Poker Den in London next month
14th August, 2008
The Poker Den – the Big Game will be filmed in London in its third event, and this time it could prove to be an endurance test. Professional poker players from all over the world will come together in London to take part in a marathon cash game, which is scheduled to run for 36 hours straight.
Everyone who plays will either sit down with $10,000 or $20,000 to play with the blind levels at $25-$50, but of course with a table full of such high rollers there will be a lot of straddling going on as will.
“The Poker Den has come such a long way since we started it back in the summer of 2005,” said Eddie Hearn, head of online gaming with Matchroom Sport. “The Bing Game has been such a huge success, and the two series so far have attracted the best players in the world. We have seen some great action, fantastic banter between the players, and some berating between players.”
Many professional players are expected to filter through the game during the marathon, 36-hour match, including: Phil Hellmuth, Dave Ulliott, Jamie Gold, Robert Williamson III, Roland De Wolfe, Neil Channing, Andrew Feldman, Brain Townsend, Kirk Morrison, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Jon Kalmar, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, amd many more.
All of these players are used to lengthy poker sessions that run to all hours of the night, so it should be interesting to see how long these players last and watch how fatigue affects their game.
“The format has become one of the most popular amongst international broadcasters and with this series being eight hours longer, some players have boasted that they can go the full 36 hours without a break – and that I can’t wait to see,” Hearn said.
The show will be played and filmed on the 30th September and the 1st October, but won’t be shown in the UK until early next year on Channel 5, and will also be distributed to various networks around the world.
“There is a little doubt that the Poker Den has a cult following,” said a spokesman for PartyPoker.com. “Clips from the first two games are all over the internet. Viewers love the fine line between poker genius and complete madness it seems to bring out in the world’s top pros! The Den is a small intimate venue so we just hope it is big enough to accommodate their egos.”
The poker pros are going to be in London already to play in the World Series of Poker Europe, which is a European version of the most prestigious series of poker tournaments in the world. This year’s WSOPE will have four events culminating with a £10,000 buy in main event.
By Michael
