This June, we started Season XVIII on the World Poker Tour.
I want to express some thoughts about where we are and what I’d like to achieve in the years to come.
First off, thanks WPT viewers for your loyalty! Thank you, ClubWPT members, for your loyalty as well and your interest in the World Poker Tour!
Thank you, magnificent players, that gamble (pros and non-pros) and put up their own money to compete in our events!
Thank you all our amazing sponsors, especially our naming sponsors, Hublot and Baccarat!
In my mind, the WPT is unique because our founder Steve Lipscomb was the first to discover that if you show the cards, they will come. Then, the World Series of Poker followed suit and some other shows, and the game was on!
Here are a few things I’m very proud of and a few things I’d like to even improve our show.
I’m proud of our quality production team in front and behind the cameras, who are world-class talents and who have tirelessly worked for years to make the show what it is!
I’m proud of Tony Dunst, my co-commentator, whose doing a terrific job and, of course, the great Lynn Gilmartin the most amazing host and the Royal Flush Crew and their exceptional charisma and work ethic! And a special thanks goes out to my former co-commentator Mike Sexton, who is brilliant and a pleasure to work with as well. We all miss him.
Also, there is the CEO and president of the WPT Adam Pliska, who is extremely open and trusting and a genius visionary and just a great guy to know.
Then there is the wonderful producers and exceptional crew and media behind the scenes who all do impeccable jobs to produce the shows in such a creative and powerful way.
I’m very proud of our storytelling. Our preshow that highlights the many players that competed in the events, not just at the final table, and delves into their lives and gives them exciting and fun air time!
There is a heart and a vision of the World Poker Tour that is totally global and proves that this game of poker is loved everywhere around the world!
Here are things I want to try to improve.
I want to help create and make even bigger stars out of all our players that compete! Tell their interesting stories and help humanize them into even more than just great, bold players.
I want to reach out to all the recreational players/non-pros and let them know there’s a home for them at WPT and to keep believing and continue to go for their name to be inscribed on the Champions Cup
I want to, as a commentator, try to keep the audience informed and laughing because life’s too short not to have a couple of chuckles, even while players are playing for huge money.
Besides that, all is good! I hope we continue to entertain and amuse and I hope you keep watching the World Poker Tour.
Until next time play loose and bluff on the river.