GSN and Shuffle Up Productions to Telecast First-Ever Million Dollar 'Three Card Poker National Championship Tournament' (New Friday Airdates - April 21 and April 28)
SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 27 -- GSN has partnered with
gaming company Shuffle Master Inc. to air the finals of the first ever Three
Card Poker National Championship Tournament. The two one-hour specials, hosted
by Mark L. Walberg ("Temptation Island," and "Russian Roulette") and Danielle
Demski (Miss Arizona 2004 and Miss USA Finalist), are slated to air on Friday,
April 21 and Friday, April 28 from 9:00-10:00 PM E/8:00-9:00 PM C and is being
produced by LMNO Productions and Shuffle Master subsidiary Shuffle Up
Productions. (Note: Three Card Poker was previously announced to air Monday,
April 17 and Monday, April 24 from 9:00 to 10:00 PM ET/PT).
The popularity of Three Card Poker has risen quickly over the past nine
years, making it one of the most played casino table games in North America,
with international expansion close behind. Shuffle Master Inc. includes a
portfolio of proprietary table games including Three Card Poker(R) and Let It
Ride Bonus(R).
"We are excited about giving away a $1 million to the winner of our first
event. Next year we anticipate bigger crowds and more players competing for
the finals at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. We expect to conduct 30 to 35
Regional events in 2006 throughout North America," said Brooke Dunn, Senior
Vice President of Shuffle Master, Inc.
In Three Card Poker, players compete against the dealer. Each is dealt
three cards face-down and must make the best poker hand with them. Hand
rankings are slightly different from five-card poker: straights beat flushes,
and the highest ranking hand is a straight flush. There are three wagers,
pair plus, which pays based on the rank of the hand and the ante and play
wagers that pay off if the players hand is higher than the dealers hand. The
dealer must have a queen high or better to qualify.
Shuffle Master held 20 regional Three Card Poker tournaments throughout
North America, and over 250 people qualified to play in the finals at The Rio
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The special will focus on the nine
finalists as they battle for the $1 million dollar grand prize and a diamond
and ruby-encrusted bracelet worth over $30,000.
"GSN is on the forefront of bringing casino games to television in a
compelling and entertaining manner," stated the show's executive producer,
Eric Schotz. "Three Card Poker is a perfect fit for viewers. It is a game
based on skill and luck that anyone can play."
GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated
to game-related programming. The network features game shows, reality series,
documentaries and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN
has allowed viewers to play-along with on-air programming via their computers
and GSN.com since 2002. Reaching more than 57 million Nielsen homes, GSN is
distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite
providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and
Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press
website at corp.gsn.com.
About Shuffle Master
Shuffle Master, Inc. specializes in providing its casino customers with
Utility Products, including automatic card shufflers, intelligent table
systems, and roulette chip sorters, to improve their profitability,
productivity and security, and Entertainment Products, including proprietary
table games and Table Master(TM) games to expand their gaming entertainment
content. The company is included in the S & P Smallcap 600 Index.
Information about the Company and its products can be found on the Internet at
http://www.shufflemaster.com
About LMNO Productions
Established in 1989, LMNO Productions has produced over 600 programs and
50 series for network, cable and syndicated television. A provider of
reality, documentary, informational and entertainment programming worldwide,
LMNO's credits include, "Kids Say the Darndest Things" hosted by Bill Cosby
and "Wickedly Perfect" for CBS, "Guinness World Records: Primetime" for FOX,
"Behind Closed Doors with Joan Lunden" for A & E and the award-winning "Silent
Stalker: Heart disease" for Discovery Health Channel. Information about the
company and its shows can be found on the Internet at http://www.lmnotv.com.
SOURCE GSN
Web Site: http://www.gsn.com
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