the latest in wireless innovations, will inspire millions of poker aficionados to test their skills by downloading the game's newest version.
By leveraging its true, real-time interactive multiplayer game engine, Summus' Texas Hold 'Em game includes one of the industry's most powerful 3D user interfaces, along with text chat, search capabilities to find friends, and a mobile community-building feature called "invite a friend." Not only will players enjoy the best real time experience of playing poker when compared to any other virtual platform, but most compelling, they will also be able to locate Phil Hellmuth's poker table, thereby providing everyone who subscribes a unique opportunity to go head-to-head against the champion. In order to rank themselves amongst the vast community of mobile poker players, game subscribers can log in to the game's interactive Web site (http://HellmuthHoldem.com) and learn more about the game and How to Buy!
"Summus believes TV advertising of wireless gaming applications is a primary medium to directly capture the mainstream mobile user audience in the same way that the industry has attracted the mass market of voice users," said Gary Ban, CEO of Summus. "The strategic direct-to-consumer marketing approach behind this launch will significantly increase the growing popularity of wireless gaming. This new version of the game only further extends our position as the market leader in developing true, interactive multiplayer games, and is thus a major stepping stone for continued revenue growth in 2004 and beyond."
The commercial, created by Raleigh, NC-based communications firm Capstrat, is slotted for the ESPN network broadcast, which is the most synergistic distribution channel given its affiliation with the WSOP. To further promote and reinforce the new product launch, Summus is also spearheading an aggressive online campaign at www.GameSpy.com, www.Maximonline.com and www.SportsIllustrated.com.
About Phil Hellmuth
Hellmuth, with nine World Series of Poker (WSOP) wins - earning $775,000 at his first championship in 1989, and two titles during 2003 - is the leader on the WSOP money list with over $3.5 million in earnings. At his first win in 1989 Hellmuth became the youngest WSOP champion ever, at age 24.
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