Late Night Poker is back, with Coral as its new sponsors

[TightEnd]

Late Night Poker is back, with Coral as its new sponsors. It first hit our screens in 1999 and literally changed the way we watch poker on TV.  It was Late Night Poker’s revolutionary hole-cams, allowing us to see the cards being played in real time that made poker a true spectator sport and sparked a genuine interest in the UK for the first time.  

In the early days, poker had an image of unsavoury characters playing in smoky backrooms which all changed on the back of Late Night Poker’s success.  As LNP grew, public perception changed the game into what we know and love today and propelled superstars such as Phil Hellmuth into household names.

We are gearing up for the show’s 13th season and it looks like it will be up there with the best of them.  There will be 32 players, including 28 pros, competing in four heats and a final table for the $320,000 prizepool and the title of Coral Late Night Poker Champion.  

The top two from each heat will progress to the final. To make things more interesting the winners of each leg will receive proportionally more chips than the runners up so you can be sure to see some strategy and aggression in the early rounds.
  
A selection of the confirmed players for this year includes:  
Ram, Joe, Barny and Ross of Hendon Mob fame,  Dave ‘Devil Fish’ Ulliott, Jake Cody, Liv Boeree, Vanessa Selbst, Sam Trickett, Huck Seed, John Duthie, Neil Channing, David Vamplew, Tony G, Peter Costa, Matt Perrins, Andrew Feldman, Kevin MacPhee, Padraig Parkinson and Melanie Weisner.  Series regular Victoria Coren will be provide commentary.

We have some old and new faces, WSOP bracelet winners, EPT and UKIPT winners, WPT winners and a simply insane amount of major tournament cashes between them.

As with previous seasons four of the 32 player field will be online qualifiers hoping to make a name for themselves by taking on their idols.  

Rest assured, whether they are seasoned pros or online qualifiers you can expect them to give it everything they have, which will make for an exciting show.

The action kicks off in August and will be aired on Channel 4 in October.  You can qualify exclusively on Coral.co.uk now.

Sign up to Coral through blonde Poker

[TightEnd]

Coral is going to be supporting blonde poker to promote the new series of LNP through filming and the shows. Thank you for their support

Like many, I think, the original series of LNP got me interested in poker. I thought we'd put some hands up from those early series and reminisce

I'll start off with one (you will have to forgive the Full Tilt stuff), from the very first episode



What I'd like from you is your memories of the early LNP's. Six early series, three Masters/Ace series and three more in 2008-10 to choose from

Or talk about LNP's role in your Poker hobby/career. I know it influenced a lot of people!

[Sheriff Fatman]

Like many, watching this and the early Poker Million shows was what got me playing poker in the first place. 

Many memories:

I remember the Pink Lady, who I think was Pascal Perrault's girlfriend/wife.  Her name was Lise Vigazzi or something like that.

Dave Welch and his Mrs played in these, prior to him getting caught up in some online site related grim.  (I remember them as they played in the early Cheeseypoker games, albeit prior to my playing them, so I half expected them to turn up some day - they never did).

I remember Hellmuth won one series but in another one got completely owned by a French player who just kept shoving on him (he taught me the word 'tapis')

Simon Trumper's ponytail.

Oh, and smoke, lots of smoke!  Watching the early series now is kind of like watching old football matches where they pass back to the keeper and he just picks the ball up.  It reminds you of how things used to be.

[ripple11]

Like many, watching this and the early Poker Million shows was what got me playing poker in the first place. 

Many memories:

I remember the Pink Lady, who I think was Pascal Perrault's girlfriend/wife.  Her name was Lise Vigazzi or something like that.

Dave Welch and his Mrs played in these, prior to him getting caught up in some online site related grim.  (I remember them as they played in the early Cheeseypoker games, albeit prior to my playing them, so I half expected them to turn up some day - they never did).

I remember Hellmuth won one series but in another one got completely owned by a French player who just kept shoving on him (he taught me the word 'tapis')

Simon Trumper's ponytail.

Oh, and smoke, lots of smoke!  Watching the early series now is kind of like watching old football matches where they pass back to the keeper and he just picks the ball up.  It reminds you of how things used to be.

Thanks Sheriff for memories of this legendary programme.

I remember stumbling across it on TV and being completely enthralled, by the game, the players and of course Jesse's commentary.

[T_Mar]

There was a young asian guy that might of won a series (cant remember for sure), but sadly died.. there was a "in memory of" at the end of the series... always thought he was best player,  but i had no real idea what i was watching at the time !

[Longy]

There was a young asian guy that might of won a series (cant remember for sure), but sadly died.. there was a "in memory of" at the end of the series... always thought he was best player,  but i had no real idea what i was watching at the time !

Hamish Shah.

Everything Sherrif said, it was compulsive viewing after a few drinks on a Fri/Sat night. I knew absoutely nothing about poker pre LNP it didn't start my poker career really, that was more Rounders and a free $10 to play on Pacific but was certainly an influence.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Another one - the TD was always Thomas Kremser, and the main dealer was Marina (whom he later married).  I have no idea what the name of the mullet-haired other dealer was, btw!

My first ever live tournament was a LHE event at the 2004 Austrian Masters in Vienna (I qualified on Intertops poker, presumably RIP now!)  I felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity when Marina was rotated to deal at my table, all thanks to LNP!

[Cf]

I liked the look of classic LNP episodes. Black background. Green felt. Cigarette smoke. No on screen display. Big hands clashing with lots of lol hollywood acting.

Now a days it's standard tv table, internet qualifiers, commentary that to an extent knows what it's talking about, tournament director commenting on the hands. Not the same at all

[AndrewT]

My first ever live tournament was a LHE event at the 2004 Austrian Masters in Vienna (I qualified on Intertops poker, presumably RIP now!)  I felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity when Marina was rotated to deal at my table, all thanks to LNP!

Similar for me - my first live poker was on the Ladbrokes poker cruise and Marina was my first dealer and I was sat next to Lucy Rokach.

Amazing to think that first series of LNP was 12 years ago.

[pokerfan]

I liked the look of classic LNP episodes. Black background. Green felt. Cigarette smoke. No on screen display. Big hands clashing with lots of lol hollywood acting.

Now a days it's standard tv table, internet qualifiers, commentary that to an extent knows what it's talking about, tournament director commenting on the hands. Not the same at all

+1

[Sheriff Fatman]

I remember Hellmuth won one series but in another one got completely owned by a French player who just kept shoving on him (he taught me the word 'tapis')

Found a clip of the final hand, which had to be the most bizarre end to one of the shows.

Nice slowroll, btw!

[SuperJez]

Similar for me - my first live poker was on the Ladbrokes poker cruise and Marina was my first dealer and I was sat next to Lucy Rokach.

Amazing to think that first series of LNP was 12 years ago.

I was on this cruise also (and the second one) - remember the candian guy with the gigantic bar bill....and howard plants lame jokes

[dreenie]

This looks a great line up, does anyone know the range of buy ins/ dates when the qualifiers are on?, I haven't downloaded the software yet, being a bit lazy - looks good tho.

[Royal Flush]

Sigh at not getting a mention in the lineup even though they mentioned about 20 of the 28

[AndrewT]

Similar for me - my first live poker was on the Ladbrokes poker cruise and Marina was my first dealer and I was sat next to Lucy Rokach.

Amazing to think that first series of LNP was 12 years ago.

I was on this cruise also (and the second one) - remember the candian guy with the gigantic bar bill....and howard plants lame jokes

I had tried to forget Howard's jokes.

Devilfish was pretty good value - spent every evening playing pissed-up Omaha then getting his guitar out and singing in the bar.