Season IX of the World Poker Tour debuted last night and we caught up with Vince Van Patten to talk about this radically new season that is shown on Fox Sports Net. Van Patten has been the co-host of the World Poker Tour, along with poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton, for every single year of the show’s run.
Vince Van Patten originally got into poker thanks to his father at age 14. Since then he’s played in high stakes private home games in the Hollywood area earning him the nickname of “Hollywood Home Game Legend” in the poker industry. He has appeared in commercials for Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Bingo Casino as well as the WPT World Poker Room at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. He is coming off a deep run at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, where he finished in 481st place.
In the interview, Van Patten talks about the many changes that appear in Season 9 of the WPT. Many will notice the return of Kimberly Lansing who is the official hostess of the show and introduces the episode along with exit interviews as players bust out. Fans will also notice that coverage of the event starts at Day 1, rather than just the final six players as was custom in the past. In addition, four colored decks are now appearing at the final table and there are all new graphics as well. There are now featurettes seen throughout the broadcast and one new quick is that both Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten are allowed to play in WPT tournaments. Finally, there’s no missing the new Royal Flush girls, some of whom have already graced the covers of poker magazines.
The World Poker Tour is in Season 9 of its run and can been seen on Sunday nights at 8pm or 11pm. Be sure to check your local listings for exact details.
