As people discuss the dwindling lure and potential death of televised poker, PokerStars.com strike back by announcing the arrival of the EPT to Channel Four. For the first time ever, the PokerStars.com EPT will be making its debut on mainstream television in the form of the 2008 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, an event eventually won by Canadian born Glen Chorny.
Previously broadcast on Cable channel Eurosport, the Channel Four broadcast will show highlights of the April event, including hands involving the likes of Luca Pagano, Freddy Deeb and Magician Antonio Esfandiari. As well as showcasing the tournament's top stars, the show will also be looking to introduce audiences to less established names such as Eric Liu, Maxime Villemure and Michael Martin, all of whom are bursting with potential and looking to take the poker world by storm.
Dates for the broadcast are as follows:
12:25am Monday May 26th
12:35am Thursday May 29th
12:05am Saturday May 31st
Poker fanatics can find previous EPT coverage at pokerstars.tv, but for a quick glimpse of this month's Monte Carlo Grand Final, check out this special teaser introduced by recent PokerStars acquisition and London EPT victor for 2006, Vicky Coren:
http://pokerstars.tv/pokerstars/channels/11294/movies/2716.html
The EPT Grand Final was the biggest major poker tournament ever held outside of the US, attracting a record field of 842 players who anted up the €10,000 entry fee, creating a total prize pool of over €8.4 million ($12m) and a first prize of over of €2 million. If you want to find out how it all unfolded, then be sure to check out all the coming action this Monday on Channel Four.