WPT Scores 3 Wins at the American Poker Awards

Last Friday evening, at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the Global Poker Index (GPI) launched the inaugural American Poker Awards, celebrating the very best poker players, industry workers, and media members in the United States and Canada during 2014.

The World Poker Tour was nominated in several categories, and is proud to announce that two members of the WPT family received awards, along with a very special event.

(All photos courtesy of revolutionpix for GPI.)

Industry Person of the Year
Adam Pliska, WPT President

Under President Adam Pliska’s stewardship in 2014, the World Poker Tour obtained seven new strategic partners and sponsors, while also increasing expansion into Asia. For these reasons and more, Pliska was awarded Industry Person of the Year.

The WPT’s new key partners — DeepStacks, Monster Headphones, DraftKings, Skrill, Fiat, Royal Caribbean, and luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot — represent millions of dollars in revenue for the WPT, and provide tremendous incremental value to poker players around the globe.

Pliska also led the effort to secure an exclusive partnership with Ourgame in Asia. This strategic alliance will enable Ourgame to hold WPT events in more than a dozen countries, including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Charitable Initiative of the Year
“All In” for Kids Poker Tournament
Presented by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the WPT Foundation

Photo: Dan Shak, who co-founded this charitable event, accepted the award along with WPT commentators Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton.

The 2014 “All In” for Kids Charity Poker Tournament raised $910,000 for the Food Allergy Department at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Held at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City, the event was hosted by Phil Hellmuth and attracted some of the biggest pros in the game.

The event also featured a charity auction where attendees were able to bid on sports memorabilia, vacations, and a VIP experience at the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City.

Lifetime Achievement in Poker
Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder

Photo:  Steve Lipscomb asked key members of the WPT family to join him on stage as he accepted his lifetime achievement award. From left to right behind Lipscomb: Mandy Glogow, Adam Pliska, Vince Van Patten, Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, and Matt Savage.

World Poker Tour is “the show that started it all,” and with assistance from legends like Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, and Lyle Berman, WPT founder and former CEO Steve Lipscomb is the man that started it all.

For his vision and execution, Lipscomb was awarded the inaugural APA Lifetime Achievement in Poker award. Now in its thirteenth season, World Poker Tour continues to grow, boasting record ratings on Fox Sports Networks in 2014.

“This is so much bigger than poker,” Lipscomb said at the podium, surveying the crowd with a smile on his face. “It’s the American dream embodied in a new sport.”

Steve Lipscomb and Adam Pliska are joined by Daniel Negreanu, who won the award as “Poker’s Best Ambassador.”

Congratulations to all the winners who were honored at the inaugural American Poker Awards!

For additional photos and information, check out the WPT Blog.