In one month, the ninth season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) will debut on Fox Sports Net. This season will bring a barrage of changes, including a new on-air personality, a returning hostess, and a team of women that will spice up the set. It all comes your way on Sunday, February 13th at 8:00pm and 11:00pm.
The kickoff episode will feature coverage of the Bellagio Cup VI, which included a blockbuster final table that housed eight-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Fame nominee Phil Ivey and fellow Full Tilt Poker pro Justin “Boosted J” Smith. The top prize is $875,000 and, once again, Vince Van Patten and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton will have the call from tableside.
In a thread on TwoPlusTwo, WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage posted the full slate of air dates and also noted that about one-third of each event’s broadcast would be devoted to play prior to the six-handed final table. During Season IX, Sexton and Van Patten turned up at events on Day 1 and were immersed in the action throughout each tournament. Sexton nearly made the final table at the Borgata Poker Open, but bowed out in 20th place.
The Bellagio Cup VI will span two of the 26 episodes that make up Season IX and airs on February 13th and 20th. Following the Las Vegas tournament, you can catch the Legends of Poker, which emanated from the Bicycle Casino in nearby Los Angeles. The 2010 Legends of Poker had a final table that included Jared Jaffe, online poker pro Tom “titantom32” Braband, and Andy Frankenberger, who also made the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Regional Championship in Atlantic City.
On July 31st and August 7th, the ninth season of the WPT will wrap up with the WPT Championship airing on Fox Sports Net. The tournament, which will be filmed in May at the Bellagio, comes with a hefty $25,000 price tag. Last year, former Bodog pro and current PokerStars front man David Williams trumped the field in the high-stakes event, which whittled down to a talented final six that also included UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, David Benyamine, Shawn Buchanan, and seven-time bracelet winner Billy Baxter.
The ninth season of the WPT features Tony “Bond18” Dunst hosting a brand new on-air segment dubbed the “Raw Deal.” He’ll be candidly critiquing hands throughout the season and potentially taking a few jabs at poker’s biggest stars. In addition, Kimberly Lansing will reprise her role as hostess after last performing the duty during Season VI. Finally, the Royal Flush Girls will make their debut.
The season will also feature the 200th episode of the WPT. Here are the air dates for Season IX of the WPT on Fox Sports Net. Check your local listings for more information:
February 13th: Bellagio Cup VI
February 20th: Bellagio Cup VI
February 27th: Legends of Poker
March 6th: Legends of Poker
March 13th: Borgata Poker Open
March 20th: Borgata Poker Open
March 27th: Festa Al Lago
April 3rd: Festa Al Lago
April 10th: Foxwoods World Poker Finals
April 17th: Foxwoods World Poker Finals
April 24th: Five Diamond World Poker Classic
May 1st: Five Diamond World Poker Classic
May 8th: Southern Poker Championship
May 15th: Southern Poker Championship
May 22nd: L.A. Poker Classic
May 29th: L.A. Poker Classic
June 5th: WPT Invitational
June 12th: WPT Invitational
June 19th: Bay 101 Shooting Star
June 26th: Bay 101 Shooting Star
July 3rd: Hollywood Poker Open
July 10th: Hollywood Poker Open
July 17th: Seminole Hard Rock
July 24th: Seminole Hard Rock
July 31st: WPT Championship
August 7th: WPT Championship
Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT coverage.